The MBA internship provides students with the opportunity to apply their academic learning and gain practical experience in a supervised professional business environment. For employers, the internship provides an effective strategy to access a highly skilled talent pool.
The internship takes place during the final semester of the MBA program. To comply with program requirements, the internship must be 16 weeks in length and interns must work a minimum of 35 hours per week. Internships could take the form of a special project, job/role or research project.
Internships must meet all of the following criteria:
- Offer tasks which allow students to directly apply their learning from the MBA program; aligning to a minimum of 6 courses' program learning outcomes. View MBA course outlines
- Take place in a professional business environment
- Have a designated mentor (preferably the same mentor throughout the internship) who can provide ongoing consistent oversight and feedback to the student and who agrees to fully participate in the internship process. This includes signing the Internship Work Term Agreement, registering in CareerVIU, reviewing the work term record and completing the e check-in record, meeting with the student and work-integrated learning faculty for a mid-point visit and completing the online employer final evaluation
To start the process of hiring an MBA intern go to our "Getting Started" page for more info on the process: Get Started!
FAQs
The intern may perform everyday business functions, conduct research around business challenges, work on a designated project or a combination of these.
Vancouver Island University's work-integrated learning (WIL) faculty will provide ongoing support for employers and monitor the intern's progress. A detailed list of VIU WIL faculty roles and responsibilities in supporting both students and employer can be found on our Mentoring an MBA Intern page.
The MBA program has changed. Formally there were four internship start semesters each year but this has now changed to two internship start semesters each year. Students will now be looking for internships starting in January and May of each year.
Please note that due to the MBA program change our next group of interns will not be seeking internship placement until January 2022.
MBA internship timelines can be viewed on our MBA Internship Timelines page.
Duration of the internship is 16 weeks at a minimum of 35 hours per week.
The VIU MBA internship team is aware that employer time can be precious so we strive to keep the work involved to a minimum. A complete list of employer responsibilities during the internship can be found on our Getting Started page.
Yes, each organization is permitted up to two interns at any given time. If, however, you have a large organization capable of supporting multiple interns with office space and mentors we may consider allowing more than two.
Yes, over the years many employers have hired their intern in a permanent role. A three month internship is a great way to vet candidates for a permanent role.
Hiring an international student for a permanent role
Please keep in mind that international students are working on an internship work permit during the internship and will need to apply for and obtain a post-graduate work permit to continue working after the internship. Obtaining a post-graduate work permit is dependant on successful completion of the entire MBA program and approval by the Canadian immigration office. The maximum length of a post-graduate work permit is 3 years but may be for a shorter time frame. On rare occasions your intern may need to stop working for a short time while they wait to receive their post-grad work permit. If you decide that you want to hire your intern permanently it is important that you speak with them about this prior to the end of the internship so that both you and your intern can make plans going forward. If an international student wants to work beyond the expiration of their post-graduation work permit they will have to see permanent residence.
Information regarding post-graduate work permits for international students can be found on the Government of Canada immigration website at: https://www.canada.ca/en/immigration-refugees-citizenship/corporate/publications-manuals/operational-bulletins-manuals/temporary-residents/study-permits/post-graduation-work-permit-program.html
Detailed information on hiring an MBA intern can be found on our Steps to Hiring an Intern page.
Studies show that paid internships result in a more valuable experience for both the student and the hosting organization.
Remuneration for your intern will depend on a number of factors including, the intern's previous experience, the scope of internship responsibilities and duties, the size of the organization and employment sector. Our intern's salaries typically range from minimum wage to $26+ per hour.
Please note that the VIU MBA internship program internship opportunity postings must offer a minimum of $1000/month remuneration to be considered for approval.
Support for Employers
The VIU MBA internship team is here to support employers before, during and after the internship. We can assist you with posting an MBA opportunity, selecting a candidate and addressing challenges during the internship. We have curated a wide array of resources to assist you during the entire internship process.