The UPF Education Abroad Program offers project-based academic internships to students with outstanding academic profiles.

Internships stand at the crossroads of academic and professional training. At UPF, one of our goals is to bridge the gap between higher education and hands-on professional experience. Experiential learning through both action and observation will provide international students with an opportunity to develop their intercultural skills and further immerse themselves in Spanish society, gaining firsthand experience of a Spanish workplace, while at the same time deepening their understanding of society, business, and work relations in Barcelona.

This academic opportunity expands and diversifies the current study-abroad options at UPF, giving students a chance to carry out projects in industries related to their majors or minors.

To participate in the UPF Education Abroad Internship Program, students must sign a statement of responsibility, undertaking to comply with local rules and regulations and the highest ethical and academic standards of behavior, especially with regard to confidentiality and data collection and use. Students who participate in for-credit academic internships at UPF must successfully complete two components:

• A student project at the workplace (135 hours)
• A weekly seminar on intercultural competence taught by UPF faculty (20 classroom hours) on Tuesday (10:30 - 12:30h) room 23.S03 (Mercè Rodoreda Building (24).
• Syllabus

This program may only be taken for credit. Students will be awarded the 6 ECTS credits based on assessments of both components.

The UPF Education Abroad Project-based Academic Internships Program provides students with:

Pre-arrival preparation: personalized guidance on internships to help students design project-based placements adapted to their specific learning needs and academic interests. The customization of each student's project ensures the specificity thereof, as well as the structure and clarity of the job description (which is also tailored to the student), including clear assessment and learning goals.

An onsite supervisor to oversee the project's implementation, monitor the student's performance and provide training to help the student acquire skills such as adaptability, intercultural competence at the workplace, and flexibility.

On-going coaching in Barcelona to ensure the quality and success of the learning experience. An internship coordinator will orient and prepare students for interviews, co-design the individual projects with each student's supervisor, and train students to identify their main duties and responsibilities and to understand the confidentiality, non-disclosure and noncompetition policies applicable in Spain.

Guidance on re-entering home institutions and updating résumés.

The UPF Education Abroad Program guarantees that all students will be placed in work environments that comply with the ethical principles of work-abroad programs, have safe and suitable facilities, and offer appropriate projects for undergraduate students.