Internships

Over 600 students have attended the LLC since its opening in 2002, which means there are literally hundreds of internship possibilities. We are proud of the long-term relationships we’ve established with many organizations in Ottawa, with brand-new opportunities found each semester. The LLC is committed to helping every student find the right opportunity for them, their academic courses and future goals.

The Process

The LLC Executive Director places all students in internships. After a student is accepted to the LLC program, he or she will have an individual discussion with the Director to discuss the student’s interests, experience, and long-term goals. If a student has an interest outside the usual range of internship placements, the Executive Director may ask the student to participate in finding and securing an appropriate placement.

The Possibilities

One of the obvious attractions of interning in Ottawa is working in politics. Around half of our students have been placed with Members of Parliament (MPs) from the Conservative, Liberal, NDP and Green parties. Some students have been placed with Senators, which provides a less partisan political experience. Students have also been placed with a political party itself. For a full list of current MPs, see the Parliamentary website.

International Studies students may prefer being placed with one of the many international agencies and NGOs in Ottawa. LLC students have been placed with a wide variety of international agencies, including but not limited to CARE Canada, WUSC, Help Lesotho, and World Vision.

There are numerous NGOs that have offices in Ottawa. LLC students have been placed with Christian NGOs like the Evangelical Fellowship of Canada, Citizens for Public Justice, and Cardus. They have also been placed with organizations like the Business Council of Canada and Universities Canada.

There are many government relations and lobby firms in Ottawa. LLC students have been placed with several such agencies.

Communications and English studies students may intern with a media outlet or publication such as Ottawa Life Magazine.

Human Kinetics students may intern with a wide variety of sports associations, such as the Canadian Paralympic Committee or the Coaching Association of Canada.

Business students may get placed in a private sector firm or an advocacy organization that promotes business development in Canada.

Students with citizenship other than Canada may be able to intern with an embassy. Many countries have embassies in Ottawa. LLC interns have been placed with the embassies of Korea, Mexico, and the Czech Republic. Note that some of these require language ability. Also note that the US Embassy has its own internship program run out of the State Department and therefore will not take LLC interns.

It is valuable for students to consider what they have to contribute to an internship placement and what they hope to gain from the experience prior to meeting with the Executive Director. It is not the responsibility of the student to find a placement; however, students are welcome to research internship possibilities on their own. There are many more placement opportunities available than what is listed above. The Executive Director cannot guarantee any particular internship to any student, but all students will participate in an internship during their time at the LLC.

Ready to Apply? 

Return to the applications page to get started, or check out the FAQs for more information.