Field Placement and Internship

In the School of Business, students have the chance to truly launch their career, even before graduation. Students can choose from a placement or internship experiential learning opportunity in fourth year.   

Placements are normally unpaid, part-time work, approximately one day per week for the term, and students receive a half credit.  The placement hours are in addition to some course work. The placement course is normally one of five courses in the term so students must schedule their courses around the placement opportunity.  The course is currently offered on both the Peterborough and Durham campus.

Internships are time away from school (a break in studies) where students are in paid, full-time work, for 6, 8 or 12 consecutive months, and students receive a full academic credit. Students return to Trent for one term after completion of the internship hours.  The course is currently only available on the Peterborough campus.

For students, the benefits of participating in a placement or internship include: 

• the opportunity to develop invaluable real-life experiences and skills  
• the opportunity to build confidence and to learn more about oneself and the profession 
• the opportunity to expand professional networks including potential career prospects 

Details about the Placement Course:

• provides fourth year students (both single and joint majors) with a short-term experience relevant to their subject area 
• students enhance their classroom knowledge with real-world experience 
• students will engage in productive work rather than merely observing (commonly known as job shadowing)  
• students shall commit to regular attendance, minimum 100 hours or roughly a day per week for consecutive weeks within the fall and winter term (12 weeks) or 2-3 days per week for the summer term (beginning of May to mid-June) 
• part-time, normally unpaid position 
• placements are normally local and in-person, in the Peterborough and surrounding area 
• students schedule the placement day around their other academic courses 
• due to COVID, there are some remote placement opportunities  
• student eligibility is a minimum cumulative average of 72% 
• students apply and compete for positions (limited enrolment course) 
• students can use the opportunities provide by the School of Business or can secure their own placement (students must consult with the Placement Coordinator before discussing with an employer and setting up their placement); a placement has to be a new learning opportunity 
• organizations will create a job posting, interview students and decide who to host 
• organizations will assign a supervisor/mentor for each placement and the supervisor will evaluate student performance at the end of the placement 
• placements can be in a variety of business settings (Accounting and Tax, Finance and Investments, Human Resources, Marketing, Advertising, and Social Marketing, Customer Service/Sales/Public Relations, Entrepreneurship, Business Plan Development, and Social Enterprise, Planning/Project Management, Research/Data Analysis/Policy Analysis and Report Writing, Community Outreach/Event Management and Fundraising, Administration, etc.) 

Details about the Internship Course 

• This is just our second year of the program.  In the first year, we only had accounting opportunities.  For the second year, we had opportunities in accounting, human resources management and marketing.  We will continue to expand internship opportunities each year as we continue to grow this program. 
• provides fourth year business students (single major BBA majors only) with in-depth, practical industry experiences relevant to their subject area 
• students enhance their classroom knowledge with real-world experience 
• students spend 6, 8, or 12 months working full-time in industry  
• all internships begin in January 
• full-time paid position (minimum 35 hours per week) 
• between the second last and last term of the degree and will delay graduation 
• students must return to Trent for a final term  
• many opportunities are local, within the Peterborough and surrounding area but opportunities this past cycle were throughout Ontario including Ottawa, Kingston, Belleville, Trenton, Cobourg, Lindsay, Oshawa, Toronto, Markham, and Mississauga; opportunities will vary each cycle  
• while working full time on an internship, students cannot enroll in other academic courses 
• normally in person  
• student eligibility is a minimum cumulative average of 75% plus the completion of all required courses up to third year and the courses listed under a specialization 
• students apply in summer prior to fourth year and compete for positions (limited enrolment course) 
• students can use the opportunities provide by the School of Business or can secure their own internship (students must consult with the Internship Coordinator before discussing with an employer and setting up their internship) 
• organizations will create a job posting including salary, interview students and decide who to hire 
• organizations will assign a supervisor for each internship and the supervisor will evaluate student performance throughout the internship including a mid-point and final performance evaluation  

For more information, please contact:

PETERBOROUGH CAMPUS:

Deb Earle, Field Placement and Internship Coordinator
Email: deborahearle@trentu.ca 
Office: Gzowski College, Enwayaang building room 356
705.748.1011 ext. 7473

DURHAM CAMPUS:

Kristen Papadakos, Coordinator, Workplace Partnerships
Email: kristenpapadakos@trentu.ca 
Durham Room 152
905.435.5102 ext. 5042

Please note the School of Business does not offer a co-op program (alternate study terms with 4-month work terms).