We develop international internship opportunities for UW-Madison undergraduate students from all academic disciplines to develop a global talent pool to serve the needs of state, national and international employers. We are actively seeking organizations abroad that are able to offer substantive internships, whether in-person or virtually.
Our staff will work with you to customize the internship to your needs. We can help define the internship position, and assist in managing the recruiting and application process.
Host an Intern
Our team helps global employers access students with global competency, language proficiency, and expertise in their fields.
Hosting an intern can help develop a mutually beneficial relationship between your organization and UW-Madison, and help your organization gain name recognition among students and staff. It is also a fantastic way for UW-Madison alums to stay connected through providing opportunities for current Badgers
In addition, hosting an intern is a great way to test out a highly-motivated employee in a low-cost, low-risk situation, as well as bring a fresh perspective to your organization.
- Fill out the Survey
Complete the International Employer Interest Survey. We will be touch about your internship proposal soon!
Note: We don’t work with organizations that charge students a fee to participate in an internship. - Create a Position
If we determine your proposal is a good fit, we will send you our Position Description Form via email. We can offer guidance to make the position the best fit for UW-Madison students. - Post the Internship
After you give final approval on the position, we post the position to our internal database, accept applications, and answer initial questions during advising. - Review Applications
We send you the complete applications for review. You can interview candidates virtually and decide if you would like to extend offers. - Host your Intern
Work with your intern to establish expectations, learning goals, and projects they can work on during this exciting learning experience.
What are the host expectations?
Hosts are expected to provide a meaningful work experience and guidance contributing to the professional development of the intern. Hosts should plan to assist the intern in increasing understanding of the host country’s culture, acclimate to the work environment, and impart knowledge of the industry or organization for the professional development of the student.
Hosts should also plan to help arrange the intern’s work permit/visa, if applicable, and make recommendations for logistics such as housing and travel.
At the end, hosts should complete a performance evaluation for the intern and provide any relevant feedback for the intern to aid in their professional development.
Other ways to get involved
We love to showcase industry talent and expertise by inviting alumni and internship hosts to virtual or in-person career panels.
Reach out to our internship team if you’re interested in connecting with students through our events!
We thank the alumni, businesses, and community members who have generously given to support our mission to foster professional training and global competency while preparing undergraduates for the global economy. Private gifts ensure that we can support students seeking internships abroad, many of which are unpaid. We work with a large number of first-generation and underrepresented students and are able to reach a broad audience through support from internship hosts and donors to our scholarship funds. Gifts of any size are most welcome and gratefully appreciated.
To support students interning abroad, you can donate to the International Internship Program Fund (112904266).
If you prefer to make your gift by check please make your check payable to the University of Wisconsin Foundation/IIP and write the fund name (International Internship Program Fund) in the check memo line and send it to:
University of Wisconsin Foundation
US Bank Lockbox 78236
Milwaukee, WI 53278-0236
For more information or to discuss donation options, including named scholarships, please contact us:
If you are not quite ready to host an intern, but share our belief that international internships are valuable for our Wisconsin students, please let us know.
Testimonials
See what organizations have to say about working with UW-Madison students!
For the student perspective on international internship experiences, see our Student Profiles.
“Closer cooperation between the UW-Madison and the business community is critical to preparing the next generation of global leaders—people who will engage across borders and disciplines to develop solutions to the world’s problems.”
-Bill Linton, founder and CEO, Promega Corporation
“Since learning Japanese at UW helped me so much in my career, I wanted to give back to the students studying Japanese and guide them to good career paths.”
-Jason Shin, president & CEO, Takamoto Electric
“Our interns from the UW-Madison have contributed greatly to our global policy research efforts. Their language skills and technical knowledge allowed them to be productive from the first day. It is a great experience for the interns and a fantastic opportunity for us to engage with talented students.”
-Clay Nesler, Vice President, Global Energy & Sustainability, Johnson Controls, Inc.