MA European Union Institutions and Policy Making Menu
Brussels Internship Phase 2
The second phase of study consists of an internship in an EU policy-making agency. It lasts from January to June. We currently enjoy strong working relationships with five organisations of this type in Brussels, and are therefore in a position to offer a limited number of internships before you begin the programme. Placements are offered on a strictly selective basis. We direct candidates towards appropriate posts, but it is the candidate's responsibility to ensure that the post is confirmed. All the posts are directly relevant to the policy-making process and involve contact with officers of the European Commission and related agencies. Pay and conditions vary according to the internship, although, generally speaking, each of the organisations will cover food and transportation. Please note that, as a student on this MA course, you may be eligible for ERASMUS funding for its duration– enquiries can be made directly once you have registered.
The organisations where we currently place students
- The European Universities Association (EUA) This organisation co-ordinates higher education policy for universities throughout Europe.
- The Centre for European Policy Studies (CEPS) The CEPS is a major, publicly funded, European policy think-tank which produces research reports for national governments and the European Commission.
- The European External Policy Advisors (EEPA) EEPA is a small, privately run research unit which reports to the European Commission and international consortia on issues relating to trade, poverty, the environment and human rights. Its studies are usually client-driven.
- Eurostep Eurostep works in close partnership with EEPA and conducts similar types of studies. Funded principally by subscription, its primary function is to co-ordinate the work of social welfare groups in different EU member states and to keep them informed of the latest developments in EU social policy.
- Europe Analytica Europe Analytica is a small, Brussels-based EU consultancy run from the UK . Its mission is to serve its clients in different fields of EU policy by providing tailor-made information on an ongoing basis, lobbying institutions, and drafting reports on current future development.
- EurActiv EurActiv is the leading online media on EU affairs and is present in 15 European capitals. It publishes free EU news and facilitates EU policy debates for policy professionals in 15 languages. For its main office in Brussels, EurActiv would like to place candidates in its Editorial department.
Important information about internships and the Programme as a whole
Although we regularly place MA students with the above organisations, we cannot guarantee that posts will necessarily be available in any given year. The agencies themselves select the students on the basis of CVs and the recommendation of the course convenor.
All five internships are cutting edge. They offer unique insights into the way policy is formed and mediated by organisations internationally - with particular reference to Europe . Virtually all graduates of the MA in European Institutions and Policy Making have gone on to pursue careers in international relations or doctoral research.
The internships in Brussels provide experience which enable you to make essential professional contacts and build up your CV. There are few - if any - other programmes in the UK which offer similar opportunities.
During the internship, you will be expected to contribute to the normal work of the office on a fully professional basis although you should not expect to be paid a living wage. You will be required to submit work to Lancaster University in the form of one interim non-assessed report and one assessed report. The work submitted can consist of a report which forms part of your ongoing professional duties. You will work under the supervision of a full-time employee of the office and be simultaneously responsible to the M.A. course co-ordinator at Lancaster University .
You will also be expected to consider a topic on which you wish to base your dissertation. You should remain in contact with the course co-ordinator and use the placement period to assemble documentation which may be useful to you.
The internship should give you first-hand experience of how international liaison and policy-making actually works, how the conception of policy translates into action on the ground and what impact it has on people's lives. It will mobilise a range of abilities from the diplomatic to the everyday tasks of office management and will test your note-taking, computing and presentational skills to the utmost.
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