Internship

Students at the University of the Arts have the opportunity to apply for an Erasmus+ grant to undertake an internship in Europe.

Internships provide students with the opportunity to gain training in a professional setting and must be related to the subject the student is studying at LHÍ and help the student develop their skills in the subject. This is a residency grant, shorter internships are 5-14 days, but the minimum length of stay for general internships, including internships after graduation, is two months.

Application process

1. Finding a host: The student finds a host. It is desirable that a host is available when students apply for a grant, but it is not necessary.

2. Application for an Erasmus+ grant: A student who is planning to do an internship after graduation fills out an application for an Erasmus grant through OWL. The application deadline is May 1st each year.

A student planning to do an internship during the summer must apply by April 1st and be in the interview with the program director as well as the International Office. Contracts cannot be finalized after the internship begins.

3. Vattachment with Ugla application: Please note that students must submit the following attachments with the application:

Curriculum vitae (download here)
"Description and benefits of internships" (300-500 words depending on the length of the internship, at least 500 words for planned stays of 6 months or longer). An internship agreement does not need to be submitted at this point, unless one is available. (last step in the application).

Angle

when can i go

Students have the opportunity to apply for a grant to summer internshipThis is an internship outside of the traditional study period and in some cases is assessed for credits (2 ECTS), but the approval of the department head is required. The application deadline is April 1st each year.

Playwrights course and dance course offer internship during study period. A 15-week internship is equivalent to one semester or a total of 30 ECTS credits. Internships are specified on the study program and on the certificate supplement that accompanies the diploma upon graduation.

Graduate students can apply for an ERASMUS+ grant to internship that takes place after graduationThe scholarship must be applied for by May 1st and must be used within twelve months of graduation. The scholarship does not count towards credits, but students will receive a certificate of internship upon completion.

What kind of internship can I do?

Internships provide students with the opportunity to gain training in a professional setting. The training shall be related to the subject that the student is studying at LHÍ and shall contribute to the student developing their skills in the subject. Students shall use the knowledge and methods they have learned during their studies in the field. Internships shall aim to:

Strengthen your network
Build a resume
Lead to increased job opportunities
Provide international experience

In an internship, the student works on the tasks assigned to him by the host organization, and receives training from his supervisor. In this way, an internship is beneficial for both parties. The internship position can be paid or unpaid, but it is always a temporary position. The University of the Arts is responsible for granting grants and provides assistance if a dispute arises between the parties.

Who can be a recipient?

The host should have extensive experience in the professional field and it is preferable that the mentor has completed studies in the field. The host can be:

company
Organization
Organization
Self-employed individual

The supervisor must possess knowledge and skills that enable him to guide the intern so that he receives targeted training in the areas described in the internship agreement. In this respect, it is not assumed that it is peer education. More about the recipient:

It is not possible to grant a grant for an internship done in Iceland, whether it is remote work or due to the tasks of the receiving party in Iceland. If part of the internship takes place in Iceland, the days in question must be deducted from the grant period.
The receiving party must define the intern's task with the idea that the intern is in training and that he should acquire certain skills during the intern. An intern can never replace an employee.
The receiving party guarantees that the student's training is carried out in a professional manner. It is important that the host understands his role as a mentor and does not only use the intern's talents for his own benefit.
The receiving party must provide the intern with adequate working facilities that are in accordance with the tasks assigned to him.
It is assumed that the host can accept a maximum of 1-2 students from the University of the Arts per year.

How do I find a host?

Students are responsible for finding a host that can meet the goals of the internship. The International Office of the Icelandic Institute of Technology does not undertake to find a host for students. However, here are some tips that can point students in the right direction:

Subject managers and students' teachers can provide advice and can use their own network to point students to parties in the field.
If a student is interested in interning with a specific artist, studio, salon, organization, or other organization, it doesn't hurt to find the person's email address, drop them a line, and see if they are looking for an intern.
On the website erasmusintern.org you can find information about parties that advertise for interns.
Many job search sites such as Welcome to the Jungle have a search category for internships.
Some European countries maintain websites with search engines for internships. For example, the French government runs this page, the Danish state this one here and the German state this one here.

I have a receptionist. What are the next steps?

If you applied for an internship at Ugla, had your application approved, and have found a host, the next step is to fill out internship agreement with the host organization. An internship agreement specifies the objectives of the internship, the student's tasks, the competency criteria, as well as the duration and arrangement of the internship. With the agreement, the host organization commits itself to providing training to the students, and the student commits itself to working for the host organization according to the description.

The agreement is in three parts:

1. Before the mobility
2. During the mobility
3. After the mobility

You only need to fill in the basic information at the top as well as the first section (before the mobility) with the host, sign it and send it to the International Office's email address. Here are some points in the agreement that the International Office often gets questions about:

Study cycle: Here the level of study is specified (BA/MA)
Field of education: Here is the subject specified according to the European Union's ISCED codes:
- 0114: Art education
- 0211: Graphic design & cinematography
- 0212: Fashion and Product Design, MA Design
- 0213: Visual Arts
- 0215: Music & Performing Arts
- 0731: Architecture
Number of working hours per week: Internships must be a minimum of 30 hours per week. Anything beyond that is an agreement between the intern and the host organization. Interns are not required to work beyond the agreed working hours.
Detailed program of the traineeship: Here it is important that the intern and the host clearly state what tasks will be assigned to the intern.
Monitoring plan: Here is an explanation of the follow-up arrangements. These could include weekly morning meetings with the intern on Mondays or status meetings at lunchtime every other Friday.
Financial support: The host organisation is free to pay the intern a salary for their work, but it is important that this is stated in the internship agreement. If the reward for the work done is in the form of benefits, such as a transport card, lunch on weekdays, accommodation, tickets to cultural events, use of a bicycle, etc., these should be listed under contribution in kind.
Accident & liability insurance: Interns are not insured by the Iceland Academy of the Arts while they are on an internship. It is therefore important that interns check whether they are insured in the event of an accident during their internship, and that they bring with them European Health Insurance Card and that they will take out additional insurance if they deem it necessary. The host organisation may also state in the contract whether or not the intern will be offered insurance through them.

Download an internship agreement

How does the internship scholarship work?

Grant amounts vary from year to year and from country to country. Rannís maintains this website but there you can find more information about internship scholarships and there is a link to a page with scholarship amounts. The scholarship consists of:

Travel grant
Residence grant
Job training supplement (150€ per month)

In some cases, a student can also apply for a recognition grant, in which case €250 per month is added to the grant amount. More information about recognition grants can be found at find here.

Once the student has submitted all the necessary documents to the International Office, 70% of the grant will be transferred, but never before at least 2 weeks before the internship begins. The second payment, 30%, is then transferred to the student after the internship has been completed and a final report has been submitted. The final report is the last part of the internship agreement (i.e. After the mobility / TRAINEESHIP CERTIFICATE) and is filled out by the host organization after the internship and returned by the student to the International Office.

Etiquette and important points

It is good to keep the following points in mind:

It is not expected that students go on internships with their current partners or partners.
It is not expected to support collaborative projects or independent work of students under the guidance of an instructor.
The internship grant is based on period of stay at the receiving party, outside Iceland, in Europe.
The intern is not obliged to do other tasks than those stated in the internship contract, especially if they are not related to training in the profession.
Internships must be a minimum of 30 hours per week. Anything beyond that is an agreement between the intern and the host organization. Interns are not required to work beyond the agreed working hours.

If a dispute arises with the host institution, for example due to the above-mentioned issues or due to bullying or harassment, the student should contact the International Office. and/or the LHÍ student advisor immediately.

Nordplus

Students can also apply for a Nordplus grant for a shorter stay of one to eight weeks in the Nordic and Baltic countries. More information about Nordplus grants is provided by the international office.

Contact / Book an appointment

If you cannot find the information you are looking for on this page, you can contact the International Office by sending an email to exchange@lhi.is or book an appointment with a project manager at the International Office by clicking the button below.

Book an appointment