The Iacocca International Internship Program offers roughly 100 internship opportunities every year with a variety of options to fit almost any major or program.
Students may travel individually, with a small group of Lehigh peers, or in a larger group led by a Lehigh faculty or staff member. They may work in a multinational corporation, help a nonprofit or NGO, or perform research in a laboratory or in the field. Opportunities are available in approximately 30 countries around the world.
The international internships are largely funded through the Iacocca Foundation, the Freeman Foundation and other donors. This means that there is virtually no cost for the program, which includes airfare, housing, most meals and local transportation. The funding does not cover passport or visa fees, immunizations or optional excursions and personal expenses. Internships are full time and unpaid, and most do not carry academic credit.
Specific internship opportunities for summer 2019 will be posted in the fall of 2018. Read about past internship experiences in the student reports.
Apply for an Internship
Applications for summer 2019 internships will open in the fall of 2018.
The Iacocca International Internship Program is highly selective. Because the goal of the program is to ensure that international experiences are open to all students, students with high financial need or who have not been abroad before are preferred. Candidates are evaluated based on the following criteria:
- Financial need
- Alignment of student experience and interests with the internship description
- In good academic and behavioral standing
- Extracurricular activities related to the internship description
Accepted Interns
Accepted interns should visit CourseSite for important information and forms. All interns must attend a mandatory health and safety orientation in the spring.
Additional Policies
- By accepting their position, the intern commits to the program during the specified dates.
- If an intern needs to cancel for any reason other than extreme hardship or health, they will be charged $1,000 through the Bursar.
- Graduating seniors must defer graduation until after their internship.
- Interns may not take summer classes during their internship.
Lehigh University reserves the right to revoke the internship at any point if:
- there are safety and security concerns in the internship location
- a student violates the Student Understanding and Agreement, the Internship Addendum, letter of acceptance, Lehigh University Code of Conduct, or laws in the country of travel
- students fail to follow through on the internship plan as originally proposed
Past Interns
To date, nearly 500 students have interned in 46 countries in a variety of placements. You can read about the experiences of past student interns in our annual student reports.
Student Report 2017 (pdf)
Student Report 2016 (pdf)
Student Report 2015 (pdf)
Student Report 2014 (pdf)
Student Report 2013 (pdf)
Student Report 2012 (pdf)
The internship offered a unique insight into how necessary large-scale business and construction projects are conducted in what is currently the fastest-growing large economy in the world. In my first ever abroad experience, I was able to make connections between the traditions and philosophies evident in my household during childhood and the ones that underpin the Indian work and business environment.
Kris Datta '16 , Civil Engineering
VIVA Group, India 2016
Working in the field, experiencing the cultures of a new country, learning from and interacting with people from around the world, seeing conservation, academia, and research in action -- this was all reality for me, thanks to the Iacocca Internship Program. I couldn't say it enough to everyone I met abroad: this was one of the most unique and astounding programs I have heard of, and the fact that I had the opportunity to be exposed to so much I would otherwise miss is more than I could ever have asked for.
Kianna Lauck '18 , IDEAS
Osa Conservation, Costa Rica 2016
Without the Iacocca Internship Program, I would never have been able to travel/study abroad due to complications stemming from schedule flexibility and financial aid. I was chosen to intern in Santiago, Chile at the Ministry of Energy as a data analyst and translator. In my spare time, I toured the city and travelled to destinations such as Patagonia, the Atacama Desert, the San Francisco Glacier and hiked all around the Andes Mountains. In addition, my ability to speak Spanish accelerated from hardly being able to speak it to near fluency.
Gannon Reichert '18 , Materials Science and Engineering
Ministeria de Energia, Chile 2016
There are simply no words that can accurately describe the extent to which I enjoyed my experience as an Iacocca Intern. Working alongside leaders at the forefront of health research was an indescribable opportunity, but the benefits extended far beyond the practical skills I learned during lab hours; I benefited equally from international networking, collaboration across different research groups with various areas of expertise, and other unique opportunities, such as participating in seminars from visiting scientists and physicians. The Iacocca International Internship Program is extraordinary, unparalleled, and truly one of the highlights of my experiences as a Lehigh student.
Barbara Tsaousis '18 , Molecular Biology
Luxembourg Institute of Health, Luxembourg 2016
Coming in, I had no idea what to expect from my trip to Ghana. The time leading up to it was surreal at best and when the day came to leave, I still couldn't believe it. Stepping off the plane into the humidity, I finally realized where I was and that the next six weeks were beginning. My time here has been incredible. The food and the people and the culture is something that I have felt comfortable and at peace in since the beginning of the trip. The experiences I've had and the research that I've done have definitely influenced some of future academic choices and have expanded my range of thought and have impacted me deeply on a personal level.
Sidney Ro '16 , English
Sites of Memory, Ghana 2015
