Global Internship Program

Public Affairs (Law): Legal Internships in Prague

  • Dates

    Internship Abroad: June 24 – August 19, 2023

    Online Courses: June 26 – September 1, 2023

  • Location

    Prague, Czech Republic

  • Program Fee

    UCLA Undergrads (4 – Units): $6,900

    UCLA Undergrads (8 – Units): $8,016

    *Fees are subject to change by action of the UC Regents. Click here for full fee disclaimer.

***Info Session: Click here to watch our recent info session***

The capital city of the Czech Republic, Prague is viewed as the political, cultural, and economic center of central Europe. A metropolis of over 1.3 million people, it’s preserved its stunning historic architecture while blending it with a modern 21st century vibe. It’s compact city center and great public transportation system makes it easy to get around. Interns will have an opportunity to experience the city from a local’s perspective while living and working in this vibrant metropolis.

Internship placements are approximately 8 weeks long. UCLA partner’s with the European Centre for Career Education (ECCEDU) to place students at legal internship sites based on personal career goals, interests and experience. While completing the on-site internship, students will also be enrolled in 1 or 2 online courses, earning 4-to-8 units of academic credit. Online courses follow Summer Session A and will last for a total of 10 weeks. Student’s looking to receive financial aid must be enrolled in 2-courses during the program.

*Please note, internships in Prague will focus solely on the legal field.  Only students interested in studying law should apply. 

Application Timeline

Application Opens:  October 24, 2022

Application Closes:  December 4, 2022

Final Payment Deadline: February 10, 2023

Cancellation Deadline: February 15, 2023

Please do not enroll in a Global Internship Program unless you are sure you intend to participate. Remember that your deposit is nonrefundable. See our Cancellation Policy. The cancellation deadline is February 15, 2023 at 11:59PM. Paid program fees (minus $300 nonrefundable deposit) are refundable until February 15, 2023 at 11:59PM.

Eligibility, Selection and Placement Process

Eligibility Criteria

  • Undergraduate Public Affairs major or minor
  • Minimum of 90 units completed by end of Spring 2023
    • Units can include transfer credit
  • Cumulative GPA of 3.0 or above
  • Good academic standing
  • Interest in conducting a legal internship

Selection Process

Students who apply that meet the eligibility criteria will conduct an advising call with the European Centre for Career Education (ECCEDU), our partners in Prague. Through this advising call ECCEDU will learn more about each applicant’s qualifications, experience and career goals. The call will help ECCEDU determine whether the applicant is a good match for available law internship opportunities in Prague. After the call is completed, ECCEDU and UCLA will decide whether to offer the applicant acceptance into the Prague Global Internship Program based on their qualifications and the pool of applicants.

Acceptance Decisions

Applicants will be notified of acceptance decisions is early January.

Placement Process

Students selected for the Prague program will need to place their program deposit first, in order to be officially enrolled in the program. After enrolling in the Prague program, a placement coordinator from ECCEDU will work with each student one-on-one to find the best internship match. Internship placements are customized to a students’ personal and career goals, interests and experience. Students will intern approximately 32 hours per week at their internship site. Total work hours  will depend on their specific internship site needs.

Documents to Prepare for Your Application

Resume

As part of the application process, you will be asked to upload a current copy of your resume. Please take time to appropriately format and spell check your resume before submitting. For assistance with your resume, you can use the VMock tool provided by the UCLA Career Center.

Motivation to Enroll Questionnaire 

As part of your application process you will be asked to complete a questionnaire. Responses should be well thought out and demonstrate why you are a strong candidate for the Global Internship Program. It’s highly encouraged to prepare your responses in advance on a Word document and then copy and paste to the application once you apply. Please see the questions below to assist you in preparing your answers:

  • Personal Introduction: Please give some  general background on yourself and why you are interested in participating in the Global Internship Program?
  • Location of Interest: What makes you interested in interning in the particular city or country you selected for your program?
  • Career Goals: Within your career field, which specific sector are you interested in working in and what do you hope to gain from this global internship experience? How will this experience assist you toward reaching your career goals?
  • Why should you be selected? What do you think makes you stand out as a strong candidate for the Global Internship Program? Why should you be selected for the program?

Internship Placements

Prague Placement Options – Placements will be focused on the legal field in the following areas:

  • Global and Regional Law Firms
  • Consulting Firms
  • Corporations (in-house legal departments)
  • Government Agencies
  • NGOs

Examples Placements:

Please note that these are just a few examples of student placements from past years and there is no guarantee that these same placements will be available for future terms. There are many more placements available in Prague than those listed below. Your internship placement will be determined through an interview process to match you with a law firm or legal team aligned with your skills and interests.

Internship Hours

Students will intern approximately 32 hours per week. Total weekly hours will depend on specific internship placement.

Curriculum

Program Courses

All students are required to enroll in the PUB AFF 195CE course while attending the program. Students who wish to earn more units and/or apply for financial aid, may also enroll in the CESC 130 course as well.

  • PUB AFF 195CE (4 units) ~ Mandatory
  • CESC 130 (4 units) ~ Optional 

* Please note that in order to be eligible for financial aid, students must be enrolled in both the mandatory course AND the optional course (total of 8-units).  

Course Descriptions

PUB AFF 195CE: Internship Course (4 units)

Prerequisites:  None

Public Affairs (PUB AFF) 195CE is a 4-unit course designed around an individual internship experience. You will take your academic knowledge beyond the classroom, and in your papers and during one-on-one meetings, you will analyze your organization and work experience within an international context.

  • Public Affairs Majors: PUB AFF 195CE may be petitioned to fulfill the Public Affairs 187AX Capstone requirement. Contact the Public Affairs Capstone Advisor and Coordinator for more information on the petition process. PUB AFF 195CE must be taken for a letter grade and 4.0 units if you wish to use this course towards Public Affairs major requirements. Pass/no pass is allowed for students who are not planning to use this course toward major requirements.
  • Public Affairs Minors: You may petition PUB AFF 195CE to be used toward one Public Affairs minor upper division elective. Contact a Luskin counselor for more information.

CESC 130: Intercultural Communication in the Global Workplace (4 units)

Prerequisites:  None

This 4-unit course is designed to help students critically analyze their own cultural values and beliefs and the impact they have on their communication. It will provide students with strategies and tools to more effectively communicate and to manage intercultural conflicts in the global workplace. Students will study and critique intercultural communication theories, review relevant case studies and discuss first hand experiences from their global internship. This course must be taken for a letter grade. Auditing and pass/no pass is not allowed.

  • Public Affairs Majors: CESC 130 may be petitioned to satisfy one Public Affairs upper division major elective. Contact the Public Affairs Capstone Advisor and Coordinator for more information on the petition process.
  • Public Affairs Minors: You may petition CESC 130 to be used toward one Public Affairs minor upper division elective. Contact a Luskin counselor for more information.

Budget and Financial Aid

Budget UCLA Undergrads (4-Units)  UCLA Undergrads (8-Units)
Program Fee $6,900 $8,016
IEI Fee $61 $61
Airfare (estimate) $1,800 $1,800
Meals & Incidentals (estimate) $1,700 $1,700

*Fees are subject to change by action of the UC Regents. Click here for full fee disclaimer.

Program fee includes:

  • Tuition
  • Internship placement
  • Shared room accommodations in student housing
  • Airport transfer to accommodations
  • On-site orientation 
  • Access to speaking engagements delivered by local law professionals
  • 2 one day weekend trips to key cultural sites in the Czech Republic
  • Optional social, cultural, and networking activities
  • Local SIM card
  • 24/7 healthy and safety support from the ECCEDU staff
  • Health insurance.

Personal Expenses NOT Included:

  • Round trip Airfare to Prague
  • Personal travel during program
  • Costs for medical expenses and emergencies
  • Meals and entertainment expenses
  • Entrance fees & cost of regular social gatherings
  • Transportation to/from housing to internship site

IEI Fee

All undergraduate students will be charged a $61 IEI fee per summer. The IEI (Instructional Enhancement Initiative) fee is a course materials fee that is charged in order to support the use of technology in undergraduate education at UCLA. For more information please click here.

Budgeting

We recommend that you budget accordingly to cover optional sightseeing, laundry, emergencies, etc.  How much to budget depends on your travel, entertainment, and souvenir choices. It is always best to overestimate your spending. Take the time to research the cost of living in your destination and the activities you want to participate in while abroad.

Purchasing Airfare

All Global Internship program participants are required to purchase and arrange their own travel accommodations to Prague. Students should not purchase their flight to Prague until informed to do so by UCLA.

*The purchase of a fully-refundable and/or flexible airfare is STRONGLY RECOMMENDED.  

Financial Aid

Financial aid for Summer Global Internship Programs is available to qualified UCLA students. Students must be enrolled in a total of 8 units (2 courses) to be eligible for financial aid. For details about the financial aid application process, please visit the Financial Aid section of this website.

On Location

Arrival

Our partner organization, ECCEDU will provide airport pickup for your internship program.  You will be responsible for making your own arrangements back to the airport at the end of the program.

Accommodations

You will reside in shared room accommodations in student housing (including possibly other non-UCLA students interning in Prague). Accommodations come with bedding, basic Wifi and communal kitchen access. Accommodations are typically within a 30-to-60 minute commute from internship sites.

Meals

Meals are not provided. You will have access to shared kitchen space in your student housing to cook.

Optional Social, Cultural and Networking Activities

This program offers organized events around the city that you are free to participate in with the other internship program participants. Please note there may be additional fees to participate in the activities.

Travel

Travel to Prague

All Global Internship program participants are required to purchase and arrange their own travel accommodations to Prague. Students should not purchase their flight to Prague until informed to do so by UCLA.

*The purchase of a fully-refundable and/or flexible airfare is STRONGLY RECOMMENDED.  

Visa Information:

U.S. citizens are not required to obtain a visa to conduct an internship in the Czech Republic.

For non-US citizens you may be required to apply for a Schengen Visa to intern in the Czech Republic, please contact IEO if you have additional questions regarding your visa eligibility for the program. Students are responsible for making their embassy appointment once they receive their visa paperwork.