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Fourth-year social science students with a minimum B+ average can take part in a directed research internship on CIRCEM's research themes: the French-speaking research, citizen participation, care, immigration, democracy, populism, minority and minoritized groups.

Directed research course

This research internship is orchestrated by a professional from a public, private or not-for-profit organization. Internships are offered in French, in keeping with CIRCEM's mission to provide a French-language research and intellectual exchange environment for the University of Ottawa community.

Qualified students will be paired with an experienced professional who will define the project objectives in collaboration with the interns and meet with them regularly to supervise the internship during the semester. This internship is equivalent to a regular course (3 credits) and will be awarded to interns who achieve the planned objectives. CIRCEM's Directed Research course is taught by the University of Ottawa's Faculty of Social Sciences and managed by the Centre's management, supported by the Office of the Vice-Dean, Undergraduate Studies. Students admitted to the program will be enrolled in FSS 4550 (French).

The main objective of this program is to provide motivated fourth-year students with significant professional research experience in fields relevant to CIRCEM. This is an unforgettable opportunity for academics completing their internship. The internship will enable them to gain concrete experience that will enrich their curriculum vitae and, in some cases, give them access to student jobs later on. What's more, the directed research internship gives enrollees the opportunity to apply the research skills acquired during their studies in a professional setting, while developing cross-disciplinary skills such as collaboration and communication.

The number of students accepted will depend on the availability of research opportunities offered by the host organizations. As a general rule, work on the research project will be carried out remotely, via telecommuting, and will be unpaid. Host organizations will establish regular contact with interns to define the objectives of the internship and the reporting requirements to be submitted for validation. In order to obtain the credits associated with the course, academics will have to achieve the objectives previously agreed with the host organizations. Supervisors will evaluate the internship and the research report submitted by the student. The final evaluation will then be determined by CIRCEM management, who will validate the final grade based on the evaluation of the supervision and the internship report submitted. The final grade will follow the official alphanumeric evaluation scale of the University of Ottawa.

To be eligible, a student must be enrolled in a major, specialization, joint specialization or specialization in the social sciences. In addition, students must have accumulated a minimum of 81 credits. Finally, they must have maintained an average of at least B+ (7/10) when applying to the program.

Students must commit to devoting approximately 100 hours of work to the project, and agree to meet regularly with the professional designated by the host organization to supervise their progress. In this way, trainees are expected to demonstrate their professional commitment throughout the project.

It should be noted that simply applying and meeting the eligibility criteria does not guarantee participation in the program. The number of research projects available will influence the number of academics who can participate in a given semester, one of the criteria being the student's cumulative grade point average.

Student Testimonials From the Directed Research Course

« This applied, interdisciplinary research internship stood out from my other courses, which were much more theoretical, and gave me the opportunity to work on a social problem that is close to my heart in order to find concrete solutions. I would recommend this experience, which also helps to feed French-speaking research. »


Simone Bachand-Reeder, Exeko, Winter 2025

Portrait of female student smiling.

« My internship with CIRCEM in collaboration with ComPas and Walls to Bridges allowed me to reflect on the importance and impact of teaching in a prison environment while concretely contributing to a committed and humanly transformative research project. »


Vicky Ishimwe, ComPas, Fall 2024

Portrait of female student smiling.