Enriching Internships
Internship programmes can significantly influence one’s academic journey and future career. Through internships, students gain exposure to real work environments, apply classroom knowledge, expand their perspective, and acquire relevant skills for their desired career trajectory.
SMU recognises the value of work experiences and requires all undergraduates to participate in an internship of at least 10 weeks. The Dato' Kho Hui Meng Career Centre (DKHMCC) supports internship placement by sourcing for internship opportunities at leading international and local companies, government agencies and non-profit institutions. It provides individualised career counselling with assigned career coaches and runs the Finishing Touch (FT) programme - a series of online modules aimed at providing knowledge, practice and preparation for internship and job applications.
Many SMU students complete multiple internships of varying durations during their academic journey in SMU to explore their interests and prepare themselves for the working world. Click on our students' image to read more about their varied internship experiences!
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Emily Faine Galistan,
Class of 2023, BSocSc
(Psychology & Communications Management)
I interned at MSF under Child Protective Service (Child Welfare), where I worked on revamping the MSF website and curate materials for the Pre-Adoption Briefing (PAB) workshops in Singapore. As a Social Science student majoring in both Psychology and Communications Management, I was lucky to secure an internship that would put both my majors to good use! Coordinating with internal and external stakeholders of the Ministry really taught me more about communications in a real life setting which was very insightful. For the PAB workshops, the materials had to be data- and research-driven, which was perfect for a Psychology major like me! I enjoyed researching on disclosure practices overseas – comparing the different disclosure practices and their psychological effects on children of various ages. This was a valuable experience as I got to experience the social service professional's role in the legal setting. Though I was not working first-hand with the clients of MSF, I had various opportunities to sit in real-life case conferences where I witnessed social interventions being practices at various levels. Overall, this internship experience with MSF has given me a deeper understanding and appreciation for the adoption and child protection service landscape in Singapore.
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Leow Zhen Xiang
Class of 2025, BSocSc
(PLE & Economics)
As a social science student, I realised a need to learn about data science, especially with the increasing importance and usage of data. This prompted me to read modules relating to data visualisation and statistical modelling. Wanting to put what I had learnt to practice, I decided to take on the role as a Research Intern at MOM, where I was tasked with analysing and visualising a dataset relating to mature job seekers. This task provided me with the opportunity to practise and strengthen my data science knowledge. This internship stint was a significant one for me as I got to experience the real working environment where there are no professors to assist you, ask questions to frame your thought processes or guide your sequence of codes. One will have to make do with online forums, ask the right questions, and hunt for appropriate responses. Additionally, due to the visualisation needs of the task, I was prompted to learn and use Tableau, that was a software that I have been wanting to learn but could never find the time for. Though this internship was only a-month long, the experience was valuable, and I gained meaningful takeaways from my stint with MOM.
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Gayathri Ghandi,
Class of 2023, BSocSc
(Political Science)
As an Editorial Intern at SPH, I have learnt how to assemble findings into written content for the newspaper through collecting, verifying, and analysing newsworthy information. I also experienced having to pitch and write feature stories on topics close to my heart. I was given the opportunity to write and deliver quality news stories with the reader’s perspective in mind, while contributing to social media presence of the newspaper. By attending ministerial forums, press conferences, and interviewing individuals from all walks of life, this internship gave me a fresh perspective on news-making and public policies. It has also paved the way for me to build a good network in the industry and secure a full-time job before graduation.