Global Internships: Coimbra, Portugal

Summary

Gain first-hand knowledge, connections, and international work experience through an academic internship in Coimbra, Portugal. On this program, you will:

• Undertake a professional internship at Instituto Pedro Nunes, focusing on innovation and technology
• Earn academic credit for the internship via a ten-week online course
• Learn about Portuguese culture and history through an on-site course at the University of Coimbra, a UNESCO World Heritage site
• Live with other program participants in a tranquil and historical seminary

About Coimbra

Coimbra is a riverfront city in western Portugal, just 130 miles north of Lisbon. The country's former capital is like a mini-Lisbon, containing all the highlights of urban life in a smaller population. Those interested in history, culture, and local markets will delight its medieval old town. Coimbra is known as a "city of students" thanks to its university- the oldest in Portugal and one of the oldest in Europe. It's also the most English-proficient city in the country.

Berkeley students in this program are eligible for a $5,000 Scholarship provided by the Institute of European Studies - Center for Portuguese Studies.You will be automatically considered, no application is necessary.

Program Details

Dates:

• Lisbon: June 4 - June 8, 2025
• Coimbra: June 8 - July 26, 2025
  • As a part of the program, students will travel as a group from Lisbon to Coimbra by train.
• Online Course: June 9 – August 15, 2025

Dates are subject to change.

Units: 6 units

Language of Instruction: English

Two Required Courses:

On-site course:

• HISTORY N100G: Portugal Summer Internship & Cultural Heritage Journeyings (3 units)

And an online course of your choice:

• UGIS W157: Experiential Learning (3 units) or
• UGIS W158: Global Citizenship (3 units)

Housing

• Students will live in basic, double room accommodations with a private bathroom at the Major Seminary of Coimbra. Please note: Due to the historical nature of the monastery, the structure and location may present some accessibility challenges. This active seminary serves as a place to study, to pray, and provides opportunities for spiritual tourism to other non-program participants. Although participants do not need to be religious to participate in this program, please note that religion and religious symbols (Ex. crucifixes) will be present.
• Daily simple breakfast will be provided at the refectory. Additional meals can be requested at an extra cost.
• Students will be randomly assigned to shared rooms. Gender-inclusive housing options are available on this program. If you have clarifying questions, please feel free to reach out to the program staff.

Eligibility

• UC Berkeley student with Junior, Senior, or Graduate class standing
• Currently enrolled in a degree program or have graduated within the last 12 months
• At least one year of college coursework completed by the start of the program
• 2.0 GPA or higher
• At least 18 years old at the time of application
• Not on academic/term probation or under censure for student misconduct at any point from application review to the end of your program 
• Recommended for students with interest in Entrepreneurship or STEM-related fields.
   

Application

• Please note: Prior to applying to this program, you will be required to complete a mandatory pre-application advising call with Berkeley Study Abroad. Although the application opens December 2, you can start this process any time.
  • First, complete the brief Pre-Application Advising Appointment Request Form.
  • Immediately after you submit the form, you will receive a link to schedule your pre-application advising appointment. This process will help you determine if the program experience is a match to your goals and expectations. Advising appointment spots will fill up fast, so we recommend booking as early as possible. It is important to note that this pre-application advising call is a mandatory step in the application process and required to remain eligible for the program. 
     
• Application opens December 2, 2024 at 9 am PST
• Space is limited and applications are accepted on a first-come, first-served basis
• Deadline to apply is January 15, 2025 at 11:59 pm PST

Courses

In addition to your internship, you will take an on-site local history course and your choice of one of two online internship courses for a total of 6 Berkeley units.

On-site Course

Course: HISTORY N100G
Title: Portugal Summer Internship & Cultural Heritage Journeyings
Dates: June 8 - July 26, 2025
Instructor: Walter Rossa, Ph.D.
Units: 3 units
Prerequisites: None

This summer course aims to provide students with a comprehensive overview of Portuguese culture by exploring the country's rich and compelling cultural heritage and an overview of countries influenced by Portuguese culture. Through an interdisciplinary approach designed for a foreign audience, the students will be introduced to concepts, theories, and methods for interpreting the Portuguese culture and territory in a practical and immersive manner. With seven sessions, the classes will have monuments, ruins, museum collections, and historic centers as objects of study – where materiality and immateriality form cultural legacies that are fundamental to understanding Portuguese history, identity, and cultural diversity. Students are expected to go beyond a static interpretation of cultural heritage and understand the importance of its constant reinterpretation, its fundamental role in the current dynamics of Portuguese society, and, above all, its role as a crucial asset for its future.

This course satisfies the L&S Historical Studies breadth requirement. Please note that academic requirements may change. Consult with your college/major advisor to see which degree requirements this course may fulfill.

Online Course

Option 1:

Course: Undergraduate & Interdisciplinary Studies W157
Title: Experiential Learning
Dates: June 9 - August 15, 2025
Instructor: Richard Thomas Ashcroft, Ph.D.
Units: 3 units
Prerequisites: None

With this course, you will be able to add a new dimension to your internship experience: a reflection on what it is to be both a worker and citizen in a globalizing world. You will be challenged to use your internship experience as an opportunity to explore the importance of cultural / generational differences in the workplace, professional ethics and personal values, and the structure and norms of different types of organizations. A series of audio-visual lectures, practical exercises, writing assignments, presentations, and online group discussions will ask you to engage in honest self-reflection about what you want from your career, and to develop the skills you need to succeed personally and professionally in a rapidly changing world.  We hope that this course will help understand the challenges of the modern global workplace and guide you towards a successful and fulfilling career. 
 

Option 2:

Course: Undergraduate & Interdisciplinary Studies W158
Title: Global Citizenship
Dates: June 9 - August 15, 2025
Instructor: Jeroen Dewulf, Ph.D.
Units: 3 units
Prerequisites: None

With this course, you will be able to add a new dimension to your internship experience: a reflection on global citizenship. You will be challenged to use your internship experience as an opportunity to critically explore cultural differences, modes of conduct and values. A series of audio-visual lectures, practical exercises, writing assignments, projects, and online group discussions will stimulate you to leave the comfort zone of what you are familiar with and to explore alternative views on right and wrong, good and bad and the beautiful and the ugly. The course will also encourage you to interact with locals and to engage with the city/region/country where you live during your internship. It is our hope that this course will help to increase your consciousness about the challenges of being a global citizen.

Consult with your college/major advisor to see which degree requirements these courses may fulfill.

Registration

Global Internships staff will enroll you in courses after your acceptance to the program. Please make sure there are no active blocks on your student account that may impact your course enrollment.

Walter Rossa, Ph.D.

HISTORYN100G: Cultural Heritage Journeyings

Walter Rossa is a Professor at the Dep. de Arquitetura at the Univ. de Coimbra. He holds the UNESCO Chair in Intercultural Dialogue in Heritages of Portuguese Influence. He dedicates his academic and scientific career to research the theory and history of architecture and urbanism, especially in town planning and design, the culture of territory and heritage of the Iberian universe. He earned a Master in History of Art by Univ. Nova de Lisboa and a PhD and Aggregate in Architecture by Universidade de Coimbra.

Richard Thomas Ashcroft, Ph.D.

UGIS W157: Experiential Learning
Email: rashcroft@berkeley.edu

Richard Ashcroft is a Lecturer in UC Berkeley’s Department of Political Science and Interdisciplinary Social Science Programs, and former Postdoctoral Coordinator for the Network for a New Political Economy. His research and teaching explore how modern societies should evolve in the face of deepening diversity and disagreement, with a particular focus on the connections between postwar multiculturalism, political economy, and the legacies of empire. He teaches courses on the political theory of multiculturalism, classical and contemporary political economy, and US, UK and EU politics.

Dr. Ashcroft is from Winchester in the United Kingdom. He read Theology at Oxford, before attending law school in London and qualifying as a Solicitor of the Senior Courts of England and Wales. He spent several years working for a leading US-UK firm specializing in tax and trust law, and then became a legal aid lawyer in South London acting for the homeless and tenants of social housing. During this period he received an MA in the Theory and Practice of Human Rights, before completing his PhD in Political Science at UC Berkeley in 2018.
 

Jeroen Dewulf, Ph.D.

UGIS W158: Global Citizenship
Email: jdewulf@berkeley.edu

Dr. Jeroen Dewulf is Associate Professor in the Department of German at the University of California, Berkeley where he teaches courses in German Studies and Dutch Studies. He is also Queen Beatrix chair as well as Director of Institute of European Studies and Director of Dutch Studies.

Born in Ostend, Belgium, Dr. Dewulf graduated in Dutch and German Philology at the University of Ghent. He holds a Master's degree from the University of Porto and a Ph.D. from the University of Bern. His areas of specialization are European Studies, particularly related to (multi)cultural identity in Belgium and the Netherlands, and Post-Colonial Studies, in particular, Dutch colonial history and literature.

Internship

The Global Internships team works one-on-one with you to find an internship based on your academic background, experience, interests, as well as employer needs and availability. All internships will be at Instituto Pedro Nunes (IPN), a private non-profit organization which promotes innovation and the transfer of technology, establishing the connection between the scientific and technological environment and the production sector. Internship placement is guaranteed.

Available sectors include:

• Consultancy and specialized services
• Incubation and acceleration of technology-based companies
• Technological research and development

Project-based topics and responsibilities may include: 

• Marketing
• Business development
• Finance
• Innovation
• Space technologies
• Startups
• Acceleration programs

Costs

Tuition and Program Fee

Berkeley students in this program are eligible for a $5,000 Scholarship provided by the Institute of European Studies - Center for Portuguese Studies. You will be automatically considered, no application is necessary.

The fees to participate in this program are broken down into 1) tuition and 2) program fees, which are applied to your student billing account as follows:

Fees are subject to change. All non-Berkeley students must pay an additional Document Management Fee of $71.

Estimated Out-of-Pocket Expenses

In addition to the fees outlined above, Berkeley Study Abroad has estimated amounts for out-of-pocket expenses. These amounts are used to calculate financial aid packages for eligible students. Actual expenses will vary depending on your lifestyle and spending habits. Students can choose between a homestay and apartment accommodations on this program. Differences in estimated expense categories are indicated below.

It is your responsibility to obtain any necessary travel documentation for your program destination (i.e. passport, visa, etc). This may require you to pay fees of up to a few hundred dollars depending on the type of paperwork required.

Financial aid is available for UC Berkeley students who are enrolled in at least 6 units during the summer.

Financial aid estimates for 2025 Berkeley Global Internships programs will be available in the Summer Financial Aid Estimator in your Cal Central account in early February 2025. Before the estimator is available, you may submit a financial aid estimate request form on our website.

Please FIRST obtain your estimate via the Estimate Request Form, or in the Summer Aid Estimator once available, then write to travelaid@berkeley.edu if you have any questions about the estimate you receive. Your estimate will include a Berkeley Study Abroad Scholarship if you qualify for one based on financial need.

How to locate the Estimator:

1) Log into Cal Central
2) Navigate to the My Finances Tab, and find the "Financial Resources" card
3) Scroll to the bottom of the Financial Resources card and click on Summer Sessions
4) From the Summer Sessions menu, click on Summer Cost and Aid Estimator

Make sure to adjust the number of units in the estimator if your program offers a choice of course selection. If your program only offers one combination or one course for 6 total units units, you do not need to update the units in the estimator.​

All other students should contact the financial aid office at their home institution for more information.

Explanation of Fees

Tuition is based on a per unit cost:

• The UC undergraduate student rate is $419 per unit
• The visiting student rate for all non-UC participants is $615 per unit

The program fee includes the following items:

• Residence housing in double room accommodations with a private bathroom at the Major Seminary of Coimbra. Please note: The student residence is in a former and historical monastery, which could present some accessibility challenges.
• Daily simple breakfast will be provided at the refectory. Additional meals can be requested at an extra cost.
• On-site orientation activities and excursions
• Airport pick-up upon arrival
• Transportation card and train ticket from Lisbon to Coimbra
• Travel insurance, including accident/sickness medical coverage, emergency medical evacuation, security extraction, and other travel assistance services
• Other program-related costs, including fees for placement services
• The initial non-refundable deposit of $300, which will be charged on February 3, 2025, is applied to the program fee

Please note that the list of items included in the program fee is not all-inclusive and is subject to change.

The following items are excluded from the program fee:

• International airfare
• Personal expenses (souvenirs, routine medical expenses, toiletries, etc.)
• Meals (access to kitchen facilities will be provided)
• Course materials (textbooks and readers)
• Other travel expenses (passport, visa, etc.)
• Additional meals
• Commuting costs for the daily travel to and from your internship

Timeline