Information for students

All Haskayne Business School graduate and undergraduate students (both domestic and international) who are registered as active students are eligible for this program. Students must be living in Canada throughout the duration of their internship to participate in this program. Students may only participate in one Mitacs program. Those participating in another Mitacs program are not eligible.

Yes, international students qualify for this program, but there are restrictions. International BComm and MBA students are allowed to work full-time during the summer (May to August) and up to 20 hours per week during Fall and Winter terms. Other international students are allowed to work up to 20 hours per week throughout the year. MBSI internships may be full-time (30+ hours a week) for 4 months or part-time (up to 20 hours a week) for 6 months and are subject to the partner's discretion. International students must reside in Canada during the internship.

Yes, an internship through the MBSI program can be used as a Co-op work term if it meets the requirements. For questions about what qualifies as a Co-op work term, Co-op students can consult with an undergraduate career development specialist.

Yes, this is a requirement of any Co-op work term.

No, unlike the Co-op program, participating in an MBSI internship does not automatically maintain full-time student status. For more information on full-time and part-time student status, undergraduate students, click here; graduate students, click here.

All MBSI positions will be posted on Elevate under the "MBSI" category. MBSI positions will be posted on a rolling basis, so students should apply to open postings as soon as possible and check back to Elevate regularly for new opportunities. See the Student Process Guide for more information. Students do not need to apply to participate in the MBSI program prior to applying for available internships. 

No, the application (résumé and one-pager) you submit is for both the program and the internship position.

No, you need to apply for a position as you do for other summer internships or Co-op terms. The partner organization will go through the hiring process and select a student.

You need to submit an application for each internship position you are interested in. There is no limit to the number of internships you apply for. 

Internship numbers will vary from year to year – students should make sure to be checking Elevate regularly for postings.

Every internship facilitated by this program will be a minimum of 450 hours (e.g. this could be approximately 30 hours per week for 15 to 16 weeks, or part-time hours for 22 to 24 weeks. It is up to the student and the partner organization to determine the student's schedule and work hours. 

If an internship is more than 480 hours, it is up to the partner organization to provide additional compensation in accordance with the hours worked. 

Once the project is approved and the student starts the internship, students receive their predetermined stipend amount ($10,000 for undergraduate students and $15,000 for graduate students) in monthly installments paid by U of C. 

Yes, students who completed a BSI internship during the pilot year are eligible to participate again, provided they have active student status for the duration of the internship and are not receiving other Mitacs funding. Undergraduate students can complete 3 units (terms) through the program, and graduate students can complete 4 units (terms). 

For-profit and not-for-profit organizations, as well as municipalities and hospitals across Canada can apply to participate and receive funding through this program. Except municipalities, publicly funded organizations such as provincial governments and post-secondary institutions are not eligible partners under this program. For more information, please visit the Information for Partners page.

Yes. Students can encourage prospective partner organizations to review the program’s eligibility requirements and apply for funding by following the Partner Process Guide. 

Yes, as long as your current internship finishes before the Mitacs Business Strategy Internship begins.

All undergraduate students completing an internship through the BSI program will receive a $10,000 stipend over the course of the project. This is not taxed and is paid out through monthly installments. 

All graduate students completing an internship through the BSI program will receive a $15,000 stipend over the course of the project. This is not taxed and is paid out through monthly installments.

Students must complete all of the requirements in order to receive the full stipend amount. 

Yes. While we recommend students reduce their course load to focus on the internship, it is up to you to communicate with the partner about your commitments and work schedule. 

While the program is aimed at supporting small and medium sized organizations that typically don't have the resources to hire a student, there are no restrictions for the size of the organization or the industry. 

During the pilot year of the MBSI program participating companies ranged from start-ups to established organizations with 500+ employees. Represented industries included: financial services, health care, technology, construction, consulting, and more. 

MBSI internships will be posted and start on a rolling basis throughout the year. Internships must be approved by Mitacs and the partner organization must pay their portion of the stipend before students can start, which could take up to 12 weeks from the time a student is selected. Students are responsible for being aware of add/drop and Co-op registration deadlines.