Internships in international relations: empirical evidence of a course established in the interior of Brazil

Abstract

The objective of this paper is to present the contribution of internships in the undergraduate academic context of Bachelors degree in International Relations. The research was developed throughout 2021, during non-mandatory internship orientation activities, in a course located in a Brazilian inland city. Given the absence of previous surveys on the role of internships, this work was based on Law 11.788 of 2008, the National Curriculum Guidelines for Bachelors Degrees in International Relations, the Pedagogical Project of the Course and literature on internships in university education. Regarding the methodology, it is a case study with exploratory purpose, through a quali-quanti approach, carried out through documental and bibliographical sources and a survey with academics who carried out internship activities in 2021. In a universe of 224 academics regularly enrolled in the year, only 11 performed internships, defined as non-mandatory by the course. The results of the survey among students indicate that, in their perception skills and competences foreseen in the National Curriculum Guidelines are developed in the internships. The research also suggests that the role of internships as a learning experience lacks discussion and analysis both in the course where it was held and in International Relations courses established in Brazil.