Host an International Intern

CIEE Lisbon’s internship programs offer American university students the chance to gain meaningful professional experience through a short-term internship with a local company or organization, paired with an academic course.

You can connect with us at any time and start hosting international interns!

Benefits for Hosting Companies

Free support on short-term projects
Students can support you in achieving your goals. Their skills and fresh perspectives will soon be invaluable to your many tasks and projects.

No costs and minimal paperwork
All cost is covered, the internship is unpaid, and we keep paperwork to a minimum.

Best matching with zero effort
We receive and review applications and select the best candidates according to your needs. If you are happy with what you see, we connect you with the student to schedule an interview.

Long term partnership
We can provide you new interns up to three times a year during our Spring, Summer and Fall programs.

Company Profiles

What do we look for in the companies that we partner with?

  • Companies based in Lisbon, varying in size and industry

  • English-speaking or English-friendly environment

  • Positive working environment and welcoming atmosphere

  • A workplace that offers in-person (or hybrid) working conditions

  • Willingness to work with and mentor young people

  • Clearly defined roles, tasks and responsibilities for the students

  • Flexibility to accommodate the academic commitments of the students

Student Profiles

Students participating in CIEE programs are enrolled in US-based universities and earn academic credit for their internship program.

The majors and experience levels of the students will differ, but common areas of study frequently include:

  • Business (Sales, Marketing, Accounting, Finance)

  • Communications, Public Relations

  • Sustainability, Environmental Studies

  • Politics, Public Policy, International Relations

  • Public Health, Psychology

  • Literature and Arts

  • Engineering (Biotech, Mechanical, Electrical)

  • Data Science and Analytics

  • Computer Science

Internship Examples

Social Sciences and Humanities

Students could get involved in tasks such as curating exhibitions and organizing community programs, which would pave the way for future careers in education, museum operations, or social research.

Engineering (Biotech, High Tech, Mechanical, Computer Science)

The intern could assist in conducting research, analyzing data, prototyping and testing systems, and overall contributing to a particular study or project.

Sustainability and Conservation

A conservation and sustainability intern could assist in developing and implementing conservation projects, conducting research on sustainability practices, and promoting environmental awareness. The intern would be expected to draft reports, conduct market research, and participate in relevant fieldwork.

Finance and Investment

Students who are keen on finance and investment could assist companies with tasks involving financial modeling, research on investment and capital flows, market analysis, and business development. This provides them with hands-on experience in making financial decisions.

Communications and Marketing

The intern could assist in developing and implementing (digital) marketing strategies, creating engaging content for social media platforms, and analyzing the effectiveness of marketing campaigns.

Management and Business Development

The intern could assist in strategic planning, partnership development, and implementation of growth strategies. The intern could work closely with a team to identify potential business opportunities, and develop innovative solutions.

Calendar / Calendário

Spring January through May (12-15 weeks), Summer May through July (4-8 weeks), Fall September through December (12-15 weeks)

Interested in Hosting an Intern?

Schedule a meeting with us to discuss your company and internship needs

Tell us about your company so we can match you with the best student interns available.

What Else Do I Need to Know?

  • CIEE Lisbon receives and reviews the students’ CVs and holds a pre-placement call with each student. Then, on a rolling basis, we send our partner companies suitable candidates according to their needs, projects, or preferences. The company can then decide if they want to interview the chosen students for a potential internship.

    We ask that companies provide us with feedback on the candidate within approximately three days of receiving the CV, and schedule the interview within one week, if possible. If the interview goes well and both the intern and the host company agree on working together, we confirm the placement and will reach out with next steps.

  • The internship programs offered by CIEE Lisbon are typically twelve weeks (8-10 hours per week) in the Spring and Fall terms, and eight weeks (30-35 hours per week) in the Summer term.

  • Every cohort is made up of different students with a huge diversity of majors, interests, and experiences. This means there may not be a student with a suitable profile available every time. However, our programs are growing and we’re determined to connect our partner companies with suitable candidates as often as we can!

  • CIEE Lisbon is responsible for the initial screening process, and is responsible for all questions pertaining to the students’ arrival (housing, visas) and well-being (health and safety). The internship team remains in touch with the students and the companies for the duration of the internship to provide support.

  • Internships that are facilitated through the CIEE internship programs are short-term and academic in nature. Therefore, all internships are unpaid and students receive academic credit.

  • Most students come with little-to-no Portuguese language skills.

    However, some students may have basic Portuguese language proficiency. Those students may not be professionally fluent, but eager to improve their language skills.

  • Our students are typically still in university and therefore need to return home after the internship program to finish their degree.

    However, students at the end of their degree may choose to stay in Lisbon and seek employment. In other cases, they may choose to return to Lisbon after graduation and may be hired by their host company when they do.