Internships

Students can write their master’s thesis during a research internship. If your company does research in a particular area, consider turning an internship into a research project. This will also allow you to get closer to the research conducted at EPFL through the IC professor who will be supervising the thesis.

• Discover new profiles and find future employees
• Integrate ideas and new perspectives
• Establish connections with EPFL by actively participating in shaping the future
• Enable students to apply their studies

• Duration of 6 months, within the Swiss academic calendar (mid-February to mid-September and mid-July to mid-February).
• Applications done 4-5 months before start.
• In most cases, our professors do not sign non-disclosure agreements, as we have an open environment that is not set up to maintain confidentiality.
• In addition, this is contrary to the spirit of our school, as all the research results can be published and shared.

The EPFL Internship Portal allows you to post internship ads and manage student applications at no cost to you. Advertising on the portal ensures that you have optimal exposure.

• applications are reviewed to ensure they meet your requirements
• you will only receive resumes from candidates with the desired profile
• 800 listings are currently published

Create an account now on the EPFL Internship Portal to be informed about the upcoming deadlines. If you have any questions concerning specific details, do not hesitate to reach out to [email protected].

Short internship
minimum duration of 8 weeks and can only be conducted during the summer in Switzerland or abroad.

Long internship
minimum duration of 6 months. This option takes place during a semester.

Master’s Project in the Industry
Integrated with the Master’s Project for a period of 26 weeks (includes 1 week of vacation).

For “short” and “long” internships dates are flexible.

Duration

• 18 weeks (includes 1 week of vacation) at EPFL
• 26 weeks (includes 1 week of vacation) in the industry or in another university.

Possible starting dates for the Master’s Project

• Autumn semester: from August 1st to October 1st (Cyber students: from September 1st to October 1st)
• Spring semester: from February 15t to March 1st.

NB: The exams results must be known at time of starting your Master’s Project.

More information here. 

Information session P25 (PDF)

• Cover letter
• Resume
• Recommendation letter (s)

• Find an internship position either through the IS-Academia internship portal or on your own. If you find an internship on your own, make sure to have it validated by your Section.
• Inform [email protected] that you have found your internship.
• Cancel any other ongoing applications by politely notifying the companies. This step is extremely important to maintain a good relationship with prospective employers.
• Transmit the EPFL Internship Agreement to the employer and have it filled out and signed by both the employer and yourself. Signing of the agreement is mandatory.
• Submit the signed EPFL Internship Agreement to [email protected] for signature by the Section Deputy.
• If you are a non-EU/EFTA student, ask the company to request a work authorization for the duration of the internship. The IC Internship Office will provide you with an attestation stating that the internship is a mandatory part of your master’s studies, after the three parties have signed the internship agreement. The company and the student must wait for the positive decision of the authorities before starting the internship. It can take up to 8 weeks to get the authorization from the cantonal offices. More information is available here.
• If you are an EU or EFTA student, announce the internship to the residents’ registration office of your place of residence (contrôle des habitants) or in the canton where the internship will take place. The internship can start as soon as the announcement is made and after the EPFL Internship Agreement is signed by the three parties (employer, student, Section Deputy). More information is available here.
• Once all the details of your internship are finalized, enter, or edit the details of your internship on the IS-Academia internship portal. Upload a copy of the signed EPFL Internship Agreement.
• If the internship takes place during an academic semester, remember to update your FRAC. The tuition fee for the semester is CHF 50.-.
• At the end of the internship, complete the evaluation report that will be sent to you by e-mail. The evaluation procedure starts 2 weeks before the official end of the internship. Both the student and the supervisor must complete an evaluation report.

Work authorization procedure (PDF)

To be exempted from the mandatory internship, you must meet the following conditions :

• you must have at least one year of full-time professional experience
• the professional experience must have been acquired after obtaining the bachelor’s degree
• the professional experience must be related to the field of your master’s program
• the professional experience should not be part of a program for which you have obtained a degree

You must submit the following documents :

• completed exemption form 
• a motivation letter that includes a description of your professional responsibilities you have assumed
• work certificate(s): documentation from your former employer(s) confirming the positions you held and the period during which you worked

The requests will be examined on a case-by-case basis.

Students can do their internship during one of the two academic semesters, or between the academic break (summer). Some students fulfill their internship requirement by doing their master’s thesis within a company at the very end of their studies. Accordingly, the two main internship periods are: February to September and July to February. To have enough time for the application and selection process, companies should publish their proposals before the end of September and the end of February, respectively.

The internship meets a business objective as defined by the company unlike the Master’s project, which must be an independent and original research work.

Internships are exclusively under the supervision of the company’s supervisor. The supervisor will evaluate the student’s professional skills through questionnaire at the end of the internship. All internships must be regulated by an internship agreement that can be added to the company’s own contract.

Master project’s in a company are under the close supervision of an EPFL professor who follows the student’s activity in the company and receives reports to evaluate the student’s progress. A master’s project in a company always requires a master’s thesis and an oral defense.

The company has access to the internship publication platform, which is common to all sections of EPFL. You will need to create an account and fill in the information about the topic of the internship. The proposal is automatically forwarded to the coordinators of the selected section(s), who will release the post to the students. Students are then invited to apply. EPFL transmits the candidates’ files to the company. The company may initiate its usual selection process and send a response to the students. The posting, application and selection process is free of charge.

Internship proposals, including optional attachments, are posted on the portal. They are only visible to registered students who are in the appropriate section(s) and semester(s) for the internship. Companies only have access to their own internship proposals.

An internship in a company is regulated by a specific tripartite internship agreement. EPFL offers a standard formulation that addresses working rules, insurances, reports and documents, confidentiality, and intellectual property. Based on our experience, this agreement should be suitable for most of the participating companies.

The Swiss authorities recommend a monthly salary in the range of CHF 2,000.-. This amount is the lower limit for the delivery of a work authorization by the Employment Service (Vaud) for all foreign students (excluding European Union). Nonetheless, salaries vary widely depending upon the employer, the size of the company and the sector.

Students coming from countries outside the European Union must have a work authorization for the duration of the internship. It is the company’s responsibility to apply to the local authorities for a work authorization for the student. EPFL has informed all cantonal authorities about its internship program. Therefore, the process of obtaining the work authorization should be without complications. EPFL can vouch for the student by providing an attestation proving that the internship is a mandatory part of the Master’s program.

Yes! An internship in a company is mandatory step to acquire your master’s degree.

The internship must last at least 8 consecutive weeks at 100% occupation. A longer internship is set at 6 months during a semester. An 8-week internship takes place during the summer break and after the exam session (between mid-July and mid-September). For a longer internship, you will need to do a semester where you are registered as “in internship” and not take any courses.

There is no geographical limitation for the internship provided it is done in a company.

By internship, it is understood taking part of the activity of a company during which the student can apply her/his personal skills and the knowledge acquired during his/her studies at EPFL. “Summer jobs” having strictly no relationship with the training are excluded (life guard at a pool, ski monitor, pizza delivery, etc.).

Absolutely! Just like your theoretical and practical skills, your personal initiative and your relational network are an important part of your future career. Use them! As with any internship, the content must be validated by the Section. To obtain validation for the internship, send an email to [email protected] a brief description of the subject, the address of the company, the approximate dates you plan to carry out your internship (8 weeks minimum and 6 months maximum; full-time), and the name of your contact person. You should not complete and sign the EPFL Internship Agreement before obtaining validation. The next step is to register the internship on IS-Academia portal.

No. Although you are not required to write an activity report for the Section, a written evaluation from your internship supervisor, as well as your evaluation of the internship is mandatory for the validation of the internship (by the Section Deputy). The evaluation process is automated by filling out an electronic file.

The internship is considered an experience in the world of industry and allows you to refine your career choice. In addition, this is also an experience that will benefit your CV.

No. It is your responsibility to check if you have appropriate insurance covering sickness and professional and non-professional accidents.

EPFL requires an Internship Agreement to be signed by the company, the student and EPFL (represented by your Section Deputy). An editable Word file of the Internship Agreement is available here. This document regulates all aspects of the internship (tasks, remuneration, working hours, start and end dates, etc.). It is mandatory and its content cannot be modified. The agreement must be signed by both parties (employer and intern) BEFORE sending it to the IC Internship Coordinator and BEFORE the internship begins.

If a company is not willing to sign this document and suggest a different form of agreement, please check with the IC Internship Office.