Information for Students

The planning internship is an essential and integral part of the Planning program. Professional work experience in a Canadian planning environment is a valuable part of a student’s education. Students will normally be expected to obtain this experience between the first and second year of the Program. Internships may be paid or volunteer work experiences that relate to any field of planning and with any kind of public/private/nonprofit or academic organization. Normally, it is expected that the length of the internship will, at a minimum, consist of at least 4 weeks of work at 20 hours a week for a total of 80 hours. This requirement is flexible and is subject to the approval from the Director of Planning. The internship may also provide an opportunity to develop the basic background data needed to prepare their planning report (PLA1107Y). While the Program in Planning faculty and staff will make every effort to assist students to find internships appropriate to their research and career interests, it is the student’s responsibility to obtain an internship. Students will need to register for the internship course, PLA 4444H. The course is non-credit and on the academic transcript will show as having a 0.00 weight.

Student will also need to complete the following forms for their internship opportunity:

Form A - Internship Agreement Form (To be completed with the Internship Employer, then signed by the faculty supervisor and student. This form is then submitted to the program office).

Form B - Internship Evaluation Form (To be completed/signed by the Internship Employer/Supervisor at the end of the internship session. Student also signs this and submits to the program office.)

Form C - Post-Internship Assessment Form (To be completed/signed by the student and his or her supervisor. This form is then submitted to the program office.)

The Planning program has a spreadsheet of historical/active/long-term organizations and firms that sponsor internship opportunities. Students may make contacts from among the active and long-term opportunities lists, and should note any specific details about individuals to contact as well as preferred times and methods when establishing contact.

Former and Active Internships

Click icon to view the password-protected spreadsheet. The login and password are the same as students use to log on to the departmental computing networks.

Information for Firms/Employers

The Planning Program at the University of Toronto provides students with a fully accredited two-year Master’s degree with specializations in Urban Planning, Urban Design, Environmental Planning, Economic Planning or Social Planning and Policy. As part of the fulfillment of this two-year degree, students are required to complete an 80-hour internship, which is normally taken in the summer months after their first year of academic studies.

For more details, please see the informational flyer and Internship Opportunity Form.

If you are interested in sponsoring an internship opportunity, please complete and submit the Internship Opportunity Form or contact Marija Wright, Planning Program Administrator at 416-946-0269 or wright@geog.utoronto.ca for more details.