The CEMS International Professional Experience must cover at least 8 consecutive weeks full-time in the same company. The role may be paid or unpaid at a for-profit or not-for-profit organization, public service, or non-governmental organization.
There are four approved formats for fulfilling the professional experience requirement:
- Internship: to be done between the Bachelor graduation and the start of the Master or between the CEMS Year 1 and CEMS Year 2 or after the CEMS MIM program.
- Previous Work Experience: done between the Bachelor graduation and the start of the CEMS Year 1.
- First 8 Weeks of Full-Time Employment: the first 8 weeks of a job after the CEMS Year 2.
- Student-Led Start-Up/Entrepreneurial Experience: to be approved by the Academic Director.
Regardless of the format, the CEMS internship is understood as an experience in which students engage in international work in a professional setting. Building cross-cultural skills is crucial, as students will learn to work effectively in teams, lead projects, and deliver results even when cultural differences are present.
In most cases, to complete this requirement, students move to a country that is neither their home school’s (in Nova SBE’s case, Portugal) nor their country of citizenship. However, it is also possible for students to work in either their citizenship or home school country (in Nova SBE’s case, Portugal) if they are not the same, and if the company operates in at least two countries. For a case-by-case evaluation, students will be guided by their Program Manager.