School of Planning

Faculty of Architecture and Planning

Internships

Gain real-world experience

Students in our CIP-recognized programs are required to have experience in professional practice as part of their academic studies.

Students who do the honours option in the Bachelor of Community Design program will be able to take what you learn in class and put it into practice by completing an internship. For one term in the fourth year of study, students spend eight hours a week working for a company or organization involved in some element of community design or planning. Students keep a work journal, prepare an internship report, and make a brief presentation on the placement at the end of the term. The internships are generally volunteer, but about 30% of our students find paid placements—and some have even secured full-time jobs through their internships. 

Some of the organizations where our students have completed their internships include:

  • Genivar (formerly Terrain Group)
  • Nova Scotia Department of Community Services
  • Evergreen Foundation
  • Environova Planning Group
  • Nova Scotia Department of Environment
  • United Gulf Developments
  • CBCL Consultants
  • Caohim Consulting
  • Fisheries and Oceans Canada
  • Cities and Environment Unit
  • Halifax Regional Municipality (Transportation/Heritage/Urban Design/Sustainability/Planning)
  • Ekistics Planning and Design
  • Scotian Windfarms
  • Griffiths-Muecke Associates
  • Fares Real Estate
  • Clean Nova Scotia Foundation
  • King’s County Planning Office
  • Town of Wolfville Planning Office
  • Halifax Port Authority
  • Environment Canada
  • Dillon Consulting
  • HMJ Consulting
  • Chebucto Community Development Association
  • Saint John, N.B. Planning Office
  • Clean Annapolis River Project
  • Metro Transit
  • Bedford Institute of Oceanography
  • Nova Scotia Department of Health and Wellness
  • Heritage Trust of Nova Scotia
  • Friends of Schmidtville
  • Dalhousie Sustainability Office
  • Hardman Group

Information for Employers

To learn about the BCD internship program or to explore the possibilities of employing a student, contact the Faculty's Office of Career Services or contact the School of Planning directly.

Students are assisted in their search for appropriate work placements, but are ultimately responsible for securing an employment or volunteer opportunity that the School may approve. Although the Faculty and the School can help students find placements, the greatest success comes for students who begin the job search early, with a clear idea of what they hope to achieve from the internship.