STUDY ABROAD IN BRUSSELS

A vibrant, multi-cultural and multi-lingual city, Brussels provides an excellent opportunity for students to experience European working culture first-hand in the “Capital of Europe”. The working languages in Brussels are normally French and Dutch. However, over the years EPA has developed a strong and select network of primarily English-speaking placements across different industries. Spring and Fall students work at their internships for at least 20 hours, or three days, per week, and summer students work full-time.

We want to make sure you get the best fit for your specific needs. It’s good to keep an open mind about placements as there might be a great option you didn’t even think about. Many times, when you’re selected the company will also request a final Skype interview to confirm your internship placement. Students who interview and are offered a work placement, are expected to accept the position offered.

Since Brussels is at the heart of Belgium and on a larger scale, Europe, internship placements are extremely competitive and selective. After we make initial contact with a company, we submit the brightest and most promising dossiers (you!) according to the needs of the company and your application materials. We want to make sure you get the best fit for your specific needs. It’s good to keep an open mind about placements as there might be a great option you didn’t even think about.

Many times, when you’re selected the company will also request a final Skype interview to confirm your internship placement. Students who interview and are offered a work placement, are expected to accept the position offered.

After your placement is confirmed, the Program Director will notify you. It’s a great idea to read up on the organization before you arrive so that you can start prepared! It may take a few months to secure your placement, so apply early! — We make every effort to match students with EPA’s most appropriate partner organizations in accordance with the students’ own cover letters, interests, and experiences.

However, given the length of time required to negotiate a work placement within an organization, rejecting a suitable work placement may jeopardize the student’s potential of finding another position commensurate with their interests and experience. Further details of potential work placements are provided below.

Politics & International Relations

We’ve built long-lasting relationships with Members of the European Parliament (MEPs) and have had much success with internship placements.

The spots are very competitive so only a limited number are ever potentially available, and these largely depend on the willingness of the individual MEP to take on a foreign student. Occasionally, students have been placed with a non-English-speaking MEP.

Such placements are not guaranteed and require a minimum of B2 level (very good – near fluent) to C1 level (fluent) on the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages (CEFRL).

MEP offices are extremely confidential thus limiting the office to one or two Accredited Assistants, and maybe one or two interns only. MEPs are extremely busy so you may or may not see them in the office. The interns are often drawn from the MEPs own constituencies (e.g. an Irish MEP may only take Irish students). Therefore, opportunities are limited. Preference will be given to the strongest dossiers and those in their Junior or Senior year.

Interns placed in offices of Members of the European Parliament (MEPs) are involved in research, handling correspondence, and attending committee meetings. The European Parliament works on a four-week cycle: three weeks of every month are spent in Brussels on committee work and political group meetings, and the fourth week is spent in Strasbourg for the plenary session of the Parliament.

Business

Outside of the European Parliament, there are other possibilities to engage with the political environment of Brussels. Consultancies, business agencies, and other organizations act as conduits between the various organizations of the European Union, business, and the wider public.

Students who secure a position with one of these organizations are often exposed to a wider range of responsibilities and activities than those placed in the Parliament!

NGOs

EPA has a number of contacts with NGOs which have a European and International focus. These range in size from very small offices to those with thirty or more staff members.

NGO placements have previously been secured with cultural organizations, environmental groups, and human rights agencies. NGOs frequently interact with a variety of other organizations.

Due to the nature of their work, these positions are never guaranteed since they depend on the organization’s current priorities, their personnel, and their ability to supervise a student.

Many institutions in Brussels now will not accept students on an unpaid basis unless they can prove that they have the necessary money from an independent source (i.e. non-familial).

Therefore, students in receipt of scholarships and/or financial aid should indicate this clearly. Where two students seem equivalent on paper, preference will be given in accordance with their seniority, GPA, scholarships, and work experience.

Obtaining work placements in Brussels is highly competitive and there is considerable pressure on organizations throughout the city. EPA is successful because of its reputation, the number of years it has operated in Brussels, and the extensive international experience of its staff.

EPA makes every effort to match students with EPA’s most appropriate partner organizations in accordance with the students’ own cover letters, interests, and experiences. However, given the length of time required to negotiate a work placement within an organization, any refusal of a suitable work placement may jeopardize the student’s potential of finding another position commensurate with their interests and experience.

The following is a list of recent placements. EPA cannot guarantee a placement with a specific organization, so please don’t include any specific organization names in your cover letter.

Important Information Regarding Languages

The working (and living!) languages in Brussels are French and Dutch. Many organizations will ask for both languages in addition to English. This is particularly true of the following sectors: Banking, Finance, Telecommunications, Computing, Sports, Marketing, Retail, Real Estate, Transport.

Please do not ask to be placed with the following European Union organizations. They do not accept applications from non-European citizens, or they have an application process which is not compatible with the service provided by EPA (EPA also maintains a fuller list of incompatible businesses and NGOs):

• Eurocontrol
• The Council of the European Union
• The European Consilium
• The European Commission

Before You Apply…

Many institutions in Brussels now will not accept students on an unpaid basis unless they can prove that they have the necessary money from an independent source (i.e. non-familial). Therefore, students in receipt of scholarships and/or financial aid should indicate this clearly.

Where two students seem equivalent on paper, preference will be given in accordance with their seniority, GPA, scholarships, and work experience.

Obtaining work placements in Brussels is highly competitive and there is considerable pressure on organizations throughout the city. EPA is successful because of its reputation, the number of years it has operated in Brussels, and the extensive international experience of its staff.

EPA makes every effort to match students with EPA’s most appropriate partner organizations in accordance with the students’ own cover letters, interests, and experiences.

However, given the length of time required to negotiate a work placement within an organization, any refusal of a suitable work placement may jeopardize the student’s potential of finding another position commensurate with their interests and experience.

The following is a list of recent placements. EPA cannot guarantee a placement with a specific organization, so please don’t include any specific organization names in your cover letter.