Program Highlights

The International Trade Center offers internship opportunities to graduate and undergraduate students enrolled at the University of Missouri. Interns work with Missouri businesses to complete customized market research projects that provide participating businesses with actionable information that can be used to aid international market entry or expansion decisions. Students working with the International Trade Center actively enhance their project management, research and analytical skills. Students have the opportunity to interact with company management and present an oral and written summary of their findings.

Internship positions are open during the spring, summer and fall semesters. Internships qualify to meet BA4500 class requirements. Students can also participate in the internship program on a volunteer basis.

Applications for internships remain open at any time. Internship interviews are generally conducted as follows:

  • Spring positions – interviews conducted in November (to fill positions starting the following January)
  • Fall positions – interviews conducted in April/May (to fill positions starting in August)

Information for Fall or Spring Interns

The primary responsibilities of the position include, but are not limited to:

  • Completion of global market research to assist with the identification of target markets of interest for export expansion, as agreed upon by the client company, and articulated in the project scope of work
  • Extraction, analysis and summation of data from secondary data sources to support company decision making
  • Primary research/information gathering to provide insight into customer preferences and industry activity as applicable
  • Completion of a final report that captures research methodology, key data gathered, and shares key findings
  • Delivery of a final presentation to the client company to highlight report contents and key findings

Interns may satisfy BA 4500 requirements through this position.

Interns of the MU International Trade Center will complete international market research for a Missouri company that will aid in the identification of global trade opportunities and provide actionable information that will assist with market entry or expansion decisions.

The internship takes place on-campus, mostly at Cornell Hall, and includes interactions with the companies, MU international trade specialist, and other international trade resource partners as needed. The timeline and schedule for each one of the internship will be individually coordinated by the MU ITC Intern Coordinator. Project work will be completed primarily during assigned work hours, but may include some hours of independent work.

Proposed schedule for average 8-10 hours/week:

  • Supervised time, specialist assistance and team work: Fridays 8 a.m. to noon - 4 hours/week
  • Independent work in teams - 2 hours/week
  • Independent work off site – 2 to 4 hours/week

Interns should possess skills or experience that demonstrates their ability to:

  • Conduct research and analyze data
  • Collate and manipulate data using Excel
  • Effectively work independently and as a member of a team
  • Follow-through and meet project timelines
  • Communicate (write and present) clearly and concisely

Numerous students have completed an internship with the International Trade Center within the last few years. Throughout the course of the semester, our student interns learn and grow both professionally and personally. Upon completing their internship, they are better equipped with the skills, knowledge and resources necessary to succeed in their future careers. Hear more from previous interns and their experiences.

 

shayna crosby

Shayna Crosby

Fall 2022 Intern - Rebundle

I had the opportunity to intern with the International Trade Center during the Fall 2022 semester. When I began in August, the prospect of consulting with a company and working in an industry I haven’t worked in before was daunting. Through my time with Mizzou's ITC, I have become confident in my abilities to interpret large amounts of data, utilize different databases, and communicate research findings in an accessible way. These skills will follow me for the rest of my career and will help to make me valuable employee. This internship also helped me to expand my network of Mizzou undergraduate students, graduate students, and faculty. The experience I gained from this semester is something I highly recommend other students to take advantage of.

 

Austin bolin

Austin Bolin

Fall 2022 Intern - Rebundle

Interning with the International Trade Center has been a wonderful experience for me as a student and future business professional. This internship provided new and unique experiences that gave me the ability to further my knowledge on international matters. Through this internship I was able to build connections that will last much beyond this internship and gain invaluable research experience that could be used in any aspect of business. The overall environment of the internship was unbelievably positive and if I had one negative thing to say it would be that it ended too soon. I was also able to further develop my teamwork, presentation, and communication skills. This internship has knowledgeable and helpful supervisors who are extremely passionate about what they are doing. A highlight of this internship was presenting our findings to Healium and hearing the impact our research could have for the company going forward. I highly recommend pursing this internship if you are interested in business.

 

Grace Chafee

Grace Chafee

Fall 2022 Intern - Sevo IFP

The most important thing I learned during my time as an intern with the MU International Trade Center was the importance of teamwork. During the second half of the Market Research internship, the team of five (5) that I was on split up to cover different countries. I learned that even though we were working on individual tasks I could still lean on my team members for help or another pair of eyes. Teammates can be a great resource and I learned to avoid getting caught up in my own work to the point I would forget about that resource.

 

Tucker Tandy

Tucker Tandy

Fall 2022 Intern - Sevo IFP

Interning with the MU International Trade Center proved to be challenging yet insightful and valuable for my skills in business. The ITC connects interns with great resources and contacts to promote the growth of knowledge in real-world industries. Working with a team allows interns the opportunity to expand their teamwork, presentation/public speaking, and administrative skills. My project allowed me to learn about global markets relevant to my industry of interest. This proved to be eye-opening, as there are limited ways for Mizzou students to get such insight into international markets. I learned a lot about the clean energy industry in numerous countries as well as the United States. The insights gained were shared with the company to guide decision making and a pathway forward. This internship is great for anyone that wants to expand their knowledge of global markets, supply chains, and international trade. The ITC also gives students an opportunity to expand their professional network through fellow interns and company executives. I am very satisfied with my experience working with the ITC, and I strongly recommend business students of all emphasis areas apply for a position!

 

Will Martin

Will Martin

Fall 2021 Intern - American Outdoors Brands

I’m very pleased to share my experience with the MU International Trade Center. I decided to pursue an internship position with the MU ITC to complete the credits and gain the experience needed to receive a certificate in global supply chain management. The Internship provided me with opportunity to make valuable connections, develop professionally and find ways to apply what I’ve learned at Mizzou in a real world project. Exploring global markets to provide useful information for American Outdoor Brands allowed me to understand the different processes, costs, and information needed when participating in international trade. I made an immediate connection to American Outdoor Brands and their mission. My team of fellow students provided me with a strong collaborative environment where I got to meet people and discover personalities while working toward a common objective. There are not a lot of opportunities where students who are looking to enter the job market get to present to executives of a large company like AOB. When I got the chance to interview for my current position, my knowledge of the company, brands and connections gave me confidence to have a successful interview.  I can say with full confidence that Jackie Rasmussen and the MU ITC offer an immense amount of real world skills and training that has allowed me to find a job with a company that I’m excited to work for. If a student looking for opportunities needs any more reason to look into this internship, working with and meeting new people added so much value to my time at Mizzou.

Have Questions?

International Trade Center
213 Cornell Hall
University of Missouri 

Columbia, MO 65211


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Applications for internships remain open at any time.