Convention de stage information

A Convention de Stage (CDS) is a tripartite agreement signed by a student, their home university and host organisation that facilitates a work placement, typically in France or Spain.

Purpose of a Convention de Stage

UCL Study Abroad can provide a CDS for current, fully enrolled UCL students (including affiliates) undertaking short-term work placements that are 1) related to their degree 2) not for credit and 3) outside of term-time e.g. a Law student working for a legal firm in the Summer. If the work dates are during term-time, departmental approval is required.

After a formal review conducted by UCL’s Legal team and external French and Spanish lawyers in 2023/24, they concluded that UCL can only sign off a CDS for work placements in France or Spain. UCL cannot sign a CDS for other countries - this would require formal reviews and new templates for each country. UCL cannot:

  • Provide a CDS for interrupting students or graduates. Students must be fully enrolled at UCL throughout their proposed work placement i.e. the end date of the work placement cannot be later than their UCL end date (this is their student record end date, not their graduation date).
  • Provide insurance for the placement; students are responsible for this.
  • Sign a CDS drawn up by a host organisation due to legal reasons. 
  • Sign a CDS outside of France or Spain due to legal reasons. 
  • Sign a CDS retrospectively i.e. a student cannot request a CDS after doing the internship.
  • Send physical forms to students or organisations. Only students receive the CDS via Moodle.

Requesting a Convention de Stage

CDS requests must be submitted at least two weeks before the start of a placement, as it takes 2-3 weeks to process. Clear start and end-dates must be stated. Failure to submit on time and without the correct information will result in processing delays. 

The steps for requesting a CDS are below:

  1. Double check that your work placement dates are outside of term-time and that you will be an enrolled UCL student throughout the duration of the work-placement. Term dates are published on UCL’s academic calendar website.
    Students’ end date at UCL is the end date on their student record, not their graduation ceremony date. 
    If a student wishes to complete a work placement during term-time, this must be approved via the CDS Academic Approval Form to gain permission to miss classes.
  2. Identify a suitable academic that knows you, such as your Study Abroad Tutor or personal tutor, and ask them to complete the CDS Academic Approval form, confirming that they will act as your academic tutor for your internship.
  3. Request a CDS through the online CDS request form. 
    This includes uploading the CDS Academic Approval form. Please wait at least two weeks for Study Abroad to get back to you with the result of your request.
  4. If your request is successful, you will be added to the Short-Term Mobility Moodle course to fill out your CDS, sign it and have you host sign it too. Study Abroad will finally complete it with their signature.

Whether or not UCL accepts to be signatory of a CDS is entirely at the discretion of the University. Relevant COVID-19, local and/or international guidance may result in UCL’s refusal to sign a CDS. Support may also be withdrawn if government or institutional guidelines change in advance of a placement.

For tools and information on international internships, please see the UCL Careers Global Internships Programme.

CDS Academic Approval Form

CDS Request Form

CDS Frequently Asked Questions

Study Abroad cannot legally sign a CDS for a individuals that are not current students of UCL. The Careers team at UCL provide a guide for graduates who cannot undertake student work placements that require a CDS, which is available on myUCLCareers.

If you have further questions on the above guidance, please contact the Careers team. 

Study Abroad can only sign UCL's CDS templates, as they have been drawn up and reviewed by the university's Legal Team and their French and Spanish Lawyers.

Students can ask their host organisation if alternative paperwork can be used, such a bilateral contract between just them and their host organisation, then can supplement this with a student status letter to confirm they are currently completing their degree at UCL. Instructions on how a student status letter can be downloaded are here.

Study Abroad can only sign UCL's CDS templates for internships in France or Spain because the papwerwork is specific to each of these countries and have been drawn up and reviewed by the university's Legal Team and their French and Spanish Lawyers.

Students can ask their host organisation if alternative paperwork can be used, such a bilateral contract between just them and their host organisation, then can supplement this with a student status letter to confirm they are currently completing their degree at UCL. Instructions on how a student status letter can be downloaded are here.

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