Internship for Credit Program

Purpose

The Internship For Credit Program provides opportunities for students to acquire professional work experience related to their academic majors or areas of career interest. Participation in the Internship For Credit Program gives students an opportunity to apply theories learned in the classroom to the workplace; therefore, the internship should be related to the student’s academic major or minor. Students acquire a better understanding of the professional demands and requirements of a particular career field while gaining confidence in making the transition from the academic atmosphere to the world of work. Students earn academic credit while working in a variety of settings in the private and public sectors. Many students choose part-time or full-time work while attending classes; others alternate semesters of full-time study and full-time work.

Prerequisites

A student is eligible to apply for an Internship For Credit placement when she/he has earned at least 30 credits with a minimum grade point average of 2.0. A student must have a full-time faculty sponsor from their academic major department who assists in the development of a learning contract for the experience, meets periodically with the student during the placement, and evaluates the student’s performance. A maximum of 15 credits earned in Internship For Credit placements may be applied toward graduation. Each department specifies the number of credits which may be counted toward completion of the major.

Credit

Credit for an Internship For Credit employment experience is based on the job description (what the student will learn) and the number of hours a student works. Therefore, total credit varies, but generally students earn one academic credit for 60 hours worked (4 hours worked per week for each academic credit). NOTE: Hours may NOT be logged until the completed Placement Contract and Learning Objectives have been submitted to Career Services. Any hours completed before paperwork is submitted will NOT be eligible for the Internship for Credit.

Cost

Students registering for an internship credit are billed the semester rate. Students with at least a GPA of 3.0 may register for their 18th credit hour at no additional cost. If students have a GPA lower than 3.0, they will be billed for 1 credit hour for the 18th credit hour. All students will be billed for each credit hour above 18 hours.

Deadlines

Generally, the Internship for Credit deadlines adhere to the academic calendar. Paperwork is due as specified on the Internship for Credit Calendar available in Career Services. If an internship is desired to begin mid-semester, prior approval by Career Services must be obtained.

NOTE: Upon receipt of the completed Placement Contract and Learning Objectives, Career Services will notify the Registrar’s Office. Students do not need to register for their Internship for Credit placements when registering for classes.