Internships for Academic Credit

Internships are often done for academic credit in the College of Arts and Sciences, and they are a graduation requirement in the School of Business. Students in the School of Nursing & Health Innovations, the School of Education, and the Shiley School of Engineering all have experiential learning built into the curriculum, and internships for academic credit are not as common. While you can obtain credit for an unpaid internship with a nonprofit, the ideal scenario is that internships are both paid and eligible for academic credit.

College of Arts & Sciences 

In the College of Arts and Sciences (CAS), an internship course is offered in the Fall, Spring, and Summer and is cross listed as CAS 297/397/497 for 1/2/3 credits. This is a variable credit course and the number of credits applicable is based on the site hours.  Students must enroll in the semester in which the internship takes place.

Steps to Take Before Enrolling

1. Secure the internship or be in the process of securing the internship. If you need help, reach out to the Career Education Center!
2. Verify that you have time and ability to meet the minimum site hours and attend the internship course during the internship (see chart below). 

Steps to Enroll in an Internship for Credit

1. Connect with Academic Advisor to discuss course options. 
2. Once you have secured an internship, complete this survey to start the enrollment process. Please note: you will need an internship position description, your start date, and how many credit hours you want to enroll in (based on time at internship site during the term you are enrolled). It is the student's responsibility to secure an internship ahead of the term.

School of Business 

As part of the School of Business P4 curriculum, students are required to take both BUS 302, an Internship Prep Course, and BUS 397, a Business Internship. BUS 302 and BUS 397 are taken the same semester, during Junior year. The internship is often completed during the summer between the Junior and Senior year. BUS 302 is three credits and BUS 397 is one credit. Internships completed before enrollment in BUS 302 will not qualify for the BUS 397 credit. If students want to complete a second internship for credit course, they can enroll in BUS 497, which is a variable credit course.  

Steps to Enroll in the Required Internship for Credit (BUS 397) 

1. Secure the internship or be in the process of securing the internship.
2. Enroll in BUS 302 and BUS 397.

Steps to Enroll in the Optional Internship for Credit (BUS 497) 

1. Secure the internship or be in the process of securing the internship.
2. Obtain a variable credit form from the Registrar’s office or your Program Counselor to enroll in an internship course.
3. Meet with the P4 Director to approve the internship, confirm the credit hours you’ll be enrolling in, and get the variable credit form signed.

Once Enrolled: Steps to Complete an Academic Credit Internship 

In both the College of Arts & Sciences and School of Business all students must do the following to receive academic credit for an internship:

1. Submit a Learning Agreement (LA) and secure faculty and site supervisor approval.
2. Fulfill hour requirements at the internship site and complete syllabus requirements.
3. Submit a final student survey near completion of the internship and assist in collection of the final site supervisor survey.

Questions?  

Contact the Internship & Experiential Learning Coordinator in the Career Education Center at 503.943.8445 or internship@up.edu.