Eligibility Requirements

Typically the junior year is a good time to apply for and obtain an internship. You have much of your core course work completed and also have taken specialized classes in your major. Seniors also benefit from additional internship experiences. Occasionally, sophomores undertake internships. All students, however, should first consult with their academic advisors to decide when is the best time to begin an internship. All students are invited and encouraged to come to the Career Services Office (CSO) or to your major department to discuss long-range planning for internships.

Primary Intent:

Internship

Mutually Beneficial – meet organization’s goals and your own professional and educational goals. Payoffs:

• Career related experience
  
• Exposure to new ideas
  
• Develop transferable skills
  
• Professional training
  
• Focused learning

Work/Job

Primary emphasis is upon meeting organizational goals and making money. Payoffs:

• Primary income
  
• Work history

Credit vs. Non-Credit

As a student, you can do an internship for credit through an academic unit. Receiving academic credit for an internship is not a requirement in most degree programs, so the choice is yours. However, if you are not interested in receiving credit for your internship opportunity, it is important to work with the Career Services Office. CSO can facilitate the experience, serve as campus liaison, and offer student-to-student internship networking and support. If you are interested in receiving credit, you must contact the academic department internship advisor to determine eligibility, verify that the internship you are considering is credit worthy and obtain a faculty sponsor. Those students who will be receiving credit for internships must have a course number assigned to the internship, register and pay the per-credit hour fees for the internship.

Full-time vs. Part-time internships

An internship experience can be any number of hours, depending on the time that you are able to give. It is important to find an opportunity that will fit your schedule and time constraints. An internship can take place any academic semester. Credit bearing internships will have a set number of hours to be worked in order to receive the pre-determined number of credit hours.

Preparing for An Internship

The following is a brief outline of the steps needed to find an internship. These details follow in the appropriate sections: If you are interested in completing an internship, it is highly recommended that you set up an appointment with a Career Counselor in the Career Services Office.

Career Services Internship Contacts:

Jenelle Linden - 574-520-4436 or jlinden@iusb.edu
Tasha Browning - 574-520-4435 or tbrownin@iusb.edu