Student Internships
Internships offer meaningful exposure to a professional, college-level career field.
Internships can be:
- Paid or Unpaid
- Part-Time or Full-Time
- For Academic Credit or Not-for-credit:
- Academic Credit internships should relate to the student’s field/major of interest, meet the Academic Internship criteria, and must be registered with the Center for Career & Life Planning (CCLP) office via the Academic Internship Registration Form by the designated deadline. Students are required to engage in their internship experience while successfully completing the online Academic Internship course concurrently.
- Not-for-credit internships do not require approval from the Center for Career & Life Planning (CCLP). CCLP can provide support with the internship search, updating application documents, and preparing for interviews via Handshake advising appointments. Students will not be enrolled in the online Academic Internship course and will not receive academic credit for this internship experience.
Why participate in an internship?
“The expert in anything was once a beginner.” – Helen Hayes
According to the National Association of Colleges and Employers (NACE) 2023 Job Outlook Survey, one of the top qualities employers look for in new hires is if they have had an internship in the field and they reported that 69.1% of interns were offered full-time positions by their employer.
Students are encouraged to participate in multiple internships during college, at least one by the end of their junior year.
Benefits of Completing an Internship
Internships are beneficial on their own and students can pursue an internship without pursuing academic credit. However, academic credit internships will grant them major or elective credit and show on their college transcript. The added benefit of an academically credited internship is so valuable, we always recommend students consider this option.
Professional
- Explore career fields and find out what they like and don't like to do
- Gain relevant real-world experience to enhance their resume
- Observe professional people and behavior
- Develop networking skills and gain professional contacts in their career field of interest
- Be more competitive in their full-time job search and/or graduate school applications
Academics
- Connect classroom learning to practical applications
- Understand the relevance of their course work
- Increase their motivation to learn
- Use resources that are not available on campus
Personal
- Boost their maturity and self-confidence
- Enjoy a greater clarity about career decisions
- Integrate their faith and values with work