Participation in an internship, co-operative education opportunity, or practicum improves your job opportunities by helping you gain on-the-job training, professional skills and by building your professional networks.

If you have space in your degree for electives or if an internship is a requirement of your program, you can consider taking between 1-5 credits per quarter. Some students choose to take academic internships multiple quarters to either diversify their work experience with multiple internship placements or gain a longer-term experience at an employer site.

Minimum hours worked per credit:

• 1 credit = 3-4 hours work/week = 33 hours total
• 2 credits = 6-7 hours work/week = 66 hours total
• 3 credits = 9-10 hours work/week = 99 hours total
• 4 credits = 12-13 hours work/week = 132 hours total
• 5 credits = 15-16 hours work/week = 165 hours total

Academic requirements

To receive credit for an internship, students must demonstrate learning based on developed learning objectives, as well as complete a minimum amount of hours and other academic assignments. The following additional elements must be completed as required parts of academic internships:

• Signed Internship Placement form
• Weekly work journal entries plus a final reflection paper or portfolio
• Weekly seminar attendance or check-in appointments with faculty mentor
• Site visit by advising faculty or cooperative education advisor
• Self and employer evaluation upon completion of required hours worked

Once all of these requirements have been completed, the faculty mentor assigns a grade for the student.

Academic internships are very flexible and can begin up to the eighth week of the quarter and extend beyond the final week if the internship schedule does not follow the quarter calendar.