Earning Internship Credit

Need credit to complete an internship?
You’ve got options:

Business 181

Regardless of your major, you are eligible to take Business 181, a 1-credit class designed to encourage reflection and to add academic rigor to the internship experience. Contact a member of the Undergraduate Integrative Student Services team in the School of Business to register for this 1-credit class.

Your Major or Minor Department

Many departments have an “internship” course on their class list. Please review the coursebook to determine if your department has an internship “class.”

If your major department has an internship coordinator, you should contact them directly with your proposal for earning credit. If your department does not have a coordinator, you should approach a professor with whom you have a good relationship to ask for their support and supervision during your internship experience.  Finally, if there is not an internship “class” in your major or minor department, be aware that some departments will grant credit for independent study or independent research associated with the internship.

Please know that there are a few important issues related to earning credit for your internship.

  • Credit is granted by academic departments, not by the Office of Personal and Career Development.
  • When approaching a professor with a credit proposal, stress the academic value of the experience, its relevance to the academic department, and recognize that the work associated with earning academic credit may vary between departments.
  • You are required to pay for academic credit.  During the school year, the cost of full-time tuition will cover the cost of the internship credit.  During the summer, you must pay for each credit.

If you choose not to pursue credit for your internship, the Office of Personal and Career Development can send a letter to your potential employer supporting the educational value of your internship.  If you are interested in having this letter sent, please fill out this form. Once the information has been reviewed and approved by the OPCD, a letter will be sent to your internship site supporting your application and a copy will be sent to you as confirmation.

This letter does NOT constitute academic credit, but it may satisfy an employer’s requirements.