HC Internship Requirements and Policies

STUDENT ELIGIBILITY

• A minimum overall GPA of 2.5 is required. 

• Students must have completed their freshmen years. 

Internships

Students wanting to apply learning from their fields of study, test career interests, and gain critical work experience are encouraged to participate in internships. Some majors require internships as part of their programs. 

Students complete a formal application process to be approved to register for internship courses. Registration is not offered through Self-Service. Once internship applications are approved by a faculty sponsor, department chair, site supervisor, and internship chair, Career Services notifies the Registrar’s Office and internships are added to students' schedules. Internships can be approved for registration up to the last day to add a class for the block.

REQUIREMENTS TO EARN ACADEMIC CREDIT

• Internships taken for academic credit require faculty supervision and sponsorship. 

• The faculty supervisor must teach in the department from which credit is to be earned. 

• All academic internships must include academic objectives and a list of specific reading materials. The reading list must be submitted with the internship application in advance of the internship experience. 

• All credit internships have academic assignments that vary by department. Students work with faculty supervisors to develop the academic plan. 

• Internship experiences must include approximately 35-40 clock hours for every 1 hour of credit earned. 

• Students must enroll in internship courses during the periods when the internships are taking place. 

• Students must experience new learning during internships 

FACULTY SUPERVISION

• Students consult with faculty about the types of internships that might be a good fit for them. 

• Faculty assist students in developing the academic criteria and reading lists for internship courses. 

• Faculty review, evaluate, and approve students’ internship applications before the applications are submitted to the department chair and the chair of the internship committee for approval. 

• Students seek advice and guidance from faculty while they are on internship assignments. 

• At the end of the internship term, faculty evaluate academic work, review host agency evaluations, and assign final grades for internship courses. 

SEE THE INFOGRAPHIC BELOW FOR AN OUTLINE OF THE PROCESS

Registering for an Internship Course

REGISTRATION

Students can be approved to register for an internship course any time before the last day to add a course for the block term, provided they have submitted an internship application that has been approved by an internship site supervisor, faculty supervisor, department chair, and the internship committee chair. Download a copy of the Internship Application Form above. 

Internships may be taken for academic credit in any block offered at Hastings College. The experiential aspect of internships can take place within a block or extend beyond the block to accommodate a full semester or full summer internship and to ensure students can meet the required experiential hours. A portion of the internship experience must take place in the block for which the student registers. 

Contact Career Services for assistance with internships and internship registrations.

PRE-REGISTRATION OPTION USING STUS 290 & STUS 490

1. Students may register for STUS 290 or STUS 490 Internship as part of their regular semester-block pre-registration, however, this is a place-holder not the final course name. 

2. Students will then work to secure an internship site, consulting with faculty in their academic areas and with staff in Career Services.

3. Once an internship site is confirmed, students will complete the Hastings College Internship Application to apply to receive academic credit in their field of study for the internship. 

4. Once internship courses are approved, Career Services notifies the Registrar to change STUS courses to approved internship courses in academic disciplines.

5. The preferred deadline for changing a course from a STUS prefix to a prefix in an academic field is 5 days in advance of the registration deadline for the block.

Frequently Asked Questions

Does the College find me an internship? 

Hastings College policy indicates that it is the responsibility of students to apply to and secure internships. However, students should use all resources available, including meeting with Career Services, faculty, and other mentors for assistance in securing internships. 

Do I need to pay tuition to receive academic credit for an internship?

Yes, internships during a semester block would be part of the 16 academic hours allowed in the term. Internships taken for credit in the summer are treated like any other summer class, thus students pay tuition to enroll and take the course. 

May I be paid for an internship that is for academic credit?

Yes, you may be paid for an internship that receives academic credit.

May I earn academic credit at my current job, since the position is related to my major? 

Maybe, but not typically. Internships for academic credit are designed to be experiential learning opportunities. The keyword is learning. So if you have been working for an employer for several months, you will not be able to apply to receive credit for merely continuing your work. To apply for academic credit at a site where you are working or have previously worked, you will need to present a persuasive argument with details about how this internship will be different and what will make it a learning experience. That means you will need new responsibilities or projects to receive academic credit.

I have an internship during the summer. May I defer receiving credit for the internship to a block in the next term? 

No, you must receive academic credit for an internship when you are in the process of doing the internship. However, internships may extend over two blocks in the same semester.

How is my internship graded? 

Students develop grading criteria with their faculty supervisors. Grading criteria vary across departments but must include academic objectives and related readings. Site supervisors also evaluate the work performance of interns during internships. These evaluations are shared with faculty supervisors. Faculty determine and assign grades based on completion of academic work and performance evaluations. 

My internship is unpaid so I’m not sure whether I can afford to participate. Are there scholarships for students doing unpaid internships? 

The Passport to Possibilities Experiential Learning Fund is a grant program that supports students participating in unpaid internships with not-for-profit organizations. Contact Career Services with questions.  Students complete a grant application, narrative, resume, transcript, and budget.  Find the Passport to Possibilities grant application here.

The Department of Business and Economics has a Dudley Doerr Fund that might have grant funding available. Contact faculty in DBE about these funds. 

What if I am an international student? Can I do an internship off-campus? 

According to federal guidelines, international students must be approved for CPT (curricular practical training) to participate in internships off-campus in the United States, whether the internships are paid or unpaid. To apply for CPT students must have been enrolled in school for a full year, have a 2.5 GPA, and have located an internship related to their fields of study. International students must apply, be approved, and register for academic credit for their internships to be approved for CPT. Contact Career Services to get started. Students also need to apply for a Social Security card for paid positions.