Internships
Internships are an opportunity for students to explore and obtain real-world experience in a career field of interest. Completing an internship is a great way to gain relevant work experience, skills and network contacts in the field.
Opportunities for internships exist in a wide variety of organizations and industries. Many internships are paid, some may be unpaid, and others may be completed for college credit. Internships are most commonly completed during the summer, but some are also available as part-time opportunities during the school year.
Internship postings can be found on our Handshake platform, our Job and Internship resource page and on the "careers" page of most company websites. It is also common to contact an organization of interest to inquire about the possibility of setting up an internship.
Career Advisors can help with the process of finding an internship. Email Career Services or call 208-885-6121.
Information on Internships for Credit
Many U of I majors do not require an internship. Check your Degree Audit or speak to an academic advisor to see if your degree requires an internship.
Pros
- Credit toward degree requirements — Your internship is recorded on your academic transcript and can be used toward your degree and elective requirements.
- Quality control — The instructor for your internship credit will review the quality of your internship work to determine if it is related to your field of study or your future career.
- Stronger connection between coursework and internship — The assignments you will be submitting for your internship credit will help you reflect on how you are applying the knowledge you learned in class to this hands-on work experience.
Cons
- Cost — You must register and pay for internship credits just as you do for all other classes you take. Credit must be earned during the term that you are doing your internship. Summer credits are charged on a per-credit basis. Check with the Summer Sessions office for the cost of summer credits.
- Additional Assignments — In addition to the work you will be performing at your internship site, you will also need to submit additional assignments in order to receive internship credit. These additional assignments are determined by your department’s internship credit coordinator.
- Schedule a meeting to talk with your department’s internship credit coordinator.
- Gather information about your internship for your internship credit coordinator. Be prepared to provide a copy of your offer letter, job description, start/end dates of your internship, number of hours you will be working, company and supervisor information.
- Meet with your internship credit coordinator. Provide them with the details of your internship. Discuss assignments and deadlines (documentation of experience, performance evaluations, required assignments, deadlines, etc.).
- Register and pay for your internship credit during the semester you are performing your internship. After reviewing the internship details that you have provided, the internship credit coordinator will determine if your internship is worthy of academic credit. If approved for credit, you will be notified of the internship section you will register and how many credits.
- Successfully complete all internship assignments by the deadlines given to you by your internship credit coordinator.
According to the regulation D-1 in the U of I General Catalog, one internship credit represents 40-45 hours of work. The more hours you will be interning, the more credits you are eligible for. Your department’s internship credit coordinator will determine how many internship credits you can register for.