Academic Internship Credit Information

Requirements to Participate:

  1. Junior Status: Semester long internships (fall, spring or summer) require at least junior status in order to receive academic credit.
  2. Summer Tuition: Please note that summer tuition is required to enroll for a summer internship. 
  3. A Faculty Sponsor: During the semester and summer sessions, your Faculty Sponsor is typically your academic advisor. It is important that your Faculty Sponsor be familiar with the industry in which you are interning.
  4. A Site Supervisor: Your Site Supervisor will be who you report to at your internship site. While you can work in a relative’s office, your Site Supervisor cannot be a family member or relative. 
  5. International Internships: International Internships are not eligible for academic credit unless the country you are doing the internship in is your home country.
  6. A student who is on academic or disciplinary probation will not be permitted to participate in an Academic Internship. Students who register for Academic Internships accept the financial risks associated with being barred from participating should they be on academic or disciplinary probation or suspended when the terms begins. These financial risks include, but are not limited to, unrecoverable deposits, fares, reservations, and pro-rated group costs.
  7. The College reserves the right to remove a student on academic or disciplinary probation from an Academic Internship if it deems such action to be in the best interest of the student, the College, or the host organization.
  8. A student will be permitted to count a maximum of 16 course credits of career-related experiential education toward graduation requirements. This maximum includes: Semester or Summer Academic Internships (368), Orientation to Teaching (EDU-268), and Student Teaching (EDU-392, 394, 395, 396). Additional credits (beyond the maximum of 16) can be taken as a course audit (standard tuition applies) but would not be counted toward graduation. Applying Academic Internship credit towards a major is determined by the academic department.
  9. A full semester/summer Academic Internship may carry a value of up to 12 course credits. 

Registration Deadlines

SemesterDeadline
Fall 2024September 6, 2024
Spring 2025January 17, 2025

Registration Process

Review this page for tips on finding opportunities and explore internship opportunities by interest area using the resources and career tools, browse through Handshake using your Gustavus email, or schedule an appointment to meet with a Career Development Specialist (to schedule an appointment, call 507-933-7575 or stop by Career Development Center in the Johnson Student Union).

Students who seek to earn academic credit for an internship must submit all required completed registration forms via Handshake by the applicable deadline (listed above), for approval. 

Fall or Spring Semester Internship:

  • Complete the online registration form, found through Handshake. For full term (fall, spring, or summer) Academic Credit complete the Academic Semester and Summer Session Internship Registration Form. 
    • Students will be required to determine Learning Outcomes and Learning Tasks with their Faculty Sponsor and Site Supervisor prior to starting your registration application in Handshake. Utilize this template to write your Learning Outcomes and Learning Tasks.
    • Your Faculty Sponsor will determine additional academic assignments for the internship.
    • Your Faculty Sponsor and Site Supervisor will receive an email for approval through your online Handshake registration form once completed. 
  • Internship Agreement (to be completed by the Student)

Summer Internship:

  • Complete the online registration form, found through Handshake. For full term (fall, spring, or summer) Academic Credit complete the Academic Semester and Summer Session Internship Registration Form. 
    • Students will be required to determine Learning Outcomes and Learning Tasks with their Faculty Sponsor and Site Supervisor prior to starting your registration application in Handshake. Utilize this template to write your Learning Outcomes and Learning Tasks.
    • Your Faculty Sponsor will determine additional academic assignments for the internship.
    • Your Faculty Sponsor and Site Supervisor will receive an email for approval through your online Handshake registration form once completed. 
  • Summer 2024 Registration Form form MUST be signed by Student Accounts PRIOR to submitting to Registrar’s Office
  • Internship Agreement (to be completed by the Student)
Unless otherwise noted above, forms should be submitted to Career Development once complete.

SemesterLengthCredit to Hours
Fall and Spring14 Weeks2-4 credits = 10-12 hours per week
8 credits = 20 hours per week
12 credits = 35+ hours per week
SummerMinimum 10 Weeks2-4 credit = 10-12 hours per week
8 credits = 20 hours per week
12 credits = 35+ hours per week

Career Development will review and approve completed registration forms once your Faculty Sponsor and Internship Site Supervisor have signed off of them, and forward the request to the Registrar’s Office to add the internship registration before the applicable deadline. The Registrar will then register the student for the number of academic credits requested. The internship course should appear on the student’s schedule in MyGustavus.

LEARNING OUTCOMES and LEARNING TASKS ARE DETERMINED BY FACULTY SPONSORS. The learning tasks focus around assignments to receive academic credit for the internship course. These learning outcomes and learning tasks need to be discussed and approved (prior to submitting the registration form on Handshake) by the faculty sponsor and site supervisor. These need to be completed and agreed upon prior to registration approval through Handshake.

Career Development suggests that students complete the assignments below to facilitate reflection on your experience:

  • Reflections Reflection assignments are designed to help you reflect on your internship and learn to articulate what you have learned and gained from your experience. These skills will be crucial when interviewing for your next internship or a job after graduation. Faculty sponsors may require specific reflections, journaling and writing prompts.
    • Students are suggested to complete two reflections throughout their experience. Mid-term and final reflection. 
  • Evaluations At the end of the internship your Site Supervisor will be sent an evaluation of your performance. The evaluation results will be shared with your faculty sponsor. 

Questions

Contact Career Development, career@gustavus.edu, 507-933-7575