Internships

Tech students are encouraged to complete internships during their degree programs. In fact, some degree programs require that students complete an internship. Students can complete an internship with our without earning credit for the experience.  

Academic Internships 

When a student interns for credit, the experience is referred to as an “academic internship.” An academic internship is a form of experiential learning that integrates classroom knowledge with practical application and skill development in a professional setting. This sort of internship is essentially a course that involves three stakeholders: the student (the worker), the faculty member (the Tech supervisor), and the employer (the site supervisor).  

If a student is asking about an academic internship, these are some key questions you may need answers to: 

• Has the student received an internship offer from an employer?
  An internship offer from an employer must be received before beginning the course enrollment process. If a student needs assistance finding an internship, direct them to our employment resources and encourage them to make an appointment with a career coach. 
• Are they an international student?
  If so, they MUST earn credit while performing an internship. They cannot engage in a nonacademic internship. Learn about the internship requirements for international students via our CPT/OPT page. 
• Does the student want to earn academic credit for this opportunity?
  If not, they do not need to enroll in an academic internship course. If they are not an international student, they can complete a nonacademic internship any time they’d like without the school’s permission (link to nonacademic heading below). If they do want credit, they must enroll in an academic internship course. 
• Have they met with an academic advisor through the Office of Student Success to begin the internship enrollment process?
  If not, they need to meet with their academic advisor after receiving an offer from an employer.  
• When do they plan to enroll in an internship course?
  They must enroll in the course and perform the work for the employer in the future. Students cannot earn internship credit retroactively.  
• Do they plan to complete the academic internship over the summer?
  If so, the student must know that financial aid is not effective over summer semesters. However, some degree programs allow students to work and do the coursework over the summer but wait until fall to officially enroll in and pay for the credits. If you have questions about allowing this in your program, please consult with your college’s dean.  

Nonacademic Internships 

Students can also complete internships without the work counting for academic credit and without faculty supervision. Tech refers to these experiences as nonacademic internships. This type of internship typically involves just the student and the employer.  

Since the student never enrolls in an internship course, Tech often does not know that these experiences are occurring. However, Tech wants to celebrate all the great work our students are doing, regardless if it is for course credit or not. So, if you know of a student who is currently doing or has completed a nonacademic internship, please tell us (link to internships reporting form). 

Academic Learning Objectives 

Similar to a standard college course, learning objectives are a written plan for what you expect a student to learn during their academic internship experience. The expectations form an agreement between you (the faculty member), the site supervisor (the employer), and the student (the worker) to help direct the learning process during the internship. For more guidance, please refer to this resource (learning objective development link).