There’s a common myth that if you get paid to pursue an internship, then you can’t do it for credit. I hear this all the time and I’m here to tell you…it’s not true!
“Internships” come in all varieties: for-credit, not-for-credit; paid, unpaid. The word “internship” has simply become a popular label for career-related experience—internships may also be masked as part-time jobs or volunteer experiences. The key is that you are able to gain short-term, meaningful experience in an area of career interest.
And while it’s important to pursue career-related experience (aka internships) regardless of whether it’s paid or unpaid, for credit or not, there’s benefit in doing internships for academic credit.
Many Puget Sound students find paid internships and elect to take those internships for credit.
There are only three steps to prepare for an internship for credit:
- Find an internship—you should have the internship lined up before you try to register (Hint: while you have until the add-drop deadline, lining up your internship can take some time, so don’t put it off too long.) You can start your search with InternshipLink in Cascade, but don’t stop there! And if you need help finding and applying for positions, CES can help.
- Complete the required paperwork to register for the internship class (Hint: there are prerequisites to doing the internship for credit, so look closely.)
- Submit your paperwork to CES, in Howarth 101. (Hint: CES typically has drop-in hours during registration week to specifically address internship questions.)
Here’s what others have had to say about the experience:
Being able to combine my academic experience with a workplace environment has proved to be really interesting. On the surface of it, you wouldn’t think there would be too many connections between college course material and a job like this, other than maybe a marketing course. However, the internship seminar at Puget Sound forced me to look at my internship on a deeper level, and recognize many similarities in the underlying ideas behind both worlds. Kevin Nuss ’12
Although they come from different academic fields and have very different internship sites, students often face common problems in their work settings. In particular, internships offer a preview of ethical dilemmas they will almost inevitably face. The opportunity to think about these dilemmas and talk about them with others is a very important part of the seminar experience. David Droge, INTN 497 instructor Fall ’11
As you think about class registration, consider pursuing an internship for credit. Visit CES to learn more about the options.
© 2013 Career and Employment Services, University of Puget Sound