Department Permission for Student Away on Internship or Co-Op
Required for undergraduate students who will be away from UMass Amherst for a semester while on internship or co-op in order to maintain their status as a student.
International Internship and Co-op IPO Approval Form
This form is to be used by all undergraduate students, both domestic and international undergraduate students, planning to participate in an Internship or Co-op outside the United States.
Internships and Co-ops Academic Dean's Approval Form
Only required for undergraduate students requesting permission to participate in an internship or co-op that have completed fewer than 45 credits or have a GPA under a 2.0.
For undergraduates: a list of a student's responsibilities when they are on an internship, practicum, or co-op experience during a semester. Attach this form to your Handshake Experience Contract.
Students looking to register an internship, co-op, or other field experience should now do so through SPIRE instead of Handshake. We are in the process of updating our website to reflect this change. You can find instructions on how to submit your field experience by clicking here:
First things first: any student can do an internship without earning academic credit for the experience, so long as they meet the legal requirements to work. For students wishing to earn academic credit for an internship, you need to see if your department allows it within your curriculum. Below is a list of all departments at UMass Amherst and their policies towards obtaining academic credit towards the completion of your degree.
Students: Please check with an academic advisor in your department to see if a credited internship will work for your specific academic requirements. Most departments require you to have completed at least 45 credits and have a minimum of a 2.0 GPA to do an internship for credit.
International Students: In order to engage in a paid internship (for F-1 and J-1 visa students) or an unpaid internship (for J-1 visa students), you must obtain internship credit during the semester(s) in which you are working. Check with the Office of Global Affairs (formerly the International Programs Office) to see what you need to do to get started.
Faculty/Staff: If you would like to suggest an edit to your department's description, contact @email.
Click Your School/College Below:
BDIC: Bachelor's Degree with Individual Concentration CICS: Manning College of Information and Computer Sciences CNS: College of Natural Sciences CoE: College of Engineering EDU: College of Education HFA: College of Humanities and Fine Arts ISOM: Isenberg School of Management NUR: Elaine Marieb College of Nursing SBS: College of Social and Behavioral Science SPHHS: School of Public Health and Health Sciences
Bachelor's Degree with Individual Concentration (BDIC)
Internships for Credit Available?: For Undergraduate Students
Notes: BDIC allows 6 credits of internship, which equals 2 BDIC courses, to satisfy upper level course requirements in the BDIC degree. BDIC also accepts internship credits from other departments and UMASS 298.
Notes: Most internships completed by CICS Computer Science students are paid, uncredited internships. A complete outline on how to navigate the internship process as a CICS student can be found on the CICS Guide to Internships.
Internships for Credit Available?: For Undergraduate Students
Notes: On a case by case basis, students can petition to have x98 internship credits replace major requirements for BS-ANIMLSCI and BS-PRE VET majors. The BS-VET TECH requires 12 credits of ANIMLSCI 498V internships.
Internships for Credit Available?: For International Graduate Students for CPT only
Notes: During the summer session, students will participate in an internship at a biotechnology or pharmaceutical company. Alternatively, students will stay on campus during the summer and complete their research project and participate in “Lab Modules”.
Internships for Credit Available?: For Undergraduate Students (Associate)
Notes: The Biochemistry & Molecular Biology department does not currently allow students to complete internship credit towards their major requirements.
Internships for Credit Available?: For Undergraduate and Graduate Students
Notes: The Biology department allows up to 6 internship credits (BIOLOGY 398B) to count toward the major requirements, but no more than 6 total credits from internship, independent study, and TA combined.
Internships for Credit Available?: For Undergraduate Students
Notes: Environmental Science students must complete two 2 “praxis” (hands-on) courses that provide practical experience and skills in an environmental field. Praxis requirements can be fulfilled by selected coursework, independent study research, and internship credits.
Internships for Credit Available?: For Undergraduate and Graduate Students
Notes: Students in the Globalization & International Studies Concentration must complete at least 6 of the credits for the degree in conjunction with an appropriate international academic experience involving a period of residence outside the United States, which can include an internship. Consult with the Geography Chief Undergraduate Advisor.
Internships for Credit Available?: No
Internships for Credit Available?: For Graduate Students
Notes: NRC General Concentration (Environmental Conservation) can use internship/practicum credit to fill the 9 "any level" electives and 9 "upper-level" electives. All other concentrations may have internships count towards electives on an exception basis.
Internships for Credit Available?: For Graduate Students
Note: while engineering students can do internships for credit, most will graduate with more credits than they need. As a result, internships are typically either completed without obtaining academic credit during the summer or by international students seeking CPT (for paid internships) or AT (for paid or internships). Domestic students seeking to earn internship credit can register for UMASS 298/398/498.
International Undergraduate Students: Contact Todd Butynski for more information.
International Graduate Students: Contact Christina Mata for more information.
Internships for Credit Available?: For International Undergraduate Students and International Graduate Students (see note for domestic students)
Notes: International students completing a paid internship for credit may use Biomedical Engineering course listings. Domestic students seeking internship credits should use UMASS 298/398/498.
Note: while engineering students can do internships for credit, most will graduate with more credits than they need. As a result, internships are typically either completed without obtaining academic credit during the summer or by international students seeking CPT (for paid internships) or AT (for paid or internships). Domestic students seeking to earn internship credit can register for UMASS 298/398/498.
International Undergraduate Students: Contact Todd Butynski for more information.
International Graduate Students: Contact Christina Mata for more information.
Internships for Credit Available?: For International Undergraduate Students and International Graduate Students (see note for domestic students)
Notes: International students completing a paid internship for credit may use Chemical Engineering course listings. Domestic students seeking internship credits should use UMASS 298/398/498.
Note: while engineering students can do internships for credit, most will graduate with more credits than they need. As a result, internships are typically either completed without obtaining academic credit during the summer or by international students seeking CPT (for paid internships) or AT (for paid or internships). Domestic students seeking to earn internship credit can register for UMASS 298/398/498.
International Undergraduate Students: Contact Todd Butynski for more information.
International Graduate Students: Contact Christina Mata for more information.
Internships for Credit Available?: For International Undergraduate Students and International Graduate Students (see note for domestic students)
Notes: International students completing a paid internship for credit may use Civil & Environmental Engineering course listings. Domestic students seeking internship credits should use UMASS 298/398/498.
Note: while engineering students can do internships for credit, most will graduate with more credits than they need. As a result, internships are typically either completed without obtaining academic credit during the summer or by international students seeking CPT (for paid internships) or AT (for paid or internships). Domestic students seeking to earn internship credit can register for UMASS 298/398/498.
International Undergraduate Students: Contact Todd Butynski for more information.
International Graduate Students: Contact Christina Mata for more information.
Internships for Credit Available?: For International Undergraduate Students and International Graduate Students (see note for domestic students)
Notes: International students completing a paid internship for credit may use Electrical & Computer Engineering course listings. Domestic students seeking internship credits should use UMASS 298/398/498. Academic credit earned by International Graduate students will not fulfill program requirements.
Internships for Credit Available?: For International Graduate Students
Notes: International students completing a paid internship for credit may use Civil & Environmental Engineering course listings.
Note: while engineering students can do internships for credit, most will graduate with more credits than they need. As a result, internships are typically either completed without obtaining academic credit during the summer or by international students seeking CPT (for paid internships) or AT (for paid or internships). Domestic students seeking to earn internship credit can register for UMASS 298/398/498.
International Undergraduate Students: Contact Todd Butynski for more information.
International Graduate Students: Contact Christina Mata for more information.
Internships for Credit Available?: For International Graduate Students
Notes: International students completing a paid internship for credit may use Mechanical & Industrial Engineering course listings.
Note: while engineering students can do internships for credit, most will graduate with more credits than they need. As a result, internships are typically either completed without obtaining academic credit during the summer or by international students seeking CPT (for paid internships) or AT (for paid or internships). Domestic students seeking to earn internship credit can register for UMASS 298/398/498.
International Undergraduate Students: Contact Todd Butynski for more information.
International Graduate Students: Contact Christina Mata for more information.
Internships for Credit Available?: For International Graduate Students
Notes: International students completing a paid internship for credit may use Materials Science & Engineering course listings.
Note: while engineering students can do internships for credit, most will graduate with more credits than they need. As a result, internships are typically either completed without obtaining academic credit during the summer or by international students seeking CPT (for paid internships) or AT (for paid or internships). Domestic students seeking to earn internship credit can register for UMASS 298/398/498.
International Undergraduate Students: Contact Todd Butynski for more information.
International Graduate Students: Contact Christina Mata for more information.
Internships for Credit Available?: For International Undergraduate Students and International Graduate Students (see note for domestic students)
Notes: International students completing a paid internship for credit may use Mechanical & Industrial Engineering course listings. Domestic students seeking internship credits should use UMASS 298/398/498.
Notes:For the BS Architecture degree, Architecture accepts independent studies (x96) and practica (x98) for required classes (except Gen Ed requirements).
Internships for Credit Available?: For Undergraduate and Graduate Students
Notes:Internship credits must be arts-related, sponsored by full-time department faculty, and approved by the Program Director. Art majors can take a maximum of 12 Independent Study and/or Practicum credits toward degree requirements as Studio Electives. Discipline requirements cannot be fulfilled by Independent Study or Practicum unless approved by the Undergraduate Program Director.
Internships for Credit Available?: Usually No - See Notes
Notes:Classics does not have an explicit policy regarding internships for credit. Students may petition the department to allow an experience to count toward one of the major requirements if it is determined the experience sufficiently complements the curriculum.
Internships for Credit Available?: For Undergraduate Students Only
Notes:Students can take 6 credits of internship as part of the 7 electives in Film Studies. More information available on the Film Studies Internship page.
Internships for Credit Available?: For Undergraduate and Graduate Students
Notes:For the German Studies track, students may replace any course with an internship. STEM-German majors have the option to earn 1-8 credits in an internship towards their STEM-German major.
Internships for Credit Available?: For Undergraduate and Graduate Students
Notes: Internship (x98) credits do not count towards program requirements or program electives. They only contribute to a student's credit count towards graduation.
Internships for Credit Available?: For Undergraduate and Graduate Students
In addition to the course options identified below, Isenberg undergraduates in all majors can earn internship credit as UMASS 298 and may count those credits towards the 120 credits required to graduate.
Internships for Credit Available?: For Undergraduate Students and International Graduate Students
In addition to the course options identified below, Isenberg undergraduates in all majors can earn internship credit as UMASS 298 and may count those credits towards the 120 credits required to graduate.
Internships for Credit Available?: For International Graduate Students
In addition to the course options identified below, Isenberg undergraduates in all majors can earn internship credit as UMASS 298 and may count those credits towards the 120 credits required to graduate.
Internships for Credit Available?: For Undergraduate Students or International Graduate Students Seeking CPT
Notes: Undergraduate Finance majors can apply a maximum of 3 credits from a field experience to satisfy business/economics electives.
In addition to the course options identified below, Isenberg undergraduates in all majors can earn internship credit as UMASS 298 and may count those credits towards the 120 credits required to graduate.
Internships for Credit Available?: For Undergraduate Students
Notes: An HTM internship course cannot take the place of a program requirement. Credits earned for the internship can only be applied towards the university’s credit requirement.
In addition to the course options identified below, Isenberg undergraduates in all majors can earn internship credit as UMASS 298 and may count those credits towards the 120 credits required to graduate.
Internships for Credit Available?: For Undergraduates Students and International Graduate Students
Notes: The Management Department has allowed up to three credits of internship to apply to the major (MANAGMNT 398) and it is recorded as an elective. Management majors can apply a maximum of three credits from MANAGMT 398 to satisfy an Aspect of Change elective.
In addition to the course options identified below, Isenberg undergraduates in all majors can earn internship credit as UMASS 298 and may count those credits towards the 120 credits required to graduate.
Internships for Credit Available?: For Undergraduate Students
Notes: Students can apply up to three credits of an internship to satisfy the upper-level business elective requirement of the marketing major.
In addition to the course options identified below, Isenberg undergraduates in all majors can earn internship credit as UMASS 298 and may count those credits towards the 120 credits required to graduate.
Internships for Credit Available?: For Graduate Students
In addition to the course options identified below, Isenberg undergraduates in all majors can earn internship credit as UMASS 298 and may count those credits towards the 120 credits required to graduate.
Internships for Credit Available?: For Undergraduate Students
Notes: Operations and Information Management majors can apply a maximum of three credits from field experience to satisfy upper-level electives.
In addition to the course options identified below, Isenberg undergraduates in all majors can earn internship credit as UMASS 298 and may count those credits towards the 120 credits required to graduate.
Internships for Credit Available?: Undergraduate and Graduate Students
Notes: For undergraduate Sport Management, 12 credits of SPORTMGT 498 replaces two sport management electives. SPORTMGT 298 can count towards overall credit requirement. More information about the process can be found on the Sport Management Internship page.
Traditional credited internships are not typically a part of the nursing plan of study. Nursing students engage in clinical learning experiences, which are all required to be taken at specific times in a nursing student's experience. While these are credited experiences, they are strictly regulated and require training under vetted nurse proctors.
To learn more about clinical learning experiences, reach out to your department advisor. You can also reach out to Reggie Lamothe (@email) for more information.
Traditional credited internships are not typically a part of the nursing plan of study. Nursing students engage in clinical learning experiences, which are all required to be taken at specific times in a nursing student's experience. While these are credited experiences, they are strictly regulated and require training under vetted nurse proctors.
To learn more about clinical learning experiences, reach out to your department advisor. You can also reach out to Reggie Lamothe (@email) for more information.
Notes: Anthropology majors may count up to 4 credits of internship experience towards their major requirements. See Anthropology Internship Opportunities for more information.
Internships for Credit Available?: For Undergraduate Students Only
Notes: Students may take up to 18 total internship credits towards graduation completion. 3 credits of LEGAL 298 or Legal 298C may be used to replace a Law-Related Liberal Arts Course.
Internships for Credit Available?: For Undergraduate Students
Notes:Students may take up to 18 total internship credits towards graduation completion.Political Science allows up to 3 credits of POLISCI 298 or POLISCI 498D internship experience to count towards the 200-level major requirements if you were admitted to UMass Summer 2023 or later. Students need to be sponsored by a Political Science faculty member to enroll in those internship classes. Students admitted prior to that can apply POLISCI 498D to the 300-level requirements of major. This graded course requires significant work with a Political Science faculty member.
Internships for Credit Available?: For Undergraduate and Graduate Students
Notes: In Resource Economics, internship credits can only serve as elective credit toward the University 120 credit requirement, and cannot be used in place of any major requirement.
Internships for Credit Available?: For Undergraduate Students
Course(s):
SOC-BEHAV 398B: SBS in Boston Internship
SOC-BEHAV 398D: SBS in DC Practicum
SOC-BEHAV 398W: SBS int he World Internship Practicum
Notes: STPEC students are required to complete 120 hours of internship work (one 3 credit internship). See STPEC Internship Requirement for more information.
Internships for Credit Available?: For Undergraduate Students Only
Course(s): SOCIOL 398/498 (counts towards department credit); SOCIOL 298 (counts only towards graduation requirements)
Notes: Sociology majors can replace their 4-credit, 200-level sociology elective requirement with a 4-credit, letter-graded, sociology-related internship that has been approved by an advisor. See Sociology Internships for a list of internship sites and more details about completing an internship.
Internships for Credit Available?: For Undergraduate Students
Notes: Sustainable Community Development may count practicum or independent study credit as a free elective or in limited exceptional contexts as a concentration elective, but not as a substitute for a core requirement.
Notes: There are three tracks in nutrition and students can use NUTR 298, 398 or 498 for internship credit, which counts for credit but not toward major requirement.
Internships for Credit Available?: For Undergraduate and Graduate Students
Notes: In some instances the Public Health Sciences Department allows internships to cover a course requirement for an elective, but it’s on a case by case basis. Consult with an academic advisor in Public Health Sciences.
Internships for Credit Available?: For Undergraduate Students Only
Notes: Students in Speech, Language, and Hearing Sciences are required to take an elective course in the major numbered 300 or above and can meet that requirement with an internship.
