How Undergraduate Internships for Academic Credit Work

1. Internships are career-related experiences at an organization, which can be during a semester, summer or winter break. They can be on campus, local, national or even international. Some are paid. Students can receive credit for either paid or unpaid internships. You must have an on-site supervisor at your placement site who is a professional. However, you CANNOT work for another student, a family member or in someone's private home for credit. Most students can earn a total of 18 credits for internships over their academic career, but this is dependent upon academic department guidelines. Semester internship credit is part of regular tuition – so there is no extra cost for full-time students. Summer or Winter session credit is registered through University Without Walls, and students are billed by the Bursar at a per-credit rate.
2. Undergraduate students considering an international internship MUST obtain approval from the International Programs Office (IPO) at least six months in advance, and register their university-related international travel. International students doing a PAID internship in the United States MUST obtain CPT approval from the International Programs Office (IPO). CPT guidelines can be found on IPO's CPT page.
3. To receive academic credit, you must have a Faculty Sponsor who endorses the internship. You will need to discuss with them an Academic Project that you agree to complete. Also discuss how many internship credits you can earn and ask what the Course Number should be. Inform faculty that they will receive an email from SPIRE with a request to approve your internship “Experience.”
4. Internship credits are registered under a ’98 internship practicum (such as UMASS 298), usually earned as general electives, usually Pass/Fail (P/F) and COUNT towards graduation. Some departments have letter-graded practicums, so consult your faculty sponsor.
5. WHEN YOU GET AN OFFER, find a faculty sponsor, then log into SPIRE.  Click on the Academics tile. Under the Forms and Academic Requests tab, choose Experiential Learning Request. Then, click on the Create a New Request button.  Once you complete and submit your form, Field Experience Program staff will review the form and then forward it to your faculty sponsor via an email from SPIRE for approval.
6. If you have not earned a minimum of 45 credits or have a minimum 2.0 GPA, you will need approval from your Academic Dean. The Undergraduate Internships and Co-ops Academic Dean’s Approval Form is available on our website. In CNS, please reach out to Assistant Dean Gretchen LaBonte at glabonte [at] umass [dot] edu.  Once signed, attach the form to your experience contract in SPIRE. Once signed, attach the form to your experience contract in SPIRE.
7. If your internship is during the fall or spring semester and takes you away from campus and you will not be taking any classes on campus, you will need to submit both a signed Undergraduate Internships and Co-ops Placement Requirements Form and a signed Department Permission For Undergraduate Student Away on Internship or Co-op Form before your internship can be approved. These forms are available on our website. Attach these signed forms to your experience contract.
8. If you are an undergraduate student and your internship is outside of the United States, contact the International Programs Office (IPO) at least six months in advance for approval. This applies to both domestic and international students. Once approved, attach a signed Undergraduate Internships and Co-ops International Internship/Co-op IPO Approval Form to your experience contract. That form is available on our website.
9. If you are an international student and your internship is paid and in the United States, contact the Office of Global Affairs for information about CPT approval. Review CPT guidelines. Do not accept a position before obtaining CPT approval from your department. Attach a copy of your offer letter to your online Experience contract in SPIRE. After getting CPT approval, the Field Experience Program staff will assist with your enrollment in internship credits.
10. EVALUATIONS and WORK HOURS LOG: Near the end of the internship, you must submit your Weekly Work Hours Log which will be sent to you from the Field Experience Program office in Central Career Services Hub, and you and your on-site supervisor will receive emails with evaluations. You both need to complete and submit these. We share them with your faculty sponsor so that they can be utilized to determine your grade.

In addition to the academic work you have agreed upon with your faculty sponsor, these are the UMass recommended hours you will need to work during a fall or spring semester to receive academic credit(s):

Internship credits: 40 hrs. = 1 credit 

Questions?

Contact the Field Experience Program

Career Development & Professional Connections Hub

511 Goodell Building

internships [at] umass [dot] edu (internships[at]umass[dot]edu)