Academic Credit Internships

Academic Internships are structured educational work experiences designed to complement your academic program.

INSTITUTIONAL REVIEW BOARD: If your academic internship will involve research activities with human subjects, be sure to see the Institutional Review Board’s website for steps to have your research project reviewed well in advance of the start date of your internship.

Benefits

• Apply your academic coursework to a real-world work situation.
• Work with a faculty member and site supervisor to maximize the learning experience.
• Explore career options.
• Obtain practical and professional experience in a field of interest.
• Receive a P/N grade and notation as academic internship on your official transcript.
• Network with professionals.

Requirements

• Complete the Academic Internship Learning Agreement & Plan. If you are completing the internship during the summer, see below for more information.
• For 1.0 credit, on-site experience plus academic work must total a minimum of 160 hours (120 on-site).
• For 0.5 credit, on-site experience plus academic work must total a minimum of 100 hours (80 on-site {0.5-credit internships cannot be completed during Interim}).
• The academic internship counts as an elective credit and does not fill GE requirements. It can sometimes be counted toward the major or concentration (signature from the chair/program director of department is required).

Registration Process:

•  Come to the Center for Experiential Learning ( Modular Village ) to learn about internship opportunities and for assistance preparing a resume, cover letter, and interviewing skills.

•  Secure an internship.

•  Designate a faculty supervisor.

•  Print the Academic Internship Learning Agreement and Plan. If you are completing the internship during the summer, see below for more information.

•  Begin filling out the learning plan. Finish the form with your faculty supervisor and your site supervisor.

• You, your faculty supervisor, and your site supervisor need to complete applicable sections and then sign on the required signatures section on page 4. The department chair's signature is required only if you want the internship to count toward your major or concentration.
• Complete the job description - this can either be an official job description or a summary of what tasks you will be engaged in during the internship.
• Carefully read and sign the student release form.
• If you are doing an internship abroad, make an appointment with Kathy Tuma in the International and Off-Campus Studies Office to receive information about traveling abroad, the required international waiver, and obtain her signature on the internship form.

• Academic Internship Abroad - New Form  
Students preparing to go abroad for Interim are required to register for the internship by November 1st in order to be fully prepared and have everything ready to go.

• After you have completed the paperwork and obtained all the required signatures, call x3268 to make an appointment with the Associate Director for Internships to finalize the application. The Associate Director is the last person to sign the form before it is taken to the Registrar's Office.

•  CEL will keep the original Academic Internship Learning Agreement & Plan. Copies will be made for the student, faculty supervisor, site supervisor, and Registrar's Office. The student must take this paperwork to the Registrar's Office to officially register for the internship. Deadline to register is set in accordance with the Registrar's last day to add a semester-length course.

Summer Term Academic Internships

Summer Academic Internships require completion of the Registration for St. Olaf Summer School form available at the Registrar's Office. This form, accompanied by a $50.00 non-refundable fee payable to the Registrar's Office, must be turned in along with a copy of page 1 and 2 of the Summer Academic Internship Learning Agreement & Plan in order for students to be officially registered! The deadline to register for Summer Academic Internships is June 1st . Students will be billed summer tuition rates for either .5 or 1.0 credit-bearing internship — the $50.00 non-refundable fee will be applied to the student's summer tuition bill.

Questions? Stop by the CEL and talk with a Peer Advisor or Counselor.