Internships
What is an Internship?
An internship is an opportunity that combines learning with work and offers a unique experience for career exploration. The essential component is that as you are working, you have structured and intentional objectives to learn about a career field. An internship or related experience can help you decide whether that field is really for you.
Before entering an on-site internship, use the COVID-19 Due Diligence Checklist to ensure that the employer/company is taking effective steps to protect the health and safety of student interns.
Types of Internships
The internship types are:
- Extra-Curricular Internships are initiated by the student, are not required for the degree, and do not receive academic credit. Students are not enrolled in any internship course. These internships can be pursued during academic terms in which they are enrolled in other classes or during breaks between periods of enrollment. They need not be related to the student’s program of study, and no faculty supervision is needed. The University does not enter into an agreement with the Internship Sponsor. Students may list the internship on their resume, but it will not appear on their academic transcript.
- Co-Curricular Internships relate to the student’s program of study (e.g., major, minor, certificate program) and can be paid or unpaid. Students pursuing them are enrolled in a course (which can be 0 to 6 credits), but it is not a mandated requirement for the program of study. Students must have a completed learning plan signed by an assigned faculty supervisor. Academic credit appears on the transcript and may be offered as credit/no credit or for a letter grade.
- Curricular Internships are a requirement for the student’s declared degree or major. These internships must be for academic credit and can be paid or unpaid. Students must have an assigned faculty supervisor and learning plan. These internships appear on the transcript, and the internship course may be offered as credit/no credit or for a letter grade.
Why Should You Pursue an Internship?
- Explore potential careers
- Learn how to conduct a job search
- Build work-related skills
- Experience a “3-month interview”
- Network with people in your field
- Become more marketable for your future job search
Academic Credit & Other Information
To be eligible to receive academic credit for an internship you must:
- Be currently enrolled at Miami University.
- Undergraduate students must be enrolled for a minimum of six (6) actively registered credit hours in a semester to be eligible for federal financial aid or loan deferment.
- Be in good academic standing with Miami University and have maintained at least a 2.00 cumulative grade point average prior to enrolling for an internship. Individual departments/colleges or programs may require a higher GPA.
- Completed at least two full-time semesters with a minimum of 24 GPA hours earned at Miami (for continuing students); or completed at least 12 GPA hours earned at Miami (for transfer students)
- Complete the internship form prior to starting your internship experience. The course will be added to your schedule based on academic deadlines. Internship credit cannot be retroactively approved.
Your Internship Search
- Start your search with Handshake
- Discover thousands of internships
- Connect with employers representing all career clusters
- Find career-related events that allow face-to-face interactions
- Summer requests should be submitted before June 27. Please submit Fall date requests before October 26.
Networking, job shadowing, and informational interviews often open doors to additional opportunities.
All students should request for their experience to be documented and/or awarded academic credit prior to beginning an internship. See information below for instructions.
Be advised that you must pay tuition for internship credit hours greater than zero. The costs for an internship completed for credit hours is equivalent to all other academic hours.
If you have paid full-time tuition, such as for the Fall or Spring Semester, you will not incur additional charges for internship hours. If you are not enrolled full-time, such as during the Winter or Summer Term, you will be charged for each credit hour you take. This includes any internship credit hours.
You may have your internship recorded on your transcript without taking it for credit hours. Reach out to Erin Dunn at erin.dunn@miamioh.edu for more information about zero-credit, no-pay options.






Search and Explore
Step 1: Search and Explore
Consult Sources
Step 2: Consult Resources
- Campus Resources
- International Students and Scholar Services (ISSS) for Curricular Practical Training (CPT)
- Assist students with federal requirements for Curricular Practical Training
- One Stop / Bursar / Registrar
- Assists with questions regarding billing and schedules
- Internship Grants/Professional Attire Grants
- If your internship or research experience is unpaid or underpaid, you can apply for grants to assist with personal expenses related to your internship.
- International Students and Scholar Services (ISSS) for Curricular Practical Training (CPT)
- Advising Resources
- Career Advisor
- Assist in internship search by helping with resumes, cover letters, interviewing and navigating Handshake. Make an Appointment
- Academic Advisor
- Assist in internship search by helping with resumes, cover letters, interviewing and navigating Handshake. Make an Appointment
- Assistant Director of Internships
- Assist with starting, completing and tracking a request in Handshake
- Answer questions pertaining to internship grant applications
- Approves any changes in credit hours and grade mode? (credit/no credit or letter grade
- Career Advisor
- Academic Department Internship Coordinator
- Assess the alignment of the internship with curriculum for the major
- Oversee Internship Experience and acts as point of contact for Employers/Site Supervisors
- See Internship Policy Expectations for Co-curricular and Curricular Internship Faculty
Secure Internship
Step 3: Secure Internship
- Make certain Step 2 is complete
- Check in with your Academic Advisor & Internship Coordinator
Request Experience
Step 4: Request experience
- Using Handshake
- Review information needed to complete online form
Track Progress
Step 5: Track Progress
- Requesting an experience does not guarantee approval
- Make sure you track progress in Handshake
- Process of Approval:
- Request goes from Handshake to the Career Center, where it will be moved from pending to approved, as long as learning objectives are included
- Next, Faculty Coordinator approves request
- Then, request goes to Registrar to be added to your schedule based on Registration Deadlines
- Confirmation will be sent to International Students and Scholar Services (ISSS) if applicable
- Approval from internship site supervisor is the final step, but does not impede the ability of the course to be added to schedules
Follow Up
Step 6: Follow up and Monitor Progress
- Complete mid term and end-of-term evaluations for your Internship (if applicable)
Requesting Your Internship Experience
Use Handshake to request for your experience to be documented and/or awarded academic credit. Complete the internship form no matter whether the internship experience is credit-bearing or non-credit-bearing, paid or unpaid or occurs during the academic year, winter term or summer term.
Steps to Complete
Review the types of internships (see above).
- For Extra-Curricular Internship - Select “Extra-Curricular Internship”
- For Curricular or Co-Curricular Internship - Select Your Academic Department and Internship Coordinator
- Be prepared with the following information:
- Employer/Organization Name
- Location
- Industry
- Phone Number
- Email address
- Internship Job Title
- Department
- Start/End Date
- Employment Type (Seasonal, Full Time, Part Time)
- Salary
- Offer Date
- Internship Site Supervisor First and Last Name
- Internship Site Supervisor Title
- Internship Site Supervisor Phone Number
- Internship Site Supervisor Email Address
- Other Compensation
- Approximate number of hours you will work each week
- Scheduled Hours
- Number of Credit Hours you are requesting
- 0 (Zero) credit = less than 37.5 work hours
- 1 credit = 37.5 total work hours
- 2 credits = 75 total work hours
- 3 credits = 112.5 total work hours
- 4 credits = 150 total work hours
- 5 credits = 187.5 total work hours
- 6 credits = 225 total work hours
- Where the internship will be conducted (Onsite, Virtually, Both)
- Job Description
- At least 3 Learning Objectives
Please note: The form for Curricular and Co-Curricular Internships is the same. Students who complete the Curricular/Co-Curricular Internship Form will be registered into the internship course by the University Registrar.
List of Departmental Internship Coordinators
Deadlines
Deadline to register each semester is set by the Academic Calendar and the Office of the Registrar.
Last Add Day for Departments - Full Term: First Friday of the semester
Last Add Day for Departments - Sprint Course: Wednesday, 9th week of the semester
Reneging on a Job/Internship Acceptance
Definition and Repercussions
Renege: to go back on a promise, undertaking, or contract. Reneging is unethical, unprofessional, and jeopardizes the reputation of fellow students and the University. Therefore, the Center for Career Exploration and Success prohibits any student from reneging on an accepted job/internship offer. To renege is to accept a new internship/job offer after already committing to a previous internship/job.
A student who accepts any offer shall withdraw from the hiring process for any other position. A student who fails to withdraw, continues to solicit another position, or reneges on a previously accepted position may be denied future services from the Career Center and barred from future on-campus recruiting until such time that the Center for Career Exploration & Success, in their discretion, removes such ban. A student that violates this policy shall also be referred to his or her departmental chair(s) for consideration of additional sanctions at the discretion of the department chair(s).
If you are uncertain as to whether you should accept an offer, please seek guidance from a member of the Career Center staff before taking any action.