Get an Internship
At the School of Informatics internships are highly recommended. To support this claim the school has set-up internship courses to count as optional electives for school credit. To meet the academic career plan of the student is encouraged to locate positions that meet career goals and needs. Additional help to secure ideas for internships can be obtained through the Career Services Office.
Length of Internship (start and end dates may vary)
- Credit Internships – during Summer, Spring, or Fall semesters, or depending on dates set between the employer and student.
- Non-Credit Internships – Typically completed on the same schedule as credit internships.
Working Hours
- Part-time (10-30 working hours per week) or Full-time (40 working hours per week).
- Summer internships tend to have full-time working hours.
- Employers typically provide flexible work hours to help work around class schedules.
Paid or Unpaid (may be either)
The Career Services Office encourages employers to pay their interns. Pay can average $10-15 per hour with an overall range of $8-25+ per hour depending on major, industry, and demand.
- Keep in mind the purpose for doing an internship is to gain experience, so pay should be viewed as a benefit. The employer is providing a means to gain well needed experience by allowing you to work directly with managers in your chosen career field. For unpaid positions always look at the duties and responsibilities of the position to make sure the tasks are worth pursuing. If you are unsure of the credibility of the position you may bring the description in to review by the Career Services Office.
- Employers should also keep in mind that IUPUI students work a large number of hours to cover the cost of tuition so taking an unpaid internship may not be an option. This may cut down the quality and quantity of students that may apply.
Credit Internships
Credit internships are structured internships that require a student to complete a course for college credit (3 credit hours, 6 credit hours may be obtained during summer internships depending on the number of working hours completed. Internships that extend beyond one semester may also be considered for additional credit hour registration in future semesters). Coursework for credit internship courses includes:
- Daily Journal (identifying areas of learning)
- Employer Evaluation
- Student Evaluation
- Discussion Forums
- Site Visit (by the Internship Program Director / Instructor)
- Executive Summary (of internship experience)
- A minimum of 45 working hours per credit hour
- Related professional duties and responsibilities must align with the internship course of enrollment
You may seek credit for paid or unpaid internships. It is up to the student to seek credit for curriculum fulfillment or in response to an employer requesting an internship to be taken for credit. Courses are taught via Oncourse so in-class time is not required.
Registering for a Credit Internship Course
Once an internship is obtained an Internship Form will need to be filled out and brought to the Career Services Office. Fill out the top of the form and if needed have the supervisor help fill out the remainder. The supervisor will need to sign off on the bottom of the form to acknowledge the internship and to verify that all internship information is correct. Bring the form back to the Career Services Office and this will begin the process of authorization. The form will be approved within 1-2 business days and you will be contacted with the course number that you have been approved for if your internship qualifies for credit.
Deadlines to Register for Credit
Credit internship forms must be turned into the Career Services Office by the end of the fourth week of classes for fall and spring semesters and by the end of the first week of classes for the Summer I & II sessions.
Internships for Foreign Students
You may receive authorization to work off-campus under a Curricular Practical Training (CPT) work permit for internships. A CPT work permit requires international students to be registered for a credit internship course that has a practicum component. To obtain CPT authorization, call the Office of International Affairs at 317.274.7000 for more information.
International Internships
For more information contact the Study Abroad Program at the Office of International Affairs on the IUPUI campus, phone 317.274.7000
Non-Credit Internship Recording on Transcripts – INFO I490 Professional Practice
Students may apply for a “Milestone” to be designated on their transcript for internships that are not taken for credit. Milestone internships are a good way to show experience on a transcript to employers or for applying to graduate programs. To obtain a Milestone designation a student must fill out and return an internship form and check the Non-Credit Internship area at the top of the form. This form must be turned in prior to the start of the internship. All Milestone Internships must meet the minimum non-credit internships standards as stated on the form to be considered for transcript designation. Internships reported for credit will not be marked as Milestones. Credit bearing internships are recorded as a course on the transcript under the appropriate internship course number upon registration
General Internship Benefits
- To obtain “real-life” work experience, in addition to academic classroom experience and knowledge, in order to enhance the opportunity to gain full-time employment after graduation.
- To enhance skill marketability upon graduation by learning valuable communications skills from various work settings.
- To receive academic credit toward graduation.
- To earn money to help defray the cost of education.
- To develop self-confidence, responsibility, and professional competence.
- To gain networking contacts and exposure to the working world.
- To develop short-term and long-range career goals.
- To integrate work experiences with classroom instruction.
Identifying Great Internship Employers (what to look for)
- An opportunity must have a mentoring supervisor, someone who knows how to complete the project but is asking for student assistance with willingness to provide direction as needed.
- The duties and responsibilities of the internship should consist of work that would be given to a person starting in an entry-level position. A typical split would be 80% professional and 20% administrative.
The employer should be based out of a corporate (commercial) location. To qualify for credit students should not engage employers that run business out of a personal residence or home.
