Internships for Credit

To intern for academic credit, students must:

  • Be enrolled full-time at Appalachian State University, admitted to the College of Business, a junior or senior, and in good academic standing. 
  • Have completed all business core and major courses deemed necessary to satisfactorily complete an internship.
  • Enroll into and pay tuition for the internship.
  • Be subject to the jurisdiction of all rules, regulations, and codes of conduct affecting students at Appalachian, as well as those which the firm may require.
  • Have health insurance coverage, either under the student health insurance program at Appalachian, or under a private plan, and know of no reason why the work experience cannot be completed satisfactorily.

Features

The student, after discussing employer possibilities with Career Services and the faculty internship advisor and reviewing internship postings on Career Gear, is responsible for contacting employers and securing the internship.

The employer and student mutually arrange the dates of the internship period.

It is strongly recommended that students participate in an internship program during the summer between the junior and senior year. Internships during the fall and spring semesters will only be approved in very special situations and rarely will an internship be approved for a student's last semester prior to graduation. At no time should a student finalize an internship for credit without prior approval from the faculty advisor.

The faculty advisor will contact the employer during the internship period to arrange for an on-site visit with the intern and the supervisor (if the internship site is within approximately 200 miles of campus). The advisor and supervisor will evaluate the value of the internship and the performance of the intern.

Employers will provide written evaluations of the interns at the conclusion of the work experience. Forms are provided by the College.

Interns receive six hours of academic credit for ten weeks of full-time work (400 hours) and nine semester hours of credit for fifteen weeks of full-time work (600 hours) in an approved position.

All internships are graded on S/U basis only. Credit awarded is based on employer evaluation, satisfactory completion of departmental requirements, and payment of all fees.

Because the intent of the program is to allow students to devote 100 percent of their time to gaining practical work experience, the intern shall not enroll in additional coursework during the internship period without prior written approval by the Associate Dean.

Benefits

Internships for academic credit:

  • Provide students with the opportunity to earn academic credit for a full-time work experience.
  • Benefit the academic program through experiences brought back to the classroom by the intern.
  • Provide opportunities for business firms to evaluate interns for possible future employment.
  • Provide participating firms the opportunity to have input into curriculum development based upon observed strengths and weaknesses of the intern.
  • Strengthen the commitment of students who plan a business career by providing more extensive information for making career decisions.

More Information

For more information on internships for academic credit, see the Business Career Services' internship website or the faculty contact for Finance, Banking & Insurance internships for academic credit.