Internships

Academic Internships

Earn academic credit for the time you invest gaining hands-on, professional training through a high impact internship experience.

Prepare for your Academic Internship

Students can earn academic credit for internships in most degree plans. These internships allow students to acquire field or on-the-job experience and are structured so that the students are encouraged to relate their classroom activities and learnings to their professional experience.

Interested in completing an academic internship? Reach out to The Internship Office today or attend an upcoming Information Session.

Curious about all of Southwestern’s internship programs? Attend an Internships 101 Information Session, hosted from 4:00 - 5:00 pm the first Thursday of every month during the fall and spring semesters.

Internships 101 Information Session Dates (All sessions are located in Prothro 233): CLICK HERE TO REGISTER

  • April 3, 2025
  • May 1, 2025

Planning to do an unpaid or low-paying internship during the summer semester, learn about the Funded Internship Program and application process at a Funded Internship Info Session.

Contact us or make an appointment

Academic Internship Application Process

BEFORE THE INTERNSHIP: If you are interested in doing an academic internship, here are your next steps:

1. Please complete the Experiential Learning Application with HireSU.

  1. Use SU email credentials to log-in
  2. Click on the Experiential Learning box in the upper left hand corner
  3. Add New Application
  4. For the Experiential Learning Type on the application, select “Academic Internship” 
  5. Please note: You only complete the Experiential Learning Application for an academic internship once. If you are completing a second academic internship, jump to step two to complete the Placement Form. 

2. Once your Experiential Learning Application has been approved, submit a Placement Form for your academic internship.

Before you complete and submit this form, make sure to secure a faculty advisor, an internship placement, and site supervisor. Also determine your learning objectives.

3. Secure a faculty advisor from the department in which you are seeking academic credit. Faculty advisors are required to be tenured/tenure-track. Start this process early as you may need to contact multiple professors, if your first choice is unavailable during your academic internship semester. 

Please note: If you are seeking academic credit from the Business Department for your internship experience, Professor Andy Ross is the faculty advisor for all business academic internships.

4. Be sure to confirm a site supervisor at your internship location. This will be your direct supervisor or boss working with you one-on-one as a mentor during your internship experience.

Notes to keep in mind about your placement form:

  1. Start this form early. You may begin your placement form even if you do not have all the required information  - it can be a work in progress as you gather all the required information for your academic internship.
  2. Once you submit your placement form, if additional info is required you will receive an email - please make requested edits and then resubmit it.
  3. Your placement form will be approved by the Internship Office, your faculty supervisor, and site supervisor.
  4. Once your placement form is approved by all required parties, the Registrar will enroll you in the approved academic internship course number.

HOUR REQUIREMENTS BY CREDITS:

  • 1 credit: 40 site hours
  • 2 credits: 80 site hours
  • 3 credits: 110 site hours
  • 4 credits: 120 site hours + ePortfolio
  • 5 credits: 160 site hours + ePortfolio
  • 6 credits: 200 site hours + ePortfolio
  • 7 credits: 230 site hours + ePortfolio
  • 8 credits: 240 hours + ePortfolio, unless the student is doing a Psychology capstone

DURING THE INTERNSHIP: All internship site hours and tasks, along with the following additional activities, must be completed by the agreed-upon deadline in order to earn academic credit for internships:

  1. Timesheet of all hours worked at the internship site through the Experiential Learning module on HireSU. Exceptions to this policy are those students participating in the New York Arts Program (NYAP), Capitol Hill Internship Program (CHIP), SU London Semester, or Texas Legislative Politics Internship.
  2. Any additional activities required by your faculty advisor, such as a journal, reflection paper, or research paper. Your faculty advisor will provide this information in their syllabus.
  3. A reflection poster (template provided) detailing your experience and what you learned from the internship. The Internship Office will assist interested students in turning these into a poster to be presented at the Research and Creative Works Symposium (RCWS) or High Impact Experience (HIE) Poster Presentation. 
  4. If doing an internship for 4+ credit hours (except Psychology capstone students), you must complete an ePortfolio. Nine required ePortfolio assignments will be provided, if applicable. 
  5. Midterm and end-of-semester evaluations completed by your employer.
  6. Self evaluations.

International Internship

Students may receive funding through the Funded Internship Program if they are participating in an international internship that is offered as an approved internship abroad program. Students apply for programs through Via and must be approved by the Office of Study Abroad and International Student Services

International Students

International students (F-1 visa) may participate in an internship or training program only under  specific circumstances:

  • The internship or training must be an approved Academic Internship in the United States and the student must have approved CPT or OPT prior to the start of their internship or training. Students should consult with the Office of Study Abroad and International Student Services for assistance.
  • Or, the international student is participating in an internship or training program outside of the United States. In this situation, the international student is not eligible for the Funded Internship Program. To receive academic credit, the international student may participate in an approved international internship program and receive academic credit from a third-party provider (not directly from SU).