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Getting Experience through Internships

Interested in internship opportunities? Excellent, because participating in an internship can really boost your personal and career development.

If you are an EMPLOYER seeking internship information or wanting to post an internship, please follow this link.

Internship Program Adviser:  Jeanne M. Ellis, internships@pdx.edu, 503-725-4005

What is an Internship?

Often referred to as "experiential learning", an internship is an opportunity to go outside the classroom to experience real-world learning in a professional work environment.  Internships can add much value to a student's career exploration and development, and in some cases may provide early access into their chosen career .

Typically students will seek an internship in a field related to their major. The work performed during an internship should be highly educational, closely supervised, include learning objectives, and reinforce a student’s academic training.   

Internships can be paid or unpaid, and in either case should qualify for academic credit if desired by the student. Internships taken for academic credit must be sponsored by a faculty member, preferably in the student's major.

If an internship is not taken for credit, it is the student's responsibility to determine the suitability of the experience. However, if there are questions or concerns about an employer or internship -- either before or during the internship, students are encouraged to meet with the professional staff in Advising & Career Services or with a faculty member regarding their concerns.

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International Students and Internships

International students are eligible to apply for off-campus internships through a process called Curricular Practical Training.  Curricular Practical Training (CPT) is a type of off-campus work authorization specifically designed for international students.  Students whose program of study requires an internship or whose academic advisor can verify that the internship adds meaningful experience to the academic program may be eligible to apply.  At Portland State University (PSU), if an internship is not a required component of a degree program, then the student must enroll for credit.  That credit must count towards graduation requirements. CPT authorization is employer specific, so a student must have a job/internship offer before applying for CPT, and it must be related to the student's field of study.  Please see International Student & Scholar Services website for eligibility and application information: CPT Application Information.

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Applying for an Internship: How to Prepare

A well-written cover letter and a polished and professional resume are most often required for application to an internship.  PSU Advising & Career Services (ACS) offers resume and cover letter critiques through individual scheduled appointments and daily drop-in hours.  ACS also offers multiple workshops including cover letter and resume writing and effective interviewing.  For more information on scheduled appointments, drop-in hours and workshops, go to www.pdx.edu/advising-career-services.

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Internships: Paid and Unpaid

Compensation for time spent in an internship depends upon the employer and/or the project.  Many government and non-profit-related organizations offer unpaid internships, while most for-profit internships are paid, although there are exceptions.

Unpaid internships with for-profit companies are subject to federal labor laws  which are meant to distinguish an intern from a volunteer or an employee, and to also emphasize to the employer the necessary educational and legal aspects of an internship.  

In addition to observing state and federal mandated labor laws (see link above), Advising & Career Services uses the following guidelines to ensure that unpaid internships are meaningful, educational opportunities for our students, and that the internships are within the legal confines as defined by current labor laws. These guidelines are derived from the National Association of Colleges & Employers criteria for unpaid internships as well as the Oregon Bureau of Labor & Industries standards for unpaid training.

Guidelines for Unpaid Internships with FOR-PROFIT Employers:

  • The internship is highly educational and will primarily benefit the Intern
  • Learning objectives are established with the intern before beginning the internship and are revisited regularly to ensure ongoing objectives are being met
  • The intern is supervised throughout the internship and is not the on-site expert for any project or task
  • The intern does not displace a paid employee
  • The employer derives no immediate financial advantage from the Intern (i.e.; no selling)
  • No more the 30% of the Intern's time should be spent on clerical or repetitive tasks
  • The internship is a substantial learning experience, such that a faculty member would approve the internship as worthy of academic credit  

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How long do Internships last, and how many hours per week does an Intern work?

Internships are usually one term in duration, but occasionally longer depending upon the employer or project. The length of an internship is flexible, but should be agreed upon by both the student and the employer early in the process. Most internships are designed to follow the academic calendar and will involve working on a project which lasts throughout a term, others may be designed to span the summer months when many students are not enrolled in classes.  An optimal work week is 10-15 hours, but some internships during summer months may be full-time.

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On the Job Mentoring and Supervision

Working closely with a supervisor or mentor at a job site is what helps make an internship successful. It provides regular opportunities to ask questions, and develop new skills and professional practices, and will likely result in an experience that benefits both the intern and the employer.

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Earning Credit for an Internship

Students may be eligible to earn credit for internships, however it should be noted that Employers cannot directly offer or guarantee academic credit for their internship.  Instead, Portland State students are required use the Credit by Arrangement process described below to earn academic credit.

Student Requirements: 

When applying for credit, it is necessary to consult with a faculty member/sponsor who teaches courses in the area most closely related to your major and the internship opportunity. 

The faculty sponsor will review the position description and determine its value as a credit-worthy experience.  In addition to the duties as outlined in the internship description, PSU faculty sponsors often require students to perform additional assignments or duties to earn credit, such as weekly reports, or culminating projects or papers -- however this is at the discretion of the faculty member. 

Once the position has been deemed credit-worthy, the faculty member certifies the internship experience by signing a Credit By Arrangement form which is available on line and through the PSU Office of Registration and Records.  The resulting "By Arrangement" courses are omnibus-numbered (e.g. 401-409, 501-509,or 601-609).  The instructor submits the form to the Registration Office and the student receives credit in the subject area..  

Internships are generally limited to 4 credits.  At the undergraduate level these credits are pass/no pass. A graded option, called practicum (409), is also available in certain circumstances and in specific academic departments.  In this case, by-arrangement courses must be approved by the instructor and department chair, but those arranged with instructors in the College of Urban and Public Affairs and the Graduate School of Social Work additionally require the appropriate Dean's signature. 

The number of credit hours earned is relative to the number of hours spent working in an internship.  Typically, a total of 40 hours of work is required to earn one credit, which means a student must complete 160 hours of work (16 hours per week over a 10 week term) for 4 credits. However, there are exceptions to this ratio.  Please check with your faculty sponsor for the specific ratio of work to credit hours for your internship experience.

By Arrangement Request Forms are available online, at the Office of Registration and Records in the Neuberger Hall lobby, and from the instructor. Typically, the instructor/faculty sponsor will submit completed forms to the Registration office for processing.  Changes made to the student's registration are viewable via myPSU.

The final day to enroll in by-arrangement courses is the same as the final day to add classes for the term.  However, if enrollment in the by-arrangement is required in order to receive Financial Aid, the course must be added before the end of the second week of the term.

How do I find a faculty sponsor for my Credit by Arrangement?

It is best to consult with a faculty member whom you already know. Most students ask faculty from whom they have already taken a course in their option area. Generally, faculty are most willing to work with students they know.  For this reason, it makes sense to do “for credit” internships once you have completed at least one upper division course in your subject area. 

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Create Your Own Internship

The differences between a Formal and an Informal Internship, and how to create your own.

 A formal internship is one which is posted by an employer or agency.  An informal internship is one created when a student approaches an employer and together they design a position which complements and reinforces the student’s academic training.  

For more information on creating your own (informal) internship, see Create your own internship, or email Advising & Career Services' Internship Adviser Jeanne Ellis at  internships@pdx.edu.

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Online Resources for Internship Search

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Internship Sites/Places of Employment

The following list with links to employer websites was derived from Advising & Career Services' jobs & internships database and reflects previously posted internship opportunities. This list does not reflect current openings or all potential places for obtaining a paid or unpaid internship.  However, it serves as a tool to connecting with a number of community partners who have posted internship opportunities at Portland State in the recent past.

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Additional Internship Resources

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