1. Create Account
  2. Login
StudyUSA
Match Me
  • Create Account
  • Login
  • School Search
  • Resources
    • All Resources
    • Articles
    • Student Voices
    • Videos
    • Magazines
    • Podcasts
  • Services
    • All Services
    • Accommodation
    • Support
    • Career
    • Financial
    • Testing
    • Other
  • Chat

Internships for Credit: What You Need to Know

Internships for Credit: What You Need to Know

Oct 25, 2021

When it comes to gaining job experience for your future career, having an internship can become essential for setting up a successful future. You may have plenty of questions when thinking about getting your internship. Where does one start looking? When is the best time to apply? What kind of internship is right for you and your career?

An internship is essentially a learning experience supervised by a working professional, and it should mirror an experience similar to what you would get in the classroom. Because it mimics a class experience/learning experience, you will get academic credit for it rather than monetary payment. If you’re looking to land an internship for credit rather than financial compensation, here’s all you need to know about internships for credits.

How many credits can you get with internships? 

The amount of credits you can get with any one internship depends on the college you are attending. Usually, internships for credit will grant you one to six college credits or units for completing an internship (more often, usually around one to three).

The amount of credits an internship is “worth” also can depend on the amount of hours/effort you are putting into the internship. A standard time commitment is around ten hours each week, which usually grants you one to three college credits. Or, the amount of college credits you can get is determined by the value of the internship. Reach out to your career center or academic counselors to see what options you have and to determine which internships are worth getting college credits for.

How do you know if a company offers college credit?

When you are viewing an internship posting, it will usually say whether or not the company offers college credit. If it’s an unpaid position, they usually do offer college credits for their interns. If it is a paid position, you may be able to switch it out for college credit instead of getting financial compensation. Don’t be afraid to ask!

Usually, you will have to coordinate with the company where you would like to intern, and an academic/faculty member that will ultimately sponsor/monitor your internship. Make sure you fill out all necessary registration and any paperwork before beginning your internship to get the college credit you want. Keep track of all the steps necessary so that you know what needs to be done and what deadlines to meet.

How do you know if you are eligible to get college credit for an internship?

Ultimately, it is actually up to your school whether or not you are eligible for college credit. It’s not just whether or not the company offers it to begin with, but if your school deems you eligible. You can be denied eligibility for a number of reasons. Maybe you have already taken an internship for college credits and have reached the university’s cap for college credits given by an internship.

The internship you are pursuing has to tie into your major or field of study in some way, so if it is completely unrelated to your studies, you will most likely not be able to get college credit for the internship. If you are able to find a way to connect your internship to your education, you can try to petition so that your internship qualifies for college credit.

Your ability to be eligible for an internship for college credit also may depend on what year you are in. You may only be able to get an internship for college credit if you are an upperclassman with junior or senior standing in terms of college credits. Also, some majors and minors will require you to complete an internship or field study as part of your requirement for classes. As such, you will get college credit for completing the internship rather than financial compensation.

How do you know if an internship for college credits is the right choice for you? 

As nice as it is to get out of the classroom and still get college credit, it definitely is not the right choice for everyone. If you are getting an internship for college credit, you will most likely not be getting paid for it as it is usually one or the other.

Sometimes you may be looking at multiple internship opportunities and be left completely unsure as to which one to pick. Lay out your options and see which one best advances your career path and gives you the most helpful experience and networking, it may not necessarily be the internship granting you the most college credit.

If you are stretched tight financially, you may not be able to have an internship for college credit. Rather, a paid internship may be the better move for you. Don’t be afraid to weigh your options. Hopefully, with this guide, your decision will be a bit easier and well-informed.

Follow us:
Written by

Kaitlin Hurtado


Kaitlin Hurtado is a fourth year Literary Journalism major at UC Irvine. She is a campus editor for UCI and a writer for Uloop.com, Online Marketplace for College Life.

Get matched to the best program for you

Let us know what you're looking for so we can find the best school for you.

Get matched
Call to action background image. Decorative.

Useful Articles

Main image for the article titled “New Around Here”: A Cinematic Journey into Struggles and Successes by Jennifer Hawkins, an Inspiring Student at LACC
“New Around Here”: A Cinematic Journey into Struggles and Successes by Jennifer Hawkins, an Inspiring Student at LACC
Main image for the article titled Exciting Changes to the TOEFL iBT® Test: Shorter Exam and Streamlined Experience
Exciting Changes to the TOEFL iBT® Test: Shorter Exam and Streamlined Experience
Main image for the article titled University of Pennsylvania ELP Profile: Odelia O. of France/Israel
University of Pennsylvania ELP Profile: Odelia O. of France/Israel
Main image for the article titled Read the new Global edition of Study in the USA today!
Read the new Global edition of Study in the USA today!
Read more

Check Out These Schools

iTTTi Vancouver

iTTTi Vancouver

$1,000—$5,000 Session

English Programs
Contact
Peninsula College

Peninsula College

$5,000—$10,000 Quarter

English Programs Certificate/Short Term Online
Contact
East Tennessee State University

East Tennessee State University

$25,000—$30,000 Year

Masters Bachelor Degree Certificate/Short Term
Contact

Featured Programs

Bunker Hill Community College

Typical cost per Semester: $5,000—$10,000

Bachelor Degree Certificate/Short Term Summer
Learn More

Glendale Community College

Typical cost per Year: $5,000—$10,000

Bachelor Degree English Programs 2yr/Community College - 2+2 Programs
Learn More

University of Illinois Chicago

Typical cost per Year: $10,000 — $15,000

Bachelor Degree Masters Certificate/Short Term
Learn More

Related Stories

What is a GPA?

Main image for the article titled What is a GPA?
What is a Standardized Test?

Main image for the article titled What is a Standardized Test?
What is a High School Completion Program?

Main image for the article titled What is a High School Completion Program?
What is a Community College in the USA?

Main image for the article titled What is a Community College in the USA?

Start your U.S. adventure with Study in the USA

What's your dream? We can guide, advise, and connect you with your perfect U.S. school. We can also help you with the application process.
More about us
Partner Services

Learn About U.S. education financing, housing, and more

Partner service logo for ELSA

ELSA

ELSA - World's Best English Pronunciation App. Speak English like a native speaker. Get instant feedback on your speech from proprietary artificial intelligence technology. Learn more. Get a 10% discount using code: StudyUSA

Read more
Partner service logo for There’s a business school for everyone. Meet yours at a free upcoming event!

There’s a business school for everyone. Meet yours at a free upcoming...

Ready to make your MBA dreams a reality? Register now for a virtual or in-person event with The MBA Tour! Don’t miss your chance to speak directly with leading business schools, such as Harvard University, Boston University, Columbia University, UC...

Read more
Partner service logo for CORT Furniture Rental Student Packages

CORT Furniture Rental Student Packages

Most U.S. apartments come unfurnished. Make your move easy with a student furniture rental package from CORT. Flexible lease terms. Delivered before you arrive. Starting at $99 per month.* *with a 12-month lease

Read more

Testimonials

Quotation mark.

Study in the USA helped me to find a lot of Universities that I didn't know about and to be more specific about the different options I could choose and to contact the university and the departments faster than other ways

Flor Gomez Guatamala

StudyUSA.com helped me in my research of universities using the school search, I've exchanged several mails with Ana Castillo, she was very helpful.

Sofia Bennesar Argentina

Study in the USA provided tons of helpful information about American education and the ways to make my dream into reality.

Mikhail Orlov Russia

Resources

Learn about American culture and education direct from our experts at Study in the USA. Read more

Achieving Your Goal
Admissions and Placement Testing
Beyond the Basics
Education System in the USA
Financing Your U.S. Education
Frequently Asked Questions
Life in the USA
Resources
Student Experiences
For students age 10-18
Study in Canada
Podcasts
Magazines
Videos
Student Voices
Ask StudyUSA.com

Subscribe to get the latest from Study in the USA

You can unsubscribe at any time.


StudyUSA
Explore

  • School Search
  • Resources
  •   Articles
  •   Student Voices
  •   Videos
  •   Magazines
  • Partner Services
  •   Accommodation
  •   Career
  •   Financial
  •   Other
  •   Support
  •   Testing
  • Apply
  • Chat
Information

  • About Us
  • Contact Us
  • Course Index
  • Featured Programs
  • Article Index
  • Create account
  • Sign in
  • For Educators & Institutions
Match Me
  • English
    العربيـة English Español Français Bahasa Indonesia 日本語 한국어 Português Русский ภาษาไทย Türkçe Tiếng Việt 简体中文 繁體中文

  • Privacy & Policy
  • /
  • Terms

Study in the USA logo

© 2023 Study in the USA. All Rights Reserved.

Global Study logo
A member of the Global Study network

When you visit or interact with our sites, services or tools, we or our authorised service providers may use cookies for storing information to help provide you with a better, faster and safer experience and for marketing purposes.