WSC Career Services for Faculty and Staff

Real-world experience gained through internships is invaluable, providing students with a practical understanding of their field, enhancing their resumes, and often leading to full-time employment opportunities. To maximize the benefits of these experiences, we invite all faculty to partner with WSC Career Services to encourage your students to register their internships for course credit.

Why should students register their internships for course credit?

• Academic integration: By registering their internships for course credit, students can integrate their practical experiences with their academic coursework, enriching both.
• Structured learning: Course credit internships come with defined learning outcomes and reflective assignments, ensuring students critically analyze and learn from their work experiences.
• Faculty mentorship: Students benefit from your guidance and mentorship, making their internships more meaningful and aligned with their academic goals.
• Enhanced professional development: Internships registered for credit often come with additional professional development opportunities, such as workshops and seminars provided by the Career Services team.

How you can help

1. Spread the word in class: Mention the opportunity to register internships for course credit during lectures and in your syllabus. Highlight the benefits and encourage students to visit the Career Services office for more information.
2. Incorporate into advising sessions: During academic advising, discuss the option of registering internships for course credit with your advisees. Help them see how this can fit into their academic and career plans.
3. Collaborate on workshops and seminars: Partner with the Career Services team to offer workshops and seminars that educate students on the process and benefits of registering internships for credit.
4. Provide recommendations: Recommend students for internships that align with their academic interests and encourage them to register these experiences for credit.
5. Share success stories: Highlight success stories of students who have registered their internships for credit. This can inspire others and showcase the tangible benefits of this opportunity.

Program requirements

Eligibility
To receive academic credit, a student must:

• Have completed 24 credit hours prior to their credit-bearing internship.
• Have a minimum 2.0 GPA and/or meet eligibility requirements per their department.
• Academic departments may have additional eligibility requirements. See academic advisor for more details.

Guidelines

• Students may apply for 1-12 credit hours or for transcript notation. The approval of and the amount of credit given for each internship is determined by the academic advisor and/or the department chair.
• Before students register their internship, they need to meet with their faculty advisor to determine how many credits and what course number they are to enroll in. Then, students need to contact Career Services to receive internship registration instructions to get enrolled.
• Credits can apply towards the student’s program of study, general electives, or may be substituted for a class pending advisor or department chair’s approval. Students should consult with their advisor to make this decision before enrolling.
• The level and number of credits will be determined by the advisor or department chair and will be listed as course number 297, 397, 497, or TN. At the 297 and 397 level a grade of Satisfactory (S) will be awarded to the students who successfully complete their internship.
• No credit (NC) will be given if the program requirements are not fulfilled, such as missing assignments or not meeting the work hour requirement. Students enrolled in 497 will receive a letter grade from their advisor or department chair.
• The student must work a minimum of 50 work hours per credit hour. Students may work more hours than required, but no additional credits will be given.
• Credit hours will be billed through Student Financial Services. If a student enrolls after the drop/add deadline posted on the academic calendar, students are responsible for paying their student account in full, the same day they enroll. There is no charge for completing a transcript notation internship.

If you would like to learn more about how to partner with Career Services to elevate the internship experience for your students, please contact the internship coordinator at [email protected] or 402-375-7425.