Internships: Academic Credit, Agreements, and Authorization Requests
Academic credit, agreement, and authorization requests for internships are processed through the Internship Placement Program (IPP) in the UVA Career Center. Please submit your request including deadlines to the IPP team at [email protected]. Requests will be processed in priority of deadline.
Academic Credit
Internships can be paid, unpaid, or for academic credit. Employers may require academic credit as part of the internship experience. In order to be identified as an internship, the experience must fit the internship criteria outlined by the National Association of College and Employers (NACE) which adhere to the US Department of Labor Fair Standards Act (FLSA).
UNST Internship Reflection Courses
UNST 3910: Self & Organizations and UNST 3920: Teams, Leadership, and Organizations are one- credit internship reflection courses.
- Open to all undergraduate students.
- Offered in the Fall and Spring semesters.
- Register for the courses through the Student Information System (SIS).
- Offer letter requested at time of enrollment to verify internship experience.
Independent Study
Some academic departments offer Independent Study opportunities if your internship is related to the subject matter of a particular department or the research of a professor.
- Consider scheduling a meeting to speak with a professor about your internship and projects.
- Draft a proposal and suggest ways that you could write papers, conduct research, and/or write reflective journals that connect your internship to the classroom.
- This option takes advanced planning and depends on faculty availability and departmental policy.
Agreements & Authorizations
Agreements and authorizations can be required during the internship application or acceptance process.
- Government agencies, service organizations, and healthcare entities often require internship agreements or authorizations.
- Be proactive. Processing can take an extended period of time and require signatures from multiple University officials.
- Please send internship agreements to the IPP team at [email protected]. Requests will be processed in priority of deadline.
Enrollment Verification
To finalize your internship acceptance, organizations may need to confirm your academic status at the University including your anticipated graduation date, GPA, major/minor concentration, total number of credits earned, etc.
- If your internship is requesting official verification of your academic standing, please submit a Verification Request Form online through the University Registrar. Include special instructions (based on what your internship site is requesting) for the University Registrar in the Additional Comments section of the form.
- If you encounter challenges in submitting this request, please contact the University Registrar at [email protected].
F-1 CPT for International Students
Students with F-1 status need to complete an F-1 Curricular Practical Training (CPT) request through the International Student and Scholars Program (ISSP) Connect Portal.
- The offer letter for your internship must include: employer name, employer location (physical location must be included for virtual internships), role duties and responsibilities, start date, end date, hours per week, and part-time/full-time nature of experience.
- If UNST 3910 or UNST 3920 is your requisite CPT course, please list the IPP team and [email protected] as your course approver in the request. UNST 3910 and UNST 3920 course instructors will not approve your requests.