Frequently Asked Questions

While you must take credit for a volunteer internship, credit is usually optional for a paid internship. However different departments have different policies. For more information about credit, contact your coordinator.

Credit insures that the internship will offer significant learning opportunities related to your major or minor and that it is not just a source of free labor for the employer. Additionally, registration for credit covers you for Worker's Compensation and Limited Liability (only within Colorado). Working as an unpaid intern without credit registration puts both you and your employer at risk.

Departments differ in their requirements for credit. In general, about 45-50 hours on the job may earn you one credit. An employer may, however, require more hours of you to complete the job than the number of hours required for the credit. Please discuss your hours and the length of time you will spend at the internship with your employer during the interview.

If you drop by our office your coordinator may not be available to see you immediately. Our front desk staff will make an appointment for you for the earliest possible date. If your matter is urgent, phone our office and leave a message for your coordinator. The coordinator will try to return your call within the next 24 hours.

The primary factors affecting your success in securing an internship are the number of positions available, the competition for those positions, and the strength of your resume and interview. Some students are placed within weeks. For others, it may take months. We cannot guarantee you an internship. If you have been unsuccessful in getting an internship, we suggest you meet with your coordinator to discuss the possible reasons. We want you to be successful and will try to help you any way we can.

In most cases, employers prefer to minimize the number of phone contacts to their busy offices. This way, they can evaluate the resumes objectively and contact those students they deem to be suitable for their position. This system also helps the coordinators with follow-up on their students and employers.

You should contact your internship coordinator immediately. They can then help you work through the academic paperwork to get credit, or help you with the placement paperwork for our office.

This may be possible, if your department allows it. We don't necessarily recommend this, as your school work and internship duties may suffer if you stretch yourself too thin.

You may be referred to paid positions up until 45 days into your last semester. You may be referred to volunteer positions at any time during your last semester, as long as there is time to complete the required hours and register for credit.