What is the Professional Internship course?

This 0-4 credit course offers undergraduate and graduate students the opportunity to gain “real-world” exposure and supervised experience related to their major, specific field of study or career interests. Students will integrate theories learned in the classroom with experiential activities acquired through direct involvement in on/off-campus internship opportunities. Students will develop marketable skills in preparation for future employment or graduate school studies. The Professional Internship course is offered on a semester basis: fall, spring, or summer (Term I). Students can participate multiple times with one employer or different employers.

Why should you register for the Professional Internship course?


• Learn and understand skills and attributes that employers value
• Identify the integration of academic studies with practical application outside the classroom
• Reflect on current skill set and areas for future development
• Have tangible outcomes to discuss with future internship and full-time employers
• Network and secure future internship and full-time opportunities upon graduation

How does the Professional Internship course work?

The Professional Internship course is a partnership among the student, a pre-approved employer, and the Career Center. Students must secure an internship prior to enrolling in the course.

• There are three required assignments during the course:
• Midterm Goal Setting
• Final Reflection
• Supervisor Feedback Evaluation
• This fully online course is graded Satisfactory/Unsatisfactory.
• This course counts toward your degree requirements as a free elective
• The 0 credit option allows you to enroll for transcript notation and is tuition-free
• The Career Center does not regulate the student’s work schedule, but their schedule must meet the minimum hour requirement during the academic semester the student is enrolled in. The minimum hour requirement varies based the amount of credit the student is receiving:
• 0-1 credits: 60 hours
• 2 credits: 90 hours
• 3 credits: 135 hours
• 4 credits: 180 hours
• Students must be supervised at an approved job site. Transportation to the internship site is provided by student.

What is the application process?

1. Student requests a new experience on Handshake
2. The Career Center approves of the experience and confirms the experience with the internship supervisor through Handshake.
3. Once the internship supervisor approves the experience, the student must request an appointment to register for the course
4. If the student intends to register for 1-4 credits, an academic advisor needs to sign the 1-4 credit form prior to the registration appointment with the Career Center. If a student intends to register for 0 credits the 1-4 credit form does not need to be filled out.

Students can contact an Internship Specialist at intern@fau.edu with any questions that they may have.

Who is eligible for the Professional Internship course?
To be eligible for the Professional Internship course, students must:

Have an internship secured before enrolling (which cannot be the student’s full or part time job)

Have completed at least one semester at FAU

Be in good standing at the time the internship is being taken (not on probation, suspension or dismissal)

Students who are no longer in good standing will be unenrolled after final grades are posted for the semester prior to their internship. They can seek approval through their advising office if they still wish to enroll in IDS 3949. Approval is not guaranteed.

Be enrolling with an internship that is not being counted for credit or transcript notation in any other course

How does a student secure a position?
The Career Center strongly encourages students to begin their search for internships early. The Career Center is here to assist you with your internship search and other components of the application process, such as resume critiques and developing strong interview skills. Come meet with us during our Same-Day Advising hours to begin your internship search!

Interested in an international opportunity? Click here for a list of international internships.

Important Information for International Students
International students (F-1 status) must have maintained valid F-1 status and full-time enrollment for at least two consecutive semesters prior to the Internship start date. International students must also obtain an I-20 from International Student and Scholar Services (ISSS) and meet all USCIS and/or ISSS requirements.

International students must register for an internship course during the semester they are interning. This could be the Professional Internship course, the Career Center’s Cooperative Education Program (Co-Op), or a departmental internship to comply with federal guidelines, as noted on their CPT application form. All I-20 forms must be updated prior to beginning an internship assignment. Acceptance and placement into an internship assignment is not guaranteed. All students must be approved by the Career Center before being registered for the Professional Internship course.
For more information, visit the FAU International Services page.

What is the Cooperative Education Program?
The Cooperative Education Program is a structured program through the FAU Career Center in which students alternate semesters of academic study with semesters of full-time Co-op assignments. This program option is only available for selected majors within the Charles E. Schmidt College of Science and the College of Engineering and Computer Science. Depending on the academic department, this course could count as elective or additive credit. Acceptance and placement into an internship assignment is not guaranteed and all students must be approved by the FAU Career Center before being registered for the Co-op program. For more information, please contact an Internship Specialist by emailing intern@fau.edu.

Who is eligible for the Cooperative Education Program?

To be eligible for the Cooperative Education program, students must:

• Have an internship secured before enrolling (which cannot be the student’s full or part time job)
• Have a minimum FAU GPA of 2.7
• Have completed 30 undergraduate credit hours
• (For Full-time Co-op) Alternate semesters of academic study with semesters of full-time Co-op assignments. At least 35 hours a week for 10-13 consecutive weeks. Offered fall, spring, and summer (Term 1).
• (Part-time Co-op) Work part-time while enrolled in full-time classes. At least 15 hours a week for 10-13 consecutive weeks. Offered fall, spring, and summer (Term 1).
• Be enrolling with an internship that is not being counted for credit or transcript notation in any other course

How does a student secure a position?

The Career Center strongly encourages students to begin their search for internships early. The Career Center is here to assist you with your internship search and other components of the application process, such as resume critiques and developing strong interview skills. Come meet with us during our Same-Day Advising hours to begin your internship search!

Important Information for International Students

International students (F-1 status) must have maintained valid F-1 status and full-time enrollment for at least two consecutive semesters prior to the Internship start date. International students must also obtain an I-20 from International Student and Scholar Services (ISSS) and meet all USCIS and/or ISSS requirements.

International students must register for an internship course during the semester they are interning. This could be the Professional Internship course, the Career Center’s Cooperative Education Program (Co-Op), or a departmental internship to comply with federal guidelines, as noted on their CPT application form. All I-20 forms must be updated prior to beginning an internship assignment. Acceptance and placement into an internship assignment is not guaranteed. All students must be approved by the Career Center before being registered for the Professional Internship course.

For more information, visit the FAU International Services page.