One of the best ways students can gain a competitive advantage in the workplace is to complete an internship. Internships help students gain essential professional skills as well as business experience where knowledge from coursework can be applied to real world situations.
The Belk College of Business defines an internship as a supervised work experience in a business field, comprised of a minimum of 150 hours, with agreed upon learning goals. Business undergraduates have the option to earn academic credit for qualifying internship experiences related to their business major.
Whether paid, voluntary, or for academic credit, these are opportunities worth exploring, as many employers require some kind of work or business experience when hiring recent college graduates.
How to Apply for Internships
- Create a profile on Hire-A-Niner. Hire-A-Niner is the university’s online resume and job database where UNC Charlotte students can view job openings for full and part-time jobs, internships, and co-op experiences. By publishing your resume on Hire-A-Niner, potential employers can view your credentials and you will have the ability to apply for jobs online and schedule both on and off campus interviews.
- Update your resume. Visit the University Career Center during drop-in hours to have your resume reviewed. You can also talk with your academic and career coach about polishing your resume.
- Identify hiring opportunities. Conduct online research by visiting company websites, maximize your exposure to employers by networking both on and off campus, and monitor campus events for employer information sessions.
- Practice interviewing skills. Participate in a practice interview or schedule an appointment with a career coach to work on your interviewing skills. Make sure you know how to dress and other interview etiquette.
- Apply and interview! Be sure to log-in to Hire-A-Niner on a regular basis to find newly posted opportunities and follow-up on submitted applications.
Internships for Academic Credit
Students may apply for three academic credit hours for internship experiences. Academic credit for an internship experience requires 150 hours of supervised work experience that directly aligns with a student’s declared major. Students must apply prior to the start of their internship.
If you have questions about receiving academic credit for an internship experience, contact the Niblock Student Center to connect with a Professional Development staff member.
Minimum Eligibility Requirements
- Junior or Senior standing
- Declared Business Major (If you meet the requirements you can declare your business major by completing the Declaration of Major form.)
- Minimum 2.0 GPA
- ACCT 3312 of ACCT 3324 with grade of C or above (Accounting majors only)
- Approval of all internship documents via the Niblock Student Center internship for credit application process
Application Process
Students seeking academic credit must first attend a Virtual Information Session before beginning the application process to ensure the student’s understanding of eligibility requirements to enroll and criteria for qualified internship experiences. It will also be an opportunity for students to address common questions and concerns about internships for academic credit and internship searching more broadly.
- Attend the asynchronous Virtual Information Session.
- Complete the online training (access will be provided at Information Session) and submit all the required application materials via the online training platform. Required application materials include a student application form, completed by the student intern, and a Supervisor Acknowledgement Form, completed by the intern supervisor.
- Upon review and approval of qualified internship experiences by course instructors and satisfactory completion of eligibility requirements, students will be issued permission to register for the appropriate course. Students will receive approval of their internship via their university email account. After receiving approval to enroll a student must log in to Banner and manually enroll in the course; the process is not automatic.
Application Deadlines
Students are eligible to receive credit for an internship course at the same time they begin to perform the internship. All application materials must be submitted by the first day of class for the semester in which a student wants to enroll in the internship course. Any exceptions to this deadline must be for an extenuating circ*mstance and all materials must be received in time for the internship to be evaluated before the conclusion of the drop/add periods. Students will not be authorized to register for the course after the submission deadline has passed. Registration for internships for academic credit are available for Fall, Spring or Second Summer semester.
Policies
The following policies apply to all internship for credit business courses.
- Students are eligible to receive credit for an internship course at the same time they begin to perform the internship. A student cannot receive retroactive credit for a past experience(s).
- A student who is currently employed may not seek internship credit with the same employer unless the internship duties are significantly different from their current role.
- Course prerequisites are enforced and cannot be taken simultaneously with the internship course.
- A student may not work for a current student or family member or for a company in which a relative would serve in a supervisory role. Students may not perform an internship in someone’s private home for credit.
- The internship for credit course is offered Fall, Spring, and Second Summer session only.
- A student may only receive academic credit for an internship once in the Belk College of Business.
- A student who accepts an internship offer after the posted application deadline for the current semester may apply for credit in the subsequent semester provided that (a) the internship experience will continue into the immediately following semester for 150 work hours; and (b) the student submits all application materials by the posted deadline for the subsequent semester.
Internship Supervisor Information
To ensure that an internship experience is educational and eligible for academic credit through the Belk College, all the following criteria must be met:
- The experience must be an extension of the classroom: a learning experience that provides for applying the knowledge gained in the classroom. It must not be simply to advance the operations of the employer or be the work that a regular employee would routinely perform.
- The skills or knowledge learned must be transferable to other employment settings.
- The experience has a defined beginning and end, and a job description with desired qualifications.
- There are clearly defined learning objectives/goals related to the professional goals of the student’s academic coursework.
- There is supervision by a professional with expertise and educational and/or professional background in the field of the experience.
- Students should receive and have the opportunity to discuss a minimum of 2 evaluations from their supervisor- midterm and final- with emphases on progress toward the learning objectives mentioned above.
- There are resources, equipment, and facilities provided by the host employer that support learning objectives/goals. Employers should make available space, supplies and/or other resources for completing assignments.
- Student will earn a minimum 150 hours of supervised work experience related to his or her discipline. Students should receive meaningful training/orientation to learn about the organization’s practices.
- Virtual internship opportunities should have a specific plan for communication, engagement, encouragement of participation, and feedback at regular intervals.
Internship Pay
Internships may be paid or unpaid; unpaid internships must meet all of theFair Labor Standards Act requirements. UNC Charlotte believes that all internships should be paid, and therefore we do not post unpaid internships. For more information, visit the National Association of Colleges and Employers (NACE)Guide to Internships.NACE connects career services and early talent recruiting professionals and is the authority on the employment of the college educated.
Supervisor Form
If your intern requested to receive academic credit for their internship experience, please complete the internship supervisor acknowledgment form below on the student’s behalf. The Belk College asks that internship supervisors pre-certify a student’s work experience and commit to providing an ethical learning environment that prepares the student for their professional career.
