Resources for International Students

Penn State Global can provide information to students related to employment and any required visas. Please be sure to become familiar with the Penn State Global office.

Education is only one piece of the larger picture when it comes to being competitive in the internship or job search process. The job market is competitive, especially in the U.S.  Experiences outside of the classroom are critical in building technical and professional skills to add to your resume. The resources below can assist you with finding these opportunities.

For information about how to prepare for a job or internship search process in the U.S check out the career resource development page.

IST 495 Internship Requirement

For the IST 495 internship requirement all students have the opportunity to use an internship in the U.S or outside the country, or a research opportunity that relates to their IST education to meet the requirement. Students should consider using their personal networks in their home country to find an opportunity.

Requirements include:

  • The experience must be 240 hours of an internship, research, or part-time employment over 1-2 consecutive semesters
  • Your role must relate to your IST/major education within the College of IST
  • Students must take the IST 495 course during the internship, research, or part-time employment to count towards the graduation requirement.

Contact careers@ist.psu.edu for internship approval, registration, and questions about IST 495.

Resources to Find Internship or Research Opportunities 

  • Nittany Lion Careers - Utilize the Visa Sponsorship Filter to identify employers for Career Fairs and job/internship postings
  • MyVisaJobs - a listing of the top 100 visa sponsors by year
  • Workday - to access on-campus internships and part-time positions on campus at Penn State
  • Penn State Undergraduate Research - Identify research opportunities on campus

Resources to Support Your Search

  • First Hand - Learn tips and strategies to assist you in your search
  • Penn State Global - Meet with your Global advisor for questions regarding OPT & CPT
  • GoinGlobal - more than 80,000 resources for finding international employment at home and abroad
  • Uniworld - search American firms operating in foreign countries and foreign firms operating in the U.S.