Internship Approval and Registration

*Because of the required experiential work hours (240 hours) this class is "counted" as a 12-credit class, even though students are only registered for one credit. This limits students to be permitted to take only 12 credits while completing the internship and IST 495 class. For more information related to Credit Limit Exemptions, please go here.*

 

If you need to go over 24 credits, please connect with your academic advisor to discuss options.

 

Every undergraduate IST student is required to complete at least one internship for credit in order to graduate, regardless of their campus location. Many students complete multiple internships before leaving campus.

To meet the internship requirement, your internship experience:

  • must be a minimum of 240 hours that are completed in one or two consecutive semesters with the same organization
  • must have responsibilities related to your major and provide meaningful impact on the company

Additionally, you must be registered for the accompanying IST 495 internship class in Canvas at the same time you are completing the internship experience.

You may earn academic credit toward your degree with each IST internship you complete. If you are enrolled in an IST bachelor degree program, you may participate in as many as three internships. This means you can gain the equivalent of a full year of career-related experience by the time you graduate.

Summer 2024 Enrollment Deadline: June 28, 2024

If you find an internship or project after the enrollment deadline please immediately email careers@ist.psu.edu or call (814) 865-4509 to discuss options for IST 495 requirement.

Secure and Register Your Internship

Students in the College of IST have many internship and job search resources available to them. Previous interns have successfully identified internship opportunities by:

Additionally, you can explore what other IST students have been doing to fulfill their internship requirement through our Internship Registration Database.  Please note that this information is reported by students and is not edited.

A position doesn't necessarily need to be called an internship to qualify for the credit. It simply needs to meet the internship criteria and be approved by the Office of Career Solutions and Corporate Engagement.

Once you've secured an internship, you must get it approved and complete the IST 495 course to meet the internship requirement. To do so, send an email to the Office of Career Solutions and Corporate Engagement indicating:

  • Name of the company you will be interning with and name of the position
  • Brief description of your responsibilities as they relate to your major
  • Start and end dates
  • Number of hours you will be working per week
  • Total number of hours you will be working over one semester (or two consecutive semesters)
  • Semester in which you are completing the above hours

You will be contacted via email if your internship has been approved for credit or if additional information is required.

Once the internship is reviewed and approved, the Office of Career Solutions and Corporate Engagement will email you an application link so you can be registered for IST 495. Upon completing the application, an email will be sent to your supervisor for employer verification of the internship. Be sure to review the additional information about enrollment verifications and affiliation agreements, which may be required by your employer.

After your employer has verified your internship:

  • The Office of Career Solutions and Corporate Engagement will register you for IST 495. You cannot register for this course in LionPATH on your own.
  • You will receive an email confirming your registration and with links to your online evaluations. You must keep this email for your records.

All other deliverables will be found in Canvas and will include online discussions, online professional development modules, and a final internship reflection. Deliverables must be completed as assigned in the Canvas course to earn the internship credit. If you are unable to meet this deadline, you must request a grade deferral prior to the end of the semester. If you were approved to complete your internship over two consecutive semesters, your final deliverables will be due prior to the last day of classes for the second semester.

Be sure to review information on the registrar's website related to the maximum number of credits students can take per semester. IST 495 is a one-credit internship course that student must pay for and be registered in while completing their internship.. Therefore, tuition charges and associated fees apply. Rates for tuition, information technology fees, and activity fees can be viewed on the Tuition and Fees Schedule.

Because of the required experiential work hours (240 hours) this class is "counted" as a 12-credit class. This limits students to be permitted to take only 12 credits while completing the internship and IST 495 class. For more information related to Credit Limit Exemptions, please go here.

Internship Credit Restrictions

If you intend to use an internship for IST 495 credit, note that undergraduate and graduate students, whether University personnel or otherwise, are not permitted to receive academic credit for any work, research, or activity in violation of federal law, including work associated with marijuana. Employers involved in the hemp industry, however, may recruit students for both non-credit and credit bearing positions.

If you have questions about a particular internship experience, please contact the Office of Career Solutions and Corporate Engagement.

You must complete 240 hours of work within the allotted semester(s) and complete all of the course requirements in Canvas to a minimum average score of 70% or higher to receive the satisfactory (SA) completion of the IST 495 requirement. If the student receives a grade above a 70%, but has not met the hourly requirement, credit cannot be given for the course.

Military students who need to submit a letter grade into the Army grading portal, see information here with regards to how this is managed.

Refer to the email you received with the requested deliverables and online evaluations. If you have misplaced the email, you will need to email careers@ist.psu.edu.

Note that these evaluation links must come directly from the Office of Career Solutions and Corporate Engagement. The links are directly connected to your Penn State Access ID and your application for registration for IST 495.

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Office of Career Solutions and Corporate Engagement

E103 Westgate Building
University Park, PA 16802

Appointments

careers@ist.psu.edu
(814) 865-4509