The Black School of Business is committed to providing the highest quality education possible. Students are encouraged to complete at least one internship before graduation. Internships provide students with professional experience, networking opportunities, career exploration, and an increased awareness of the soft skills needed to succeed in business. They also benefit sponsoring organizations by supporting projects and evaluating potential hires.

For students interested in using an internship to earn college credit, the following Internship Policy Guidelines and Steps to Obtain Credit for an Internship outline the steps required to add an internship to a student's schedule.

This information can also be found in the Business Internship Proposal Guidelines (PDF).

Black School of Business Internship Policy Guidelines

Academic credits:

  • An internship typically earns 3 credits (120 hours minimum of field experience).
  • A maximum of 6 internship credits can be used toward graduation requirements, regardless of the number of majors a student pursues. If a student pursues internship credits beyond 6, these credits will remain “unused” toward the degree requirements.
  • International students must consult with their academic adviser and their international student adviser in International Student Services to obtain the necessary approvals.
  • Additional credits from one or multiple internships may be approved on a 40-hour-per-credit basis, subject to approval by the department chair.
  • The number of hours worked is not the primary basis for determining academic credit worthiness.

Grading:

  • Standard letter grades are assigned based on the student’s performance, as indicated on the internship proposal. Pass/Fail is not acceptable.

Tuition Charges:

  • Internships that are for credit MAY incur a tuition fee. Students who are not full-time, such as over the summer, will pay the part-time per-credit fee. View the most recent tuition fees.
  • Undergraduate students incur a tuition surcharge when their class schedule exceeds 19 credits per semester. We strongly recommend that each student consider this and its implications when registering for an internship.
  • If the internship is added to a schedule and is not completed, dropping the course will result in the same drop fees as any other class.

Internship Timing:

  • Students must register for academic credit in the same semester in which the internship requirements are completed.
  • If the internship has requirements in multiple semesters, then students must register for the appropriate course in each of those semesters to meet all the requirements.
  • Academic credit will not be awarded retroactively; for example, a summer internship will not earn credits in the fall semester.

Steps to Obtain Credit for an Internship

Students interested in obtaining course credits for internships must complete the following steps.

Step #1: Finding an internship.

Penn State Behrend, along with the Black School of Business, provides many opportunities for students to learn about internship opportunities. Internships are listed on Nittany Lion Careers, the Black School of Business career readiness website, major Canvas pages, and LinkedIn. The Black School of Business also hosts Hiring Labs where students can learn more about job opportunities.

During an internship, students should conduct themselves professionally, which includes developing respectful and cooperative relationships with the site supervisor and other employees at the sponsoring organization. Students should establish and maintain regular, punctual working hours, conduct themselves ethically, follow the sponsoring organization’s policies and procedures, and execute the duties and responsibilities of the internship position. Failure to comply with the sponsoring organization’s policies may result in the termination of the internship.

Step #2: Review the academic and major-specific requirements.

The following requirements must be met:

  • Students must officially declare a major within the business program before an internship can be used for credit.
  • The internship must fall within and be relevant to one of the majors offered by the Black School of Business.

In addition, the following major-specific requirements must be met. Please refer to the course syllabus for additional requirements.

ACCOUNTING (ACNTG)

  • Accounting 211 must be completed with a final grade of C or higher.
  • Students with a GPA below 2.5 must obtain a special exception from the program chair to be eligible for internship credits.
  • Content and evaluation criteria for specific internships will be determined on a case-by-case basis.

BUSINESS ECONOMICS (BECON)

  • ECON 102 and ECON 104 must be completed with a final grade of C or higher.
  • Content and evaluation criteria for specific internships will be determined on a case-by-case basis.

FINANCE (FNC)

  • Finance 301 must be completed with a final grade of C or higher.
  • Content and evaluation criteria for specific internships will be determined on a case-by-case basis.
  • No internship credits can be applied toward 400-level finance elective requirement.

INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS (INTB)

  • ECON 102 and ECON 104 must be completed with a final grade of C or higher.
  • Students must be 5th-semester standing or higher.
  • Cumulative GPA of 2.5 or higher. Students with a GPA below 2.5 must receive an exception from the program chair to be eligible for internship credits.
  • Either successful completion (final grade of C or higher) or concurrent enrollment in one or more international business classes (e.g., ECON 470, FIN 471, MGMT 461, MKTG 445).
  • For some international business internships, completion of additional coursework may be required as a prerequisite.
  • No more than 3 internship credits may be applied to fulfill graduation requirements without a special exception.

MANAGEMENT INFORMATION SYSTEMS (MISBC)

  • MIS 430 must be completed with a final grade of C or higher.
  • Requires a presentation and paper written according to MIS syllabus requirements.
  • Component percentages for the student’s grade will be based on the course syllabus.

MARKETING (MRKTG)

  • At least one marketing course at the 300- or 400-level must be completed with a final grade of C or higher.
  • Cumulative GPA of 2.5 or higher.

PROJECT AND SUPPLY CHAIN MANAGEMENT (PSCM)

  • SCM 301 must be completed with a grade of C or higher.
  • Content and evaluation criteria for specific internships will be determined on a case-by-case basis.

Step #3: Meet with a faculty internship adviser.

The student must meet with a faculty internship adviser, who:

  • Determines if the internship is worthy of academic credit based on the type of work to be performed and the contribution the internship will make to the student’s learning experience.
  • Sets grading criteria and communicates this with the student. Examples: final report, final presentation, final evaluation by site supervisor, etc.
  • Approves the internship proposal via email.
  • Monitors the student’s activities for the duration of the internship.
  • Contacts the site supervisor as needed to check on progress. Student meetings, consultations with the site supervisor, or on-site visits are acceptable examples.
  • Assigns the final grade.

Internship Faculty Supervisors

Step #4: Student meets with the site supervisor.

It is the student’s responsibility to explain to the site supervisor the requirements of obtaining an internship for credit and the responsibilities of a site supervisor. Sharing this information with the site supervisor is critical to a successful internship and grade. The site supervisor:

  • Ensures the student is aware of all relevant company policies and procedures.
  • Provides the scope and goals of the internship (also needed for internship approval).
  • Communicates regularly with the intern regarding the quality of work. If the site supervisor believes the intern’s performance is marginal or poor, the intern should be notified and given steps to improve performance.
  • Is encouraged to reach out to the faculty supervisor as needed throughout the internship with questions or concerns.
  • Completes an evaluation (via email survey link) of the intern’s performance at the end of the semester. This must be completed by the due date in the email to allow the student’s grade to be entered by the deadline.

Step #5: Initiate the internship proposal.

The internship proposal is a formal agreement between the student, the sponsoring organization, and the faculty supervisor. The internship is approved via email and initiated by completing a form. Download the Business Internship Proposal Guidelines (PDF) checklist.

Important! DO NOT proceed to the form until you have the following information. There is no way to edit the form after it is submitted.

Student Information:

  • Name
  • ID
  • PSU Email
  • Phone Number
  • Academic Adviser

Course Information (obtain from faculty supervisor):

  • Course Number (e.g., FIN 495)
  • Section
  • Semester of Internship
  • Total Credits

Faculty Information:

  • Faculty Internship Adviser
  • Email
  • Phone Number

Internship Information:

  • Site Name
  • Description
  • Address
  • Supervisor Name
  • Supervisor Email
  • Phone Number
  • Start and End Date
  • Tentative Work Schedule
  • Paid or Unpaid
  • Compensation Terms
  • Learning Objectives (work with faculty adviser and site supervisor): Be specific in describing what you will learn and how it aligns with academic goals.
  • Internship Responsibilities (work with site supervisor): Be specific in describing your responsibilities.
  • Evaluation of Student Performance (work with faculty adviser and site supervisor): How will your performance be evaluated for credit? Please give a percentage for the following:
    • Review of required work journal
    • Evaluation of academic paper
    • Site supervisor’s evaluation
    • Presentation
    • Other (describe what that is)

Go to Internship Proposal Form

Step #6: Final Approvals and Adding to Class Schedule

  1. Student Approval Email: Upon submission, the student receives an auto-generated confirmation email for their own review and approval. If everything looks correct, the student replies “YES”.
  2. Faculty Adviser Email: After the student replies “YES,” the faculty internship adviser will receive an email with the subject line unchanged and the full internship details listed. After faculty review, reply “YES” to approve. Do not edit the subject line.
    1. Your agreement includes staying in contact with the student during the internship.
  3. Site Supervisor Email: Once faculty approval is complete, the site supervisor will receive a similar email for their agreement. This includes confirmation that the internship provides educational value and (if unpaid at a for-profit site) that it meets legal standards for unpaid internships.
  4. Department Chair Approval: Once all three parties (student, faculty, and site supervisor) approve, the Department Chair will be prompted via Microsoft Teams/Outlook to review and approve.
  5. Final Steps: The request is routed to the Black School of Business Associate Director for final academic approval. Upon this final approval, the request immediately goes to the Registrar’s Office, which will finalize and add the internship course to the student’s schedule.
    1. The student will receive a final confirmation (or denial) email from the Registrar.

Questions? Email Dani Cheza, professional development coordinator.