Internship guidelines

Student Eligibility Requirements & Responsibilities for Credit-

Bearing Internships
1. An Emerson student is free to pursue an internship of his/her choosing. However, a
credit-bearing internship must be approved by the Departmental Internship Coordinator
within the student’s academic department (not the Career Development Center).
2. An undergraduate student must meet basic eligibility requirements (64 credit hours and
2.7 GPA) to pursue an internship for either 4 or 8 credits.
3. The student is responsible for knowing and ensuring the completion of all course
prerequisites in order to register for a credit-bearing internship.
4. Varying by department, graduate students can earn 2, 4 or 8 units of credit for an
internship. However, students must petition to take more than 4 credits of internship in
one semester. Petitions are available in the Office of Graduate Studies.
5. A 4-credit internship requires an intern to complete 16-24 hours per week for a minimum
of 192 clock hours over a 12- week period within the semester.
6. An 8-credit internship requires an intern to complete 32-38 hours per week for a
minimum of 384 clock hours over a 12-week period within the semester.
7. A 2-credit internship (only available to some graduate students) requires an intern to
complete clock hours as deemed appropriate by the Departmental Internship Coordinator
over a 12-week period within the semester.
8. A spring or fall internship must begin within the first 2 weeks of the semester. A summer
internship must begin within the first week of the semester.
9. There is an academic course associated with taking a credit-bearing internship, and each
student receives a letter grade for his/her work. Each academic department has a
Departmental Internship Coordinator who instructs the course.
10. Each student who intends to complete an internship for credit must register for the
internship course no later than the internship registration deadline. Please refer to the
College’s academic calendar for specific dates.
11. The student must register for an internship within his/her academic department.
Internships cannot be done within a student’s minor.
12. The student is not required to report his/her host organization choice when registering for
the internship course.
13. The student must complete an Internship Experience Proposal through the Career
Development Center. Once complete, his/her host organization supervisor and
Departmental Internship Coordinator must review it for approval by the internship
registration deadline. Please refer to the College’s academic calendar for specific
dates. Note: A student cannot begin his/her internship until the experience proposal has
been completed.
14. Undergraduate students can apply a maximum of 12 internship credits, with the exception
of student teaching, and no more than 12 credits of any combination of internship,
directed project and directed study to the total graduation requirements. The Los Angeles
Program and Washington Semester internships count against the 12-credit limit.
15. The student intern is expected to comply with the Emerson College Code of Conduct in
all interactions with their host organization. Please see the Student Handbook.
16. During Thanksgiving, Spring Break, and various holidays, Emerson College is closed.
The student intern is not required to complete internship hours with his/her host
organization during these times. However, if a student chooses to complete internship
hours during a break or holiday, he/she should not exceed the weekly limits stated above.
17. A student may not take an internship as a directed study or directed project.
18. A graduate student cannot transfer credits from another school or program.
An undergraduate student needs approval from the Department Chair in order to transfer
internship credits from another school or program. If the credits are approved, then they
count against the 12-credit limit.
19. A student may not use Emerson College as a host organization for a credit bearing
internship.
20. A student completing an internship in Los Angeles, CA, must be enrolled in the Emerson
College LA Program.
21. An international student who pursues a PAID internship must be earning credit and
follow the Curricular Practical Training (CPT) guidelines. Note: The authorizing process
can take up to 3-4 weeks and the student cannot begin an internship until the process has
been completed. Please see the Office of International Student Affairs for CPT guidelines
and authorization.
22. We recommend that students waive their rights under the Family Educational
Rights & Privacy Act (FERPA) to permit the College to communicate with the
Internship Site about the student’s progress. Whether or not a student waives his or
her FERPA rights will have no impact on the College's decision whether to
approve this program.