Earning Credit for an Internship

After arranging an internship, students may apply to earn credit for their experience. Review the Internship Credit Application page for more information.

International Students - Check your eligibility to use Curricular Practical Training (CPT) for your internship prior to submitting your Internship Plan.

Here are answers to common questions regarding internships:

Where do I find an internship?

Check out the SGSUP Internship postings for weekly updates of new opportunities!

To learn about strategies and resources for finding an internship, please see Finding an Internship.

When should I start searching for an internship?

Finding an internship requires preparation and commitment, so if you'd like to do an internship, plan to begin working on the search 2-4 months before you hope to be an intern.

What makes an experience qualify to earn geography, GIS or planning internship credit?

An experience qualifies as an internship if the student's work allows him/her to participate in geographic, GIS or planning activities, carried out in a professional setting, under the guidance of a mentor there. The intern should have an opportunity to build knowledge and skills.

Review the following links to know the School of Geographical Sciences and Urban Planning specifics for; Internship Standards, Excluded Practices, and Compensation Policy.

• Internship Standards
• Excluded Practices
• Compensation Policy
  • The rate of pay for a student’s internship must be at least federal, state or local minimum wage. Housing cannot be the sole form of compensation.
  • Government and non-profit agencies are not required to pay interns, but are still expected to provide a learning experience that benefits the intern. Care must be taken to ensure that if an internship is unpaid, it falls clearly within the legal guidelines that make it a learning experience and not a job.
  • If you are a for-profit employer interested in employing an intern, you are required to comply with the U.S. Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA), which governs minimum wage requirements in for-profit organizations.

  Do the internship courses count towards graduation requirements?

  Undergraduate Student:

  Geography, GIS or Urban Planning major may earn a total of 12 credits in internship courses.

  • Geography and Urban Planning majors: Up to 6 of these credits may count as electives in your major.
  • GIS majors: Three credits can fulfill your Applied Experience requirement, and 3 additional credits may count as electives in your major.

  Additional credits beyond the first 6 will count as upper-division elective credit, but won't count towards your major. Check with your Academic Advisor to be sure these guidelines apply to your specific program of study.

  International undergraduate graduate students must ensure that internship credit can be applied towards their DARS. If this credit cannot be utilized, approval cannot be granted for the internship course.

  Graduate Student:

  Master of Urban and Environmental Planning , up to six credits of PUP 584 may count as an elective towards the 47 credit hours required for graduation.

  International graduate students must ensure that internship credit can be applied towards their iPOS (Individual Plan of Study). If this credit cannot be utilized, approval cannot be granted for the internship course.

  MA and PhD students, should check with their advisor about how an internship course would fit into their plan of study.