Internships
What is an Internship?
Any practical experience related to your career goals.

Opportunity to build your knowledge and skills, exposure to opportunities, and connections to professionals in your field.

Can be paid or unpaid.
Earning Academic Credit for an Internship
  • In order to receive academic credit for an internship, students must ask their department/ academic advisor whether they have an internship course that provides the opportunity to earn credit in association with the internship.
  • Credit is earned by integrating the internship experience with academic work through the internship course.
UIUC Course Explorer

Searching for an Internship

Timing of your search
  • Start your search in September if you want to be part of a formal intern program at a large company. Many large corporations try to hire all of their summer interns before Thanksgiving.
  • Government agencies tend recruit interns late in the fall semester or near the beginning of the calendar year.
  • Small organizations or non-profits often begin seeking summer interns in February or later.
Tools for your search
  • Use job sites like Handshake to find posted opportunities for Illinois students.
  • Participate in career fairs or other on-campus recruiting activities.
  • Search individual company websites, internship databases, or general search engines to uncover internships that interest you. 

Related Resources