Undergraduate Internship Course FAQs

Please note the department does not place students in internships, students are responsible for procuring their own internships. Majors should speak with Alejandra Rodríguez (ar4784@nyu.edu) before enrolling in this course.

WHAT DOES INTERNING FOR CREDIT MEAN?

I nterning for credit means that you are earning academic credit towards your degree for your internship. It's the same as registering for an academic course. Just saying "I'm interning for credit" out loud to an employer does not make it so. If you are not registered for academic credit on Albert, you are not interning for credit.

HOW MANY CREDITS WILL I EARN FOR MY INTERNSHIP?

The number of credits you can earn is dependent on the number of hours you intern per week. You need to hit the minimum hours required to earn the credit. 

You cannot complete more than 4 points in a semester.

Credits granted for weekly committment of hours on-site:

1 point

= 3 hrs/week

for

42 hours total

2 points

= 6 hrs/week

for

84 hours total

3 points

= 9 hrs/week

for

126 hours total

4 points

= 12 hrs/week

for

168 hours total

The minimum hours needed per semester is based on a 14 week internship. Please refer to this chart for more details on the number of hours a student must complete for the number of credits they are registered for.

I AM AN INTERNATIONAL STUDENT WHO WANTS TO DO AN INTERNSHIP. IS THIS POSSIBLE? WHAT DO I NEED?

It is definitely possible for an international student to do an internship!

Typically, to intern legally, international students will register for academic credit and then apply for CPT.  

Sometimes, students will instead apply for Pre-Completion OPT to allow themselves to legally intern in the United States, and this does not require a student to enroll in academic credit. However, it does cut into a student's post-completion OPT year post-graduation.

If you apply for CPT, please list your academic advisor as your advisor.

If you have any specific questions about your visa and how an internship might factor into that, please contact OGS.

WHAT ARE THE STEPS IF I WANT TO INTERN FOR CREDIT?

1. Discuss your interest with your Academic Advisor

Discuss the possibility of interning with your academic advisor to plan how pursuing an internship and taking the internship course would fit into your degree progress. 

2. Research internships
Students are responsible for finding and applying for their own internships. However, there are quite a few places to start! Here are a few ways to find internship postings:

- Internship listings can be found on College Central, which is Tisch's internal job tracking board. Please click "My School's Jobs" and search there for paid & unpaid roles!

- View opportunities on NYU Handshake, NYU's university-wide job board.

- Visit the websites for companies you're interested in! Sometimes, companies post internships exclusively on the Employment or Careers tabs of their sites.

- Check the Career Newsletter, sent out biweekly from PS, for career resources at Tisch and the Wasserman Center.

- Ask classmates for recommendations on where to intern - word of mouth is a great tool!

3. Prepare your résumé 
Sample résumés and cover letters are posted on the College Central site, and you can contact TSOA's Office of Career Development for resume & cover letter guides. 

The TSOA Office of Career Development is happy to review your resume and cover letter by appointment. The TSOA Office of Career Development is located at 726 Broadway, 2nd floor.

4. Apply
Prepare cover letters tailored for 10-12 internships that interest you. Apply via the method indicated in the internship listing.  If submitting your application via email, make sure to attach your cover letter & resume as PDFs.

5. Interview
Set up and attend interviews prior to the start of the semester. Try to schedule all of your interviews fairly close together, so that you can quickly make a decision about which internship to accept.

Interviews serve as a way for the company to meet you and evaluate you, and you them. They'll probably ask about your interests and experience, and why you want to work with them. They'll describe the internship in more detail, and ask you if you're still interested in the position. At this point you should ask any questions you might have about the position, indicate if there is something you are particularly interested in learning, and let them know what your availability is for the semester.

 

WHAT ARE THE COURSE REQUIREMENTS FOR THE PS INTERNSHIP COURSE?

The PS internship course will meet 5 times over the course of the semester. See below for a list of course requirements:

- Search for and obtain and internship 

- Complete internship agreement paperwork

- Work the minimum number of hours for the number of credits for which you are registered

- Attend all 5 class sessions

- Complete written assignments 

- Hand in reports from your site supervisor

HOW DO I REGISTER FOR THE COURSE?

This course requires department consent in order to register. If you are interested in registering for the internship course, please meet with your academic advisor to determine your eligibility and discuss the requirements of the course first. Once you've met with your academic advisor, they will help to register you for the course. 

CAN I TAKE THE INTERNSHIP COURSE MORE THAN ONCE?

Students can take the internship course more than once. Students can take the internship course for up to 4 credits towards their PS major, and then again for up to 4 credits of electives.