INTS 490: Receiving Internship Credit
In-person, virtual, and hybrid internships will be accepted
Credit for an internship will not be awarded retroactively
Your current place of regular employment is not eligible to serve as an internship site unless it can provide clearly defined new learning experiences that differ from your usual job responsibilities.
Relatives are prohibited from assuming supervisory roles.
Internship Application Deadlines:
Semester | Application Submission Period | Internship must begin on or after | Internship must end by |
Spring 2026 |
October 12, 2025-January 9, 2026 ** Applications are accepted over winter break; but the university is closed Dec. 22, 2025 - Jan. 2, 2026 |
January 20, 2026 | May 4, 2026 |
Summer 2026 |
March 23 - May 8, 2026 |
May 18, 2026 | August 5, 2026 |
Fall 2026 |
May 17 - Aug 14, 2026 |
August 26, 2026 | December 7, 2026 |
Application Deadline: Careful planning and implementation are the goals to a great internship. Plan ahead and start early, the final deadline to apply for the internship course is always the Last Day to Add of each semester.
Internship Application Process:
The following Internship process must be completed by the deadline and approved before registration.
The following items must be turned in to, Barbara O’Connell, Internship Coordinator, via email as a PDF: boconne@gmu.edu or a hard copy in: Enterprise Hall, Room 417 or the front desk, Fairfax Campus.
All coursework is conducted via Blackboard. Students are responsible for participating in the course and completing all assignments.
Steps |
Item |
Links |
1 |
Submit your online Internship Application |
|
2 |
Review the Internship Packet |
|
3 |
Draft your Internship Learning Objectives (ILO) |
See Internship Resources – How to Write Internship Learning Objectives |
4 |
Complete the Experiential Learning Agreement (ELA) form |
|
5 |
Scan and email completed ILOs and ELA to Barbara O'Connell |
Enterprise Hall 4th floor Room 417 or the front desk |
6 |
Registration instructions |
Will be sent via email after approval |
How are credits determined?
Each semester, students can earn between one and six credits of experiential learning credits through internships. Students earn 1-credit for every 45 hours worked at the internship site. The maximum number of INTS 490 credits that can be taken in one semester is 6-credits.
Credit Hours Chart
University Credit Hours | Work Hours | 15-Week Semester* | On-Site Hours/ Week |
1 | 45 | 15 | 3 |
2 | 90 | 15 | 6 |
3 | 135 | 15 | 9 |
4 | 180 | 15 | 12 |
5 | 225 | 15 | 15 |
6 | 270 | 15 | 18 |
*NOTE: Summer Semester contains FEWER weeks
Recent Student Internship Placements:
GMU – University Sustainability’s Greenhouse and Gardens
GMU - The Center for the Advancement of Wellbeing
GMU – MasonLIFE Program
GMU – Center for Mason Legacies
The Back Pack
National Park Service
INOVA Loudoun Hospital
ECDC African Community Center DC Metro
Fairfax County Health Department
Prince William County Public Schools
WISEsports
Marine Corps Heritage Foundation
Smithsonian National Zoo and Conservation Biology Institute, Amazonia
Please visit Career Services to find a site that's right for you!
Additional Information >>