INTS 490: Receiving Internship Credit

Internship Application Deadlines:

Semester	Application Submission Period	Internship must begin on or after	Internship must end by
Summer 2020	March 30 - May 1, 2020	May 18 ,2020	August TBD, 2020
Fall 2019	July 1 - August 15, 2019	August 26, 2019	December 5, 2019
Spring 2020	December 7, 2019 - January 7, 2020 (Applications will be accepted during winter break, however the university is CLOSED Dec 21 - Jan 5)	January 21, 2020	May 2, 2020

To submit an application, pages 1-5 of the SIS Internship Packet (including learning objectives) must be completed, signed, scanned and emailed to the Internship Coordinator, Sara Montiel, at smontiel@gmu.edu.

All Mason undergraduate students are eligible to earn course credit for an internship through INTS 490. Environmental & Sustainability Studies majors need 3 credits of INTS 490 to fulfill their degree requirements. Non-SIS students will need to check with their home departments to determine how internship credits can be applied toward their degree.

Why complete an internship?

Gain networking opportunities
Expand knowledge and talents by applying classroom theories to tackle contemporary challenges
Work with a faculty mentor to analyze significant experiences during work placement
Explore career opportunities in different fields to discover your own strengths and preferences.

The purpose of an internship is to seek new challenges and experiences. Students should establish specific learning objectives and identify those organizations that provide structured opportunities for achieving their goals. While many Mason students are doing meaningful, important work with good organizations, the expectations in an established employer-employee relationship are different from the spirit and requirements of an internship. As such, students are not able to use their current job to earn internship credit.

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.

Credit Hour Chart

1 credit hour internship	45 hours
2 credit hour internship	90 hours
3 credit hour internship	135 hours
4 credit hour internship	180 hours
5 credit hour internship	225 hours
6 credit hour internship	270 hours

How do I apply for my internship?

Students are free to choose an internship site – paid or unpaid. Once you have a confirmed site and supervisor, you should complete an Internship Packet and secure your site supervisor's signature. You must also create your own learning objectives and send to the internship coordinator for approval. After your learning objectives are approved by the coordinator, and your packet is completed, signed, and approved by the internship coordinator, you will be sent, via email, detailed registration instructions and the name of your faculty advisor. It is recommended that you begin this process (of locating an internship and completing an application packet) at least 1-2 months before you apply for the internship for credit.

Please read the Guidelines for Learning Objectives before proceeding.