Internship Courses

U UNI 288 (1 credit): 50 hours of internship service and required academic assignments completed online through Blackboard. 

U UNI 289 (3 credits): 150 hours of internship service and required academic assignments completed online through Blackboard. 

Read more about these courses in the Undergraduate Bulletin.

Students are expected to secure an internship on their own. There are many resources available to you: 

• Connect with us in the CEE as we can provide resources if you need help finding or securing an internship, or if you have any questions about your eligibility. 

• Search on the University’s job and internship board, Handshake.
   

• Visit the Office of Career and Professional Development, in person or online. 
   

• Check with your academic department to see if they maintain a list of internships. 
   

• Use your network. Ask faculty, family and friends if they know of any opportunities.
   

• Meet with the career services staff within your school or college.  
   

• Talk to your academic advisor about planning for and finding an internship. 

Complete the Internship Proposal/Intake Form with the information regarding your internship.  Be as specific as possible, and include the right contact information for your proposed internship site supervisor.

Read the Internship Orientation Manual and complete the Internship Orientation Quiz. 

Review the Internship One Sheet and ensure you have completed all necessary steps to apply.

After completing the Internship Orientation quiz and the Intake Form, an email will be sent notifying the course administrator.  If your internship is approved, you will be given a permission number to register for the class.  As a reminder, you must have a 2.0 GPA or higher, a minimum of sophomore standing and an internship for the semester in which you plan to take the UUNI course to be eligible for the course. 

Questions or issues with any of the links above can be sent to [email protected].  

Register for the class on MyUAlbany using your permission number. 

Contact your instructor, internship supervisor, and/or the Center for Experiential Education if you have any questions or concerns about registration or your internship. 

U UNI 290 (1-4; as approved): Open to sophomore only.   Requires a completed application to be sent to the Interdisciplinary Studies Committee.

U UNI 390 (1–15; as approved): Open to juniors and seniors only.  Requires a completed application to be sent to the Interdisciplinary Studies Committee.

45 hours of instruction and supplementary work are required for each academic credit awarded. For example, a 3-credit internship must involve a total of at least 135 hours of on-site work and academic work, 6 credits at least 270 hours, and so forth.

Read more about these courses in the Undergraduate Bulletin.

The internship should represent a bridge between the student's academic work and the student's intended profession. The particular internship should be seen as a coherent part of the student's academic program, not an isolated episode. Students are expected to secure an internship on their own. There are many resources available to you: 

• Search on the University’s job and internship board, Handshake.
   

• Visit the Office of Career and Professional Development, in person or online. 
   

• Check with your academic department to see if they maintain a list of internships. 
   

• Use your network. Ask faculty, family and friends if they know of any opportunities.
   

• Meet with the career services staff within your school or college.  
   

• Talk to your academic advisor about planning for and finding an internship. 

There is a strong academic component to U UNI 290 and U UNI 390. The student's internship must be sponsored by a member of the full-time teaching faculty whose expertise applies to the work in which the student will engage as an intern. If the proposed academic sponsor is not a member of the full-time tenure track teaching faculty, a statement must be provided, detailing how this individual’s expertise applies to the work in which the student will engage as an intern. 

Specific readings and written assignments in the academic component are to be worked out with the faculty sponsor, and supervised and evaluated by the designated faculty member.  The Committee on Interdisciplinary Studies retains the final authority to approve internship projects and supervisors.

Once you have secured your internship and faculty sponsor, you can no begin to complete your application to the Interdisciplinary Studies Committee.  You will need either the application for U UNI 290 or the application for U UNI 390.  A completed application includes:

• Application packet including a transcript release form.

• A proposal in which they explain in detail, how the internship satisfies each of the concerns above, specifically focusing on the relevance of the following:

  • Relevance
  • Responsibilities
  • Supervision
  • Faculty Sponsor
  • Academic component
  • Credits

    • The committee's willingness to approve an internship, and its decisions about the amount of academic credit to be awarded, depend heavily on this proposal. It is therefore essential that the proposal be written carefully, thoughtfully, and completely.

• Students should provide a document from the host agency or organization, on letterhead stationery, specifying what the student's responsibilities will be, indicating the identity, title and telephone number of the supervisor and indicating that the student has obtained the internship.

• Students should provide a supporting letter from the faculty sponsor (who must be a member of the full-time teaching staff). This letter should clearly identify the nature of the academic component, including a description of required written work (daily journals, position papers, etc.) and reading assignments (texts, journal articles, etc.). The faculty sponsor should explicitly endorse the student's request for a given credit load.

Deadlines:

Spring Semester internship deadline - December 1st.
Summer Semester internship deadline - May 1st.
Fall Semester internship deadline - August 1st.

If your application has been approved by the Interdisciplinary Studies Committee, you will receive an approval email from the Center for Experiential Education that contains your permission number and steps to register.  It's important you follow the steps in this email, as it contains specific information regarding your registration. Contact the Center for Experiential Education if you have any questions or troubles registering.