Internships (usually unpaid) within a business, a nonprofit, or a government unit serve as steppingstones between your studies and the world of work. This is a great way to gain professional experience, hone your international and intercultural skills and knowledge, gain insights into the nature of the workplace, and build your résumé.

Individual Internships: To find an internship your first step will probably be your college’s career services office. Sometimes students negotiate a directed study or internship registration with a faculty member based on additional academic work. If you obtain a paid internship you will need to apply for Practical Training authorization through ISSS. Several collegiate websites include substantial internship information: CEHD, CLA, HHH, IT, and St. Paul Campus Career Center.

In addition to visiting your college career services office, students can search GoldPASS, the U of M's online database to help connect students to internships.

Community Leadership Intern Program: The University YMCA offers a six-credit internship and seminar each spring semester. The seminar focuses on ethics, leadership, organizational responsibility, globalization, and professional development and applies what you are experiencing in the internship to the classroom. Typically, the internships involve 20 hours of work per week and may be with a corporation or a nonprofit. You will need a Practical Training authorization in order to be paid. Participants take other on-campus courses concurrently.

Last modified on February 20, 2009