Internships & Academic Credit (INT-300)

The vast majority of students who seek to earn academic credit as part of a summer or an academic term internship do so because the student has an F-1 visa and needs academic credit for Curricular Practical Training (CPT) authorization and/or academic credit is required by the internship employer. Even though more than 70% of students complete at least one internship prior to graduation, no Grinnell College academic major or concentration requires an internship as a part of its coursework. Therefore, most Grinnell students do not seek to earn academic credit as part of their internship experience.  NOTE:  Academic credit for internships is NOT awarded retroactively. A student must be registered for an internship course BEFORE the internship begins.

For credit-bearing internships, Grinnell is unique in that students receive credit based on the academic work completed outside the work hours at the internship organization, not on the number of hours worked at the internship. Students receive 0.5 credits for their internship experience. There is a set syllabus instructed by the CLS.  ​​​

If you are interested in learning more about the CLS’ internship-credit course, INT-300, please review the following information carefully. If at any time you have any questions, please contact Amanda Pearce, Associate Director of Employer Engagement & Internships, at pearceamanda@grinnell.edu.

REGISTRATION DEADLINES:

Summer 2024:

• The application will open on April 1, 2024  at 8 a.m. CST.
• The application Deadline is May 31, 2024 at 5:00 p.m. CST.
  • NO late registration requests will be honored. 

Fall 2024:

• The application will open on August 1, 2024 at 8:00 a.m. CST.
• The application Deadline is August 29, 2024, at 5:00 p.m. CST.
  • NO late registration requests will be honored. 

INTERNSHIP CRITERIA:

The following criteria must be met to be eligible to pursue the INT-300 Internship course for academic credit:

• Internships can be virtual/remote, in person, or hybrid, and a maximum of 20 hours per week for a minimum of 12 weeks for fall or spring semesters, the summer term has a minimum of 6 weeks and 30 hours per week requirement for the internship.
• Applicants must be currently enrolled at Grinnell College.
• Academic credit for an internship experience cannot be granted retroactively. A student must have approval for academic credit before the internship starts.
• For CPT authorization, an internship start date may begin the day after the last day of semester and must end no later than the first day of fall semester.
• Approval for academic credit can be for a paid or unpaid internship.
• A student may be approved for a maximum of 5 internship credits during their tenure at Grinnell. ​​​​​​​

HOW TO REGISTER:

1) If an F-1 student, read through the Curricular Practical Training for Internships resource from the OISA. You may also want to set up an appointment with OISA’s Karen Edwards or Brenda Strong for additional information and guidance.

2) Students should next complete the INT-300 Registration Request Form for the term in which they wish to register and upload the documents listed below to the form:

• INT-300 Registration Request Form – Summer 2024 (Application opens April 1, 2024 at 8:00 a.m. CST, and deadline to apply is May 31, 2024, at 5:00 p.m. CST) [Grinnell login required]
  • Supervisor Intern Memorandum of Understanding/Confirmation Form (to be completed by the employer) [Grinnell login required]
  • Credit-Bearing Internship Form (signed by the student and academic adviser) [Grinnell login required]
  • Intern Waiver [Grinnell login required]
  • Resume
  • Job Description (A job description from an internship organization. In addition to the job responsibilities, it must indicate whether the internship is a virtual/remote or in-person/on-site experience. Self-created job descriptions will not be accepted.)

​​​​​​​3) Requested materials are sent to Dean’s Office for review.

4) Dean’s Office informs the Registrar’s Office to officially register the student in the INT-300 course.

5) Dean’s Office notifies CLS and OISA (if F-1 student) that the student’s registration for INT-300 has been approved.

6) If an F-1 student the student completes the OISA F-1 Practical Training Authorization Request Form to receive Curricular Practical Training (CPT) authorization prior to the start of the student’s internship.  This form can be obtained from and returned to the Office of International Student Affairs.  The CLS does not register a student for CPT.  Therefore, questions pertaining to CPT should be directed to the Office of International Student Affairs (OISA).

7) Student attends internship orientation.  The date, time, and location of orientation will be sent upon course approval.

8) Student begins internship and follows the syllabus requirements.

COST:

The course fee for summer INT 300 is (TBD). Please contact the office of Financial Aid should you have questions regarding the payment of the course fee. There is no charge to register for INT-300 for the fall or spring semesters if the total course hours for the semester are 18 credit hours or less. Students seeking to register for more than 18 hours, not counting music lessons, ensembles, varsity sports, FYE, or PE activities, must petition for overload approval from the Committee on Academic Standing. If the overload petition is approved, the student will be responsible for a credit overload for .5 credit required for INT-300 (TBD).

GRADING:

All academic credit for internships will be the S/D/F grading option. Completion and quality of assignments and engagement activities outlined in the course syllabus will determine the student’s final grade.

OTHER QUESTIONS?

Please review these FAQs and/or contact Amanda Pearce at pearceamanda@grinnell.edu for assistance.