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Academic Credit for Internships
Qualified students, typically in their junior or senior year, may receive credit from their major department for internships that provide an opportunity to apply and expand knowledge under expert supervision for an on-campus or off-campus position. These internships should provide a structured learning experience and must be approved in advance by the department and evaluated by a William & Mary faculty member. Not all departments offer academic credit for internships.
What’s Involved
To qualify for academic credit, the internship must include a project that incorporates hands-on experiences with:
- An analytic or research component
- A final, written report
These added features must be supervised by a W&M professor (see below), who will assign a grade.
The amount of credit you earn varies depending on the amount of academic work involved. Normally 3 credits are awarded. Up to 6 credits from internships can count toward your undergraduate degree.
Steps to Earn Academic Credit for an Internship
You will be responsible for working out an internship agreement with your internship supervisor and a W&M professor.
- Once your internship is lined up, discuss research possibilities with your internship supervisor. Explain that you also want to earn academic credit.
- Find a W&M professor, propose the internship for academic credit, and ask the professor to supervise your work.
- Once your W&M professor and internship supervisor agree on the outline of your project, complete the DocuSign Internship for Academic Credit form (initiated by the student).
- Register for the appropriate internship course. Your W&M professor or the Registrar's Office can help you complete this registration.
- Work with your W&M professor throughout the internship to further develop your project.
- Once your internship is completed, write an academic paper about your project and submit the paper to your supervising W&M professor for a final grade.
Please note:
- Students must register for the internship credit prior to beginning the experience.
- Students undertaking internships that will take them away for a semester or year should notify the Office of Academic Wellbeing before beginning the internship.
- International students who will receive payment/academic credit for their internship should contact the Office of International Students, Scholars, & Programs concerning F-1 and J-1 visa requirements.