Internship Information for Students

For-credit internships offer opportunities to apply the knowledge and skills you have learned in the classroom to "real" world work experiences. They can also help you build your career-readiness skill set, develop strong networking connections and land a great job when you graduate!

How to Get Started

  • Make an appointment with the Center for Career and Academic Planning to discuss your internship search strategy, creation/review of your resume and cover letter, interviewing tips, etc.
  • Meet with your faculty advisor to discuss when an internship would best fit into your schedule.
  • Meet with the experiential learning coordinator to discuss program requirements and the possibility of earning academic credit.
  • Apply for opportunities and follow the application process as designated by the organization.

Finding an Internship

Many businesses in the Rochester area and beyond are looking for School of Business interns because of the strong classroom and professional skills you have developed through your curriculum. The best strategy you can use to find an internship is to combine the three search methods below.

Search Postings on Handshake

Handshake is a job and internship posting database, hosted by the Center for Career and Academic Planning, containing all internships that are sent to the experiential learning coordinator. For questions about navigating Handshake, contact the Center for Career and Academic Planning at (585) 385-8050. You will want to check this resource frequently for the most current internship postings.

Network! Network! Network!

Talk to family, friends, faculty, staff, your peers, current interns, alumni, classroom/club guest speakers, etc. and share your internship goals. You never know what opportunities might be ahead just by engaging in a simple discussion.

Research Your Field/Industry of Interest

Look on the web and current periodicals to learn of new businesses, emerging internship programs, and exciting initiatives within established organizations. Work with the Center for Career and Academic Planning on creating appropriate career correspondence to reach out to these companies.

Internships for Academic Credit

Internship Course Requirements

School of Business internship courses are asynchronously taught by the experiential learning coordinator within the Center for Career and Academic Planning and are graded as pass/fail (S/U). To successfully pass the course, students must complete a variety of assignments and meetings that are designed for students to view their experiences from both professional and academic perspectives. Students must also attend an internship orientation session at the start of the semester to discuss their responsibilities and course expectations and review standard professional skills and expectations.

Most major-specific internship courses will meet a major elective requirement. A second internship experience may be approved for academic credit and would typically count as general, non-liberal arts elective credits. If you would like to take a second internship for academic credit, you are strongly encouraged to speak with your faculty advisor and the experiential learning coordinator.

Internship Course Eligibility

Students are eligible to participate in an internship course in conjunction with their internship experience if they meet the following criteria:

  • Typically, junior or senior status (min of 60 credits) is required at the time the internship is to begin unless special permission is given by the program chair and communicated to the course instructor.
  • In good academic standing with St. John Fisher University, which requires a minimum 2.0 GPA. Note that individual programs may have a higher GPA requirement. In these circumstances, students who do not meet that minimum requirement should consult with their program chair.

Some programs have additional prerequisite requirements which are included in the Undergraduate Catalog.

Internship Credit Criteria

In order for students to receive academic credit for an internship, all of the following must be met:

  • For a three-credit course, which is most common, the internship must be a minimum of 120 contact hours throughout the duration of the term (approximately 10-12 hours per week). Hours are to be completed within the term for which the course is registered – Fall, Spring, or Summer. Hours completed prior to and/or after the official start and end dates of the semester will not be counted.
    • A minimum of 40 contact hours with the site is required for every academic credit in which the course is registered.
  • Internships must have a specific beginning and end date and should align with the semester for which the course is being requested. Variable dates must be approved by the program chair and/or Dean.
  • There must be one designated site supervisor with appropriate experience and/or educational credentials to mentor the undergraduate student. This person will be responsible for providing progressive learning experiences and continual feedback on student’s performance.
  • Internships may be remote/virtual, on-site, or hybrid (a combination of both on-site and remote). On-site experiences must demonstrate compliance with all current health and safety protocols.
    Internships must enrich and/or be analogous to classroom learning experiences and have a progression of responsibilities and knowledge gained throughout the semester.
    Academic credit will not be applied retroactively to past internship experiences.

Registration and Approval

Students can register for the appropriate internship course prior to securing an internship.

  • Once registration is open, register for the appropriate internship course for your program. This can be done whether you have secured an internship or not at the time of registration. Course information and requirements are available on the Undergraduate Catalog.
  • School of Business internship courses include: ACCT491, FINA491, FINA495, HRMG491, MGMT491, MKTG490, and MKTG491

Note: Consider registering for 15-19 credits including the internship course in the event that you are unsuccessful in securing an approved internship for credit.  This will ensure you remain at full-time student status when the internship course registration is removed.

  • After you are registered for an internship course, you will be sent the Request for Internship Approval Form to be completed upon securing an internship.

    This form must be submitted and approved by the experiential learning coordinator prior to the registration/add deadline or you will be removed from the course. You will be emailed a confirmation if the submitted content is approved or asked for additional information as needed.

    To complete this form, you will need to know the start and end dates of your internship within the spring term, submit a position description that includes learning objectives, and have specific supervisor information.

Note: Removal from a course may impact your full-time status and have tuition and billing implications. Contact the Office of Student Financial Services for more information about your individual circumstances. 

  • Prior to the start of the spring semester, registered and approved students will be sent the course syllabus that outlines required meetings, assignments, and evaluation structure.

International students must also secure Curricular Practical Training (CPT) before they can be approved for an internship course and be legally eligible to complete an internship within the United States.