Apply for Internship Credit

Accepted an internship offer? Apply for academic credit!

Units

  • Internship units are based on hours worked, with 1 unit of credit being equal to 45 hours of work. 
  • You'll need 135 hours of internship work for 3 units (one class), which is about 8-10 hours a week during a semester.
  • 3 units is the standard; requests for more than 3 units require additional justification and are rarely granted.
  • Please be aware that students enrolled in internship units pay standard tuition on these units. If you enroll in an internship over summer, for example, you will have to pay summer tuition on those units. Calculate tuition on the Bursar's office tuition and fees calculator. 

Deadlines

Priority deadlines to apply are:

  • Spring Semester: January 3
  • Summer: May 9
  • Fall Semester: August 15

Reach out to Holly Brown if you have concerns your application is past the deadline. Please note that students must apply for credit for the semester that they are working their internship hours.

How to Apply for Internship Credit

Virtual internships can be valuable experiences that demonstrate flexibility. A growing number of online internships has been made available for School of Information interns. View these opportunities on the Internships/Opportunities page of our website. 

Be aware the application for credit is not instantaneous; please pay attention to application deadlines and alert your site supervisor of the need for approval. Not all requests for credit are granted.

  1. Complete the internship application online. Sign in to UA Handshake to start your application (no paper forms involved).
  2. In "Career Center" choose "Experiences" from the drop-down menu.
  3. Select "Submit an Experience".
    • All Undergraduate Students: select University of Arizona iSchool Undergraduate (INFO 493)
    • M.A. Students: select University of Arizona iSchool MLIS (LIS 693 or 698)
    • M.S. Students: University of Arizona INFO Graduate (INFO 693)
  4. In the form, provide the email information for your Site Supervisor (person supervising your work).
    • All students: Let your site supervisor know they will be receiving an email from Handshake; all they will need to do is follow the link in the email and hit “approve.” This is their signature on your application.
    • MLIS students only: Your Site Supervisor must hold a master’s degree in library science from an American Library Association-accredited program; or, a master’s degree in school library media (“School Library Media Specialist”) from a program accredited by ALA or from an educational unit accredited by NCATE and NCATE-AASL reviewed, as listed and approved on the ALA-AASL (American Association of School Librarians) website; or, hold the Certified Archivist credential by the Academy of Certified Archivists.
    • MLIS students only: You will also need approval from Jennifer Rochelle, the MA in Library and Information Science advisor.
    • MS in Information Science and MS in Data Science students only: You will also need approval from Cristian Roman Palacios, the MS advisor.
  5. The application will be sent to Holly Brown, program manager. If she has questions, she will contact you.
  6. You will be enrolled in the internship course. (Students cannot enroll themselves) Contact Holly Brown with any questions about enrollment.
    • Undergraduates: Program Manager Holly Brown enrolls you in a course (INFO 493).
    • All Graduate Students: Program Manager Holly Brown enrolls you in the appropriate course.

COVID-19 Internship Update

Per university policy, internships can proceed as normal during the pandemic. No COVID-19 forms are required at this time.  We highly recommend that students have a conversation with their supervisors before starting the internships to have a clear understanding of their workplace’s policies and procedures regarding health and safety. Students also must review the Internship Policies which include information on the Disclosure of Insurance Coverage for University Internships for Credit (the disclosure begins on page 6 of the work plan document).  Please visit the Provost’s page for Experiential Learning Guidelines for full details. Students can also visit the UArizona COVID-19 page for updates and policies. 

Earning Internship Credit

Once your application for credit is accepted and you are enrolled in the appropriate course, you'll need to:

  1. Pay UArizona course tuition and check your UAccess schedule for enrollment accuracy.
  2. Please be aware that students enrolled in internship units pay standard tuition on these units. If you enroll in an internship over summer, for example, you will have to pay summer tuition on those units. Calculate tuition on the Bursar's office tuition and fees calculator. There is a Summer Impact Scholarship undergraduate students may apply for to fund unpaid or underpaid internships. 
  3. Once you are enrolled and the semester in which you are registered has begun, check your UArizona email for instructions on how to earn credit for your School of Information Internship Course. Be aware you are responsible for completing assignments to earn credit in addition to the responsibilities assigned by your internship supervisor.
  4. Your site supervisor will need to submit an evaluation for you at the end of the semester in order for you to earn credit (S,P,F) for the internship. Holly Brown is your contact for course credit.
  5. International students must apply for Curricular Practical Training (CPT).

Retroactive Credit for Internships

Internship credits cannot be awarded retroactively for internship duties performed at an earlier time. There are no exceptions to this policy. This applies to both graduate and undergraduate internships.