MBA: Internships and Experiential Learning

The School of Management is a leader among other management schools in that it requires MBA students to complete a credit-bearing internship as part of the course of study. Credit-bearing internships provide students with an opportunity to apply knowledge and skills learned in the classroom to real-world projects within diverse professional work environments.

The Internships and Experiential Learning (IEL) team operates within the Career Resource Center (CRC) and builds relationships with employers to develop relevant internship opportunities for School of Management undergraduate and graduate students. Members of the CRC's graduate advisor team are available to assist MBA students in regard to their internship and job search strategies. IEL is also supported by a School of Management faculty committee that participates in policy decisions.

Requirements

  • MBA students performing academically at a GPA of 3.0 or above are granted access to the internship program after the first semester (fall semester) of the curriculum.
  • There is no application. Instead, the expectation of excellence in academic performance is coupled with a strong résumé that reflects the skills and qualifications necessary to apply to internship postings.
  • Academic registration for internships is equal to three academic credits, enrolled during the same semester as the internship occurs.
  • Students must complete a minimum of 150 hours of on-site participation during the internship
  • International students are required to obtain work authorization, called Curricular Practical Training (CPT), prior to the start of the internship. Registration for academic credit corresponding with the internship is necessary to request CPT. Students will work directly with the IEP to initiate this process once an internship offer is accepted. A new I-20 is issued verifying the CPT work authorization. International students may not begin their internship participation until the new I-20 is received.
  • All students participating in credit-bearing internships must submit academic assignments as outlined in the Internship and Experiential Learning (IEP) syllabus. Internships are graded pass/fail.

NOTE: Only one three-credit internship may count toward the 60-credit graduation requirement

The Internship Search
These internship postings are located in an online database called BizLink. All internship postings found in BizLink are pre-screened by the internship program director and eligible for academic credit. Postings reflect experiences in privately held, publicly traded, government and non-profit organizations.

Students conduct an internship search by browsing and applying to postings in the BizLink system and are encouraged to use a multi-pronged approach: to include: attending on-campus events such as career fairs and employer speaking engagements, using LinkedIn and other forms of social media, applying directly to employers' websites and networking with contacts on- and off-campus.

Internship Waivers
An MBA student who has one year of full-time post-bachelors managerial experience in a relevant professional environment may be waived from the internship requirement. Students will be notified of their waiver status in the fall of the first year and will have the option of accepting the waiver or completing an internship. If the student chooses to accept the waiver, they must take an additional course to replace the three credits otherwise provided by the internship. If a student does not qualify for a waiver, and does not complete an internship, then he or she will not graduate until the internship requirement is satisfied.

Note: an internship waiver does not override the need for international students to earn academic credit as part of the process for obtaining their CPT.

Awards
Each year, the Career Resource Center honors the outstanding achievements of student interns and employers at a reception attended by the dean, faculty, staff and employers.

Complete information regarding the program can be found on the internships website.