Earn Academic Credit

The Internships and Experiential Learning team assists all UB School of Management students seeking academic credit for internship participation. Internships are registered as three elective credits, and can count toward graduation requirements.

Follow These Steps

  1. Once you have secured an internship offer, your first step is to tell us about it. Stop by our office inside of the Career Resource Center, 308 Alfiero, during walk-in hours, or send us an email at mgt-internships@buffalo.edu. 
  2. You will need to obtain a detailed internship description from your employer. We can help with this step.
  3. Once you have a description, log in to BizLink, click "Report My Internship" from your list of shortcuts, complete and save the Main Form.
  4. Our staff will review all internship reports for approval. Once approved, we will email your employer and instruct them to complete the Management by Objectives (MBO) agreement. You will be copied on that email.
  5. Coordinate with your employer, as you and the employer are both required to read, complete and sign the MBO.
  6. Submit the completed MBO to our office. International students are required to follow additional steps.
  7. We complete your course registration for three academic credits. The course will appear on your UBLearns account, but keep in mind that you will submit all internship assignments through BizLink. 

Frequently Asked Questions

If I complete a summer credit-bearing internship, do I pay summer tuition?

  • Yes, a credit-bearing internship is linked to actual academic credits. You must pay tuition upon the semester of enrollment. This is the case for any course taken within the SUNY system. Current tuition rates can be found on the Student Accounts website.

Are there academic assignments during my internship?

  • Yes, you are required to complete assignments as outlined on our syllabus. We also send the syllabus via email to all interns after registrations are complete.

Do I have to register my internship for academic credit?

  • Legally, for-profit companies cannot offer unpaid internships unless they are recognized by the university as connected to the academic curriculum. If you are working as an intern in a for-profit company and are not paid or registered for credit, the employer is violating U.S. Department of Labor regulations. Nonprofit organizations often prefer students to be registered for credit during internships as well.
  • International (F-1 status) students must always register their internships for academic credit as a first step in obtaining CPT work authorization.

Can I exceed 18 credit hours to add an internship to my course load?

  • An undergraduate internship registration that will cause you to exceed 18 credit hours requires an override on your HUB account. Please bring this issue to our attention before we attempt to complete your registration.  
  • An MBA student is not usually eligible to participate in a credit-bearing internship if doing so will cause his or her total credits for the semester to exceed 18. Contact us for assistance.