Defining an “international internship?” It can get complicated.
The term “internship” can be loosely defined as any short-term period of practical work experience during college.
Leah Johnston takes photographs during her internship aboard the Passions of Paradise catamaran.
But go beyond that surface explanation and internships can be quite varied in how they are structured. In fact, an internship can be called other terms, depending on the field of study. These include “co-op,” “field work,” “independent study,” or “practicum.”
Paid or unpaid? For academic credit or not?
Among top questions of prospective interns are:
- Is this internship paid or unpaid?
- Can I get academic credit?
Whether an internship is paid or unpaid depends on the hiring organization, the nature of the work duties, whether the internship is for academic credit, and the laws of the country where the internship is taking place.
For example, if an employer wants to classify an internship as unpaid in the United States, it must meet six U.S. Department of Labor criteria, which are designed to protect the intern from providing free labor without any of the benefits of experiential learning:
- The internship constitutes training that would be given in an educational environment.
- The internship experience is for the benefit of the intern.
- The intern doesn’t displace regular employees.
- The employer derives no immediate advantage from the work of the intern.
- Both employer and intern understand there is no compensation for the internship.
International internships are generally unpaid part-time or full-time work assignments in professional settings with students receiving academic credit.
Many internships can earn a student academic credit if the work experience meets certain guidelines set out by the university and academic department. For example, American University’s academic credit guidelines show an internship will earn academic credit if it is:
- At least 12 weeks long.
- Involves work centered on the student’s field of study
and
- Includes more than 85% of assignments substantially relating to the student’s major – a guard against giving credit for clerical work.
So, a minimum of 8 hours per week would earn 1-2 academic credits while a minimum of 20 hours would earn 4-6 credits.
Generally speaking, an international intern earning academic credit must fulfill responsibilities to not only the host company but also to superiors, colleagues and academic advisors.
In addition, an internship for academic credit will require certain assignments, whether summary reports, personal journals and other exercises so the student can reflect on the experiential learning.
Academic credit is actually one of the more complex factors of an overseas internship, according to a June 3, 2010, article “As Overseas Internships Grow, So Do Challenges for College Officials,” by Beth McMurtrie in the Chronicle of Higher Education.
“Sometimes students fall into the trap of lining up internships on their own, particularly in the summer, then discover that they cannot receive academic credit for them because the college or department has no system in place to recognize work abroad,” McMurtrie writes.
To guard against misunderstandings about academic credit, do your homework on the guidelines of the internship and work closely with your university and academic advisor to adhere to your institution’s requirements.
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