Internships

We look forward to assisting you in finding qualified interns for your internship program. Please read the following to understand the internship program and process at Clemson University.

• All about Internships
• Internship Procedures
• Helpful Tips for Employers
• Differences between Internship and Co-op [pdf]
• Internship Handbook [pdf]
• Career Center Internship Class
• Testimonials

All about Internships

An internship is a work experience related to a student's major and/or career interest that takes place during a semester or in the summer. Typically students participate in projects or work alongside practicing professionals as they tackle special day-to day challenges. The benefit of an internship is that it allows students to implement their classroom learning in the world-of-work. Internship opportunities are available in the corporate and non-profit sectors and can be paid or unpaid. Employers offering internships are expected to have clearly articulated educational objectives. There are three different types of internships that the career center handles:

1. Not for academic credit - This is the most common type of internship. The internship is directly related to the student's major and is project related.

2. Required by the department, not for academic credit - The academic department will contact the employer regarding goals and procedures that are required.

3. For academic credit - The student and the internship provider will develop the specific structure of the internship before the internship begins. Then the academic department must approve the structure of the internship. The academic departments handle granting credit for an internship.

Why hire a Clemson student for your internship?

• Meet project needs.
• Bring new innovative ideas to the workplace.
• Evaluate and measure student performance before hiring full-time.
• Year round source of highly motivated pre-professionals.
• Flexible, cost effective work force not requiring a long-term employer commitment.

When should you hire an intern?

Most companies/organizations start looking for undergraduate interns during their rising sophomore, junior and senior levels in school. These students are excellent candidates for entry-level projects. Graduate students possess many skills at a higher level that are beneficial for more advanced projects.