How do internships work?
What do I need to consider?
What is the time frame for internships?
Must the internships be paid?
Can students earn academic credit?
How do I list my internship opportunities?
Whom do I contact for more information?

How do internships work?

At the College of Charleston, internships are unique learning experiences specifically designed to help students gain hands-on training related to their major or career interest. Undergraduate and graduate students in all academic programs at the College know the value of gaining work-related experience before graduation, and they look to organizations like yours for opportunities to apply what they are learning in the classroom and to “test drive” a career.

What do I need to consider?

Offering internships is a time-consuming prospect. You (or a designee within your organization with the appropriate level of expertise) will serve as a supervisor to your interns, mentoring them and helping direct their learning experiences. Make sure you can commit the time, energy, and resources it will take to teach students about your field of work, answer their questions, and complete the paperwork required by their program. Understand that the time-intensive nature of supervising interns may actually hinder your own workflow at times.

While the primary benefit of internships is for the students, you can profit from the arrangement in important ways. You can gain extra assistance in completing special projects or in handling day-to-day operations. Your organization can thrive on the fresh perspective, inquisitiveness, and sheer energy that College of Charleston interns bring to the workplace. In very practical terms, you can create a candidate pool for potential full-time hires, using your internship program as a recruiting tool. You can also feel good about helping college students find their career path and make decisions about their future.

 

What is the time frame for internships?

Internships typically last for one semester (14-15 weeks) or one summer in accordance with the College of Charleston’s academic calendar: Fall semester internships take place from August to December, Spring internships span January to April, and summer internships run from May to August. Internships can be part-time (10-20 hours per week) or full-time positions.


Must the internships be paid?

Generally, the College of Charleston does not require that you offer paid internships, though some academic departments have specific policies about compensation. Paid internships can be more attractive to students, but they will choose unpaid internships that provide the opportunity to gain substantial real-world work experience. If you opt to offer unpaid internships, consider the following legal ramifications:

The US Department of Labor specifies that an internship can legally be unpaid ONLY if:

1)	The intern is provided training similar to that which would be provided at a vocational school (the student is under continued and direct supervision);
2)	The training is for the benefit of the student, not to meet the labor needs of the business;
3)	The student does not displace a regular employee and an employee has not been relieved of assigned duties;
4)	The employer provides the training and derives no immediate advantage from the intern’s activities, and on occasion his/her operations may actually be impeded;
5)	The student is not necessarily entitled to a job at the conclusion of the internship; and
6)	The employer and student agree and understand that no wages will be paid to the student.

Can students earn academic credit?

At the College of Charleston, internship credit is awarded solely at the discretion of academic departments. Students must meet the eligibility requirements of their major to earn credit (if available), and arrangements for credit must be made at least one semester in advance.

Students who are unable to earn academic credit may participate in the Career Centers’ non-credit Certificate Internship Program to have their internship noted on their transcript. Because the program provides campus oversight of non-credit internships, you may encourage or require your students to participate if they won’t be supervised by a faculty member in a credit-bearing program. Contact the Internship Coordinator in the Career Center at 953-5692, for details.

How do I list my internship opportunities?

For campus-wide distribution, post your internship listings on CISTERNonline, the Career Centers’ web-based job posting system, by completing the Internship Description Form, or you may fax your listings to our office at 843-953-6341, email your listings, or call our office at 843-953-5692 to discuss your individual needs.


Whom do I contact for more information?

General internship inquiries: Internship Coordinator, Career Center, 953-5692