Internships

Students in most of the Heinz College two-year programs are required to complete summer internships. A full-time internship, completed during the summer between the first and second years of the program, will provide students with the opportunity to apply skills learned during the first year of the program, gain further professional experience and develop a strong context for the second-year concentration coursework.

Students do not receive academic credit for their internship, but it will be reflected on their transcript as a course with a P/F grade.

Internship Requirements:

• The Internship must be full-time and total at least 400 hours
• The Internship must be professional and include work that is of importance to the organization
• The Internship should be of significant educational value and should reflect your career interests
• Formal supervision during the internship should be provided so that your performance can be assessed
• F1 Visa Students: You must apply for Curricular Practical Training (CPT) employment authorization for your summer internship. CPT authorization is required regardless of the internship being paid or unpaid. CPT is only available to F-1 students who have not graduated and who have been enrolled on a full-time basis for one full academic year (i.e. fall and spring.) If your degree program requires you to complete a summer internship, you can qualify for CPT. Processing CPT may take up to 2 weeks and you cannot begin employment until you receive authorization. Guidelines, forms and instructions can be found at the Office of International Education’s website.

Employers are urged to view the Guidelines for Internship Supervisors (.pdf) so they're fully aware of their roles and responsibilities.

Internship Reporting Requirements

• Student must fill out the Internship Reporting Form on or before April 15.
• The student's supervisor during the Internship will be asked to fill out the Internship Evaluation Form by August 31

If you're enrolled in a degree program that requires an internship, you will be responsible for securing a suitable internship. Career Services will assist you in your search through counseling, workshops, and internship opportunity listings in CareerNavigator/TartanTRAK. We strongly encourage you to begin your research and prepare for a summer internship search in the fall. Some internship opportunities have application deadlines in the fall; by starting your search early, you won't miss out on these potential opportunities. See the industry specific pages for internship search timelines and past internship sites.