Internships
An internship is one of the best ways for college students to gain new skills, build their social and professional network, and explore and confirm career goals.
The Luther College Career Center is here to help you discover internship opportunities, navigate academic credits, find funding opportunities, and more.
MEET WITH THE CAREER CENTER STAFF TO GET STARTED!
The Career Center provides Luther College students with access to the subscription-based tool What Can I Do With This Major?
Reasons to Consider an Internship
Internships are a valuable part of the learning process at Luther College. They offer opportunities to:
- Apply your classroom learning
- Make connections
- Improve your professional communication skills
- See if a particular career field is right for you
- Engage in intentional reflection
- Add additional experience to your transcript
- Potentially turn into a full time job offer post-graduation
- Regularly check Handshake and LinkedIn Internship to search for internship opportunities in your field.
- American Institute for Physics a link to internship opportunities for physics majors
- ArtSEARCH provides internship listings with a variety of organizations in both the visual and performing arts
- Back Door Jobs guide to short-term job adventures, internships and study experiences
- CDS International Internships non-profit organization that promotes international understanding through cross-cultural, on-the-job, practical training exchanges for students and professionals
- Dubuque, Iowa area opportunities explore this site to learn what the Dubuque area has to offer
- Environmental Research check out Earthwatch. This institute engages people worldwide in scientific field research and education to promote the understanding and action necessary for a sustainable environment. Internship and job availability can be found at their web site.
- Idealist directory of non-profit and volunteering resources on the web
- Institute for Experiential Learning work in the nation’s capital, investigate a career, meet today’s leaders, and participate in an experience that will enrich your life, while earning college credit
- International Internships Directory is an excellent reference guide for students seeking international internship opportunities offered by two- and four-year colleges and universities, governmental agencies, non-profit groups, private organizations, and corporations.
- Internships.com offers up-to-date listings of internships in various geographic regions, part-time or full-time, with public and private organizations, and seasonal or year-round opportunities that are paid and unpaid.
- Internxl.org This website is targeted for rising sophomores with at least a 2.8 GPA from ethnically under-represented groups. Companies have varying requirements for GPA. Opportunities posted are STEM-related positions in all sectors; financial, marketing, software, not-for-profits, and real estate as of now. There are no fees to register for using this internship posting site.
- Library of Congress Provides a wide range of interesting internship opportunities including experiences for students interested in public policy research.
- Resort Intern Connections bringing together the best and brightest students from across the country and joining them with the best forward thinking, dynamic organizations in the resort, travel, and tourism fields in Hilton Head Island, South Carolina.
- Smithsonian opportunities for internships in one of the world’s best museum systems.
- TV Jobs Broadcast Employment Services internship information
- U.S. State Department Internships get experience in foreign affairs working in Washington, DC, or an embassy overseas
- Washington Center provides internship programs and academic seminars
Create Your Own Internship
Many students who participate in an internship have done so through their willingness to approach a potential site and offer themselves as a possible intern. Many organizations do not have formal internship programs, and others have simply not considered hiring an intern before.
If you know the type of experience you are seeking and the type of organization in which you would like to get this experience, then simply approaching them may be a viable and fruitful option.
Want to talk with someone about creating your own internship?
Credit-Based Internships
Registration Process
First, identify a faculty member to serve as your faculty supervisor for your internship by reaching out to someone in the department. *CPT requirement for international students: In order to be in compliance with CPT regulations, an internship must be a graduation requirement for your major. You must select a faculty member within your major and register for academic credit.
Next, clarify these details of your experience:
- Confirmed dates of the internship/experience
- Hours per week and overall hours
- Will this experience be for your EXPL core requirement or a non-EXPL/Departmental internship?
- Number of academic credits you will be requesting – generally 36 hours of work/experience = 1 academic credit (72 hours = 2 credits, etc)
- Job or project description and expected duties (general activities you expect to engage in during your internship)
- Name and email address for your faculty advisor
- Name and address of your internship site and internship supervisor/mentor
- Obtain “proof of experience” in the form of an offer letter or a screenshot of your confirmation email/text (you will upload this in Handshake in the section for attachments)
- Write Learning Objectives – Learning objectives are an essential part of any experiential learning opportunity. They help to guide the student, the internship site and the faculty advisor toward measurable outcomes for the experience, as well as provide specific areas for reflection and improvement for the student. You are required to identify at least one learning objective in each of the following areas:
- Academic Learning and Application – learning objective(s) related to the ideas, concepts, or theories of your major or minor field(s) of study and ideas or concepts related to the liberal arts.
- Skill Development – learning objective(s) related to the skills specific to your academic major or an occupation, and/or general skills such as oral and written communication, critical thinking, organization, problem solving, decision making, leadership, interpersonal relationships, technical, etc.
- Personal Development – learning objective(s) related to self-confidence, self-awareness, self-management, sensitivity and appreciation for diversity and inclusion, clarification of work and personal values, career awareness and professional development, etc.
**Once you have clarified those details, you can submit your experience into Handshake.
- To begin Handshake registration, log in to Handshake (luther.joinhandshake.com).
- Click on “Luther College Career Center” below the top banner.
- Click on the “Experiences” button below the top banner.
- Select “Submit an Experience” at the top of the page and follow each of the steps.
Credit-based internships are recorded on your transcript. Generally you will earn 1 semester credit hour for 36 hours of work at your internship site – there are a few exceptions so be sure to check with your department.
Approval Process
*The following offices will be notified of your submission (in this order) and will approve it:
- Career Center (will look over your submission and start the approval process if all details of the experience listed above are included)
- Faculty supervisor (will confirm critical information such as the number of credits, if/how it will be graded)
- PDSO in CGL (**international students only** – this prompts the CPT process)
- Registrar’s Office (will officially register you in NorseHub – this is only for non-EXPL/Departmental internships – EXPL students should self-register)
Biology Students Only
Your registration process is different.
Contact Dr. Enos-Berlage (enosbejo@luther.edu) or Michelle Einck (einckmic@luther.edu); or stop by the biology office at Sampson Hoffland 231 to discuss registration.
Pre, Primary, or Secondary School Sites
You must consult with the Education Department for approval. Luther may already have a “letter of agreement” with that school regarding Luther students doing observation and teaching there.
Outside the U.S.
You must inform the Center for Global Learning and participate in pre-departure training.
International Students
You must ensure that you are in regular communication with your DSO contact in the CGL Office to ensure any necessary CPT/I-20 paperwork is completed.
If you have any questions about credit-based internships, don’t hesitate to stop by the Career Center or email career@luther.edu. We are happy to help!
Non Credit-Based Internships
Please report your internship to the Career Center for our yearly internship statistics; it helps prospective and current students learn about what’s possible for them! Stop by our office or email career@luther.edu with your name, your major, the name and location of your internship site, and a brief description of what you will be doing.
- Arranged between you and the employer.
- A non-credit internship will not be recorded on your transcript.
Unpaid vs. Paid Internships
If you are doing an unpaid internship, you will want to consider the following guidelines set by the Department of Labor to prevent employers from using interns as “unpaid labor”:
The guidelines are as follows:
- Your internship should be an extension of your classroom education.
- Your work activities should be related to your career goals.
- Your employer should not use your intern position to offset the need for another employee.
- You should be assigned a mentor.
If you have a paid internship, you should be compensated at a rate of minimum wage or higher.
Funding Your Internship
Luther College is pleased to offer internship funding to students to help them pursue educational/vocational internships for J-term and summer terms. This includes internships with for-profit and nonprofit organizations. Any student currently enrolled at Luther may apply for J-term or summer internship funding of up to $2,000 over the course of their four years at Luther. Since our funding is limited, the application process is competitive. Our goal is to fund as many internships as possible, with the resources we have available.
The priority deadline for completed applications is April 15th.
1. Read through the Internship Funding Application Instructions carefully first.
2. Please complete our Internship Scholarship Application
Please note that incomplete applications will not be considered. Additionally, late applications will only be considered if funding is still available after the initial internship applications have been processed.
International students who are also Davis Scholars have two funds available to them that should be used prior to applying for internship funds with the Career Center. If this applies to you, please visit the CGL Office for application instructions.
Need assistance? If you are still finalizing your internship and could use some extra support – Schedule a Career Coaching appointment via Handshake or call 563-387-1025, as soon as possible.