Register an Internship or Co-op for Credit with the Career and Advising Center’s Internship Program

Internship and Co-op Registration for Summer and Fall 2024 is open!

What is the Internship Program?

The Internship Program allows students to earn academic credit for their internship or co-op positions. If a student is working full-time, their enrollment in the program will also allow them to maintain their full-time student status while off-campus.

If you would like to register your internship/co-op for academic credit through the Career and Advising Center, follow the steps below. 

Not sure if you should register with the Career and Advising Center? Reach out to our office or your academic advisor for guidance.

Jump to:

Steps to apply for credit:

  1. Login to the Internship Program Registration Portal
  2. Complete your profile in the system
  3. Click “Add Co-op/Internship” and complete the form
Follow these instructions to help you complete the form.

What happens next? 

  • A member of the Internship Program Team will process your record and follow up with any questions.
  • Your faculty advisor and site supervisor will receive an email to approve your internship or co-op.
  • Once we have all approvals back, we will enroll you for the correct internship course on Campus Connection.
  • You will receive confirmation and additional details as soon as you are officially enrolled in the course.
**Students cannot enroll themselves for courses associated with the Internship Program.

Find your major below to view specific registration instructions:

Course: ACCT 397

Prerequisite: ACCT 311 (C or better)

Registration Process:
1.  Login to the Internship Program Registration Portal
2.  Complete your profile in the system
3.  Click “Add Co-op/Internship” and complete the form
4.  Schedule a meeting with your faculty advisor to discuss the internship. They will help you set goals and give you information about the final reflective paper due at the end of the term.

>> Follow these instructions to help you complete the form.

Notes and Resources:
Accounting Internship Requirements (link to department information)
• To find out who your faculty advisor is, login to Campus Connection and click “Student Self-Service.” Your advisor will be listed on that page.

Course: AGEC 397 or ECON 397

Registration Process:
1.  Login to the Internship Program Registration Portal
2.  Complete your profile in the system
3.  Click “Add Co-op/Internship” and complete the form

>> Follow these instructions to help you complete the form.

Contacts:
Dr. Erik Hanson and Dr. David Roberts are the faculty advisors for these internship courses. Please list one of these faculty members on your Internship Record as you submit your registration request.

AGEC students will work with these individuals throughout the semester in which they are registered.

Erik Hanson
erik.drevlow.hanson@ndsu.edu
(701) 231-5747

David Roberts
david.c.roberts@ndsu.edu
(701) 231-9796

Course: MICR 497

Registration Process:
1. Login to the Internship Program Registration Portal
2. Complete your profile in the system
3. Click “Add Co-op/Internship” and complete the form

>> Follow these instructions to help you complete the form.

Point of Contact:
Tom Gustad will serve as the “faculty advisor” for this internship course. Please include Tom’s information on your Internship Record and connect with him to discuss the specifics of your internship. He will give you information about the final reflective paper due at the end of the term.

Tom Gustad
T.Gustad@ndsu.edu
701-231-8126

Other Information:

  • Students majoring in Biotechnology need 3 credits of Undergraduate Research (MICR 493 or MICR 494) or 3 credits of Internship (MICR 497)
  • Typically students look to register all 3 credits of internship within one term, which means working a minimum of 300 hours within a term.

Course: MICR 497

Registration Process:
1. Login to the Internship Program Registration Portal
2. Complete your profile in the system
3. Click “Add Co-op/Internship” and complete the form

>> Follow these instructions to help you complete the form.

Point of Contact:
Birgit Pruess will serve as the “faculty advisor” for this internship course. Please include Birgit’s information on your Internship Record and connect with them to discuss the specifics of your internship. They will give you information about the assignments that accompany this course.

Birgit Pruess
birgit.pruess@ndsu.edu
701-231-7848

Other Information:

  • MICR 497 credits count as a “Capstone Experience” for student’s majoring in Microbiology.
  • Typically students look to register for 2 credits, which means working a minimum of 200 hours within a term.

Course: MIS 397

Prerequisite: MIS 320 (C or better)

Registration Process:
1.  Login to the Internship Program Registration Portal
2.  Complete your profile in the system
3.  Click “Add Co-op/Internship” and complete the form
4. Schedule a meeting with your faculty advisor to discuss the internship. They will help you set goals and give you information about the final reflective paper due at the end of the term.

>> Follow these instructions to help you complete the form.

Notes and Resources:
MIS Internship Requirements (link to department information)
• To find out who your faculty advisor is, login to Campus Connection and click “Student Self-Service.” Your advisor will be listed on that page.

Course: UNIV 397 (*some students may still be eligible for FIN 397, although this course option is being phased out)

Prerequisite (for FIN 397 only): FIN 320 (B or better)

Registration Process:
1.  Login to the Internship Program Registration Portal
2.  Complete your profile in the system
3.  Click “Add Co-op/Internship” and complete the form ***Please include a note on your record if you are interested in FIN 397 vs. UNIV 397.

>> Follow these instructions to help you complete the form.

Notes and Resources:
• UNIV 397 counts as a “300-400 Level Elective” in the Finance curriculum.
• Only students on the 2022 (or earlier) curriculum are eligible for FIN 397 and only certain internship positions qualify for FIN 397.

Course: ME 397

Credit/Hour Breakdown:
160 hrs. – 319 hrs. = 1 credit
320 hrs. – 479 hrs. = 2 credits
480+ hrs. = 3 credits

*Pre-approval required*

Approval Process:
1. Send an email to the ME Internship Coordinators at ndsu.me.intern@ndsu.edu.

Include the following:
– Company name
– Position description
– Responsibilities
– Supervisor contact information (Email AND phone number)

2. The department will review the position and notify you once a decision has been made.
IF approved, you will receive an email prompting you to begin the process with the Career and Advising Center.
IF NOT approved or you are not eligible for ME 397, you may still be eligible to register for UNIV 397.

Notes and Resources:
Co-op/Internship as Technical Elective (link to department information)

Course: ECE 496

Credit/Hour Breakdown:
160 hrs. – 319 hrs. = 1 credit
320 hrs. – 479 hrs. = 2 credits
480+ hrs. = 3 credits

Registration Process:
1. Login to the Internship Program Registration Portal
2. Complete your profile in the system
3. Click “Add Co-op/Internship” and complete the form

>> Follow these instructions to help you complete the form.

Point of Contact:
Benjamin Braaten will serve as the “faculty advisor” for this internship course. Please include Dr. Braaten’s information on your Internship Record and connect with them to discuss the specifics of your internship. They will give you information about any assignments required for this course.

Benjamin Braaten
benjamin.braaten@ndsu.edu
701-231-7608

Notes and Resources:
• ECE 496 can count as a technical elective course.

Course: MRKT 397

*Pre-approval required*

Approval Process:
1. Schedule a meeting with Eric Gjerdevig (eric.gjerdevig@ndsu.edu) to discuss your internship.

2. Eric will review the position and determined if it meets the requirements of the program.
*Students should be pro-active and meet with Eric prior to applying for a position if they are unsure whether it meets program requirements.
IF approved, you will receive an email prompting you to begin the process with the Career and Advising Center.

Notes and Resources:
Sales Internship Guidelines (link to department information)

International Students

Please review information about working off-campus here: https://www.ndsu.edu/international/iss/immigration/
Depending on your visa status, you may need to apply for CPT in order to work off-campus. Please speak with your international advisor to learn more.

International Student and Study Abroad Services
International Student Advisors
ndsu.international@ndsu.edu
701-231-7895

Frequently Asked Questions

The program is open to all majors, although, some majors or programs handle internship credits within their own academic department. Students are advised to look at the curriculum guide for their program to better understand internship, co-op, or field experience requirements.

Students must have a cumulative GPA of 2.0 or above to participate.

Minimum requirements for an internship or co-op to be considered for credit:

  • Internship or co-op is directly related to a student’s academic major and/or career goals
  • Duties and responsibilities are defined at the professional or paraprofessional level
  • The employer can be verified as a valid organization
  • Must have a designated supervisor who will provide guidance and mentorship throughout the experience
  • The supervisor must be willing to provide feedback to you, as the intern, and work with NDSU to fulfill additional requirements requested of them
  • Covered under the employer’s worker’s compensation insurance, if applicable
  • Internships can be paid or unpaid. If paid, pay must meet the location’s minimum wage laws. If unpaid, and the employer is a for-profit organization, the employer and student must abide by the FLSA’s “Primary Beneficiary” test for unpaid internships.

Many majors have additional requirements beyond these minimum requirements. Please refer to your department for specific information.

No. Students have the choice to request credit for their internships/co-ops or not. Some programs require internships, some allow students to use an internship or co-op as an elective within the program, and other programs have no internship component.

If your program does not accept internship credits as an elective for your major, these internship credits would still count as upper-level, free elective credits, which can help students reach the overall credit count needed in order to graduate.

Always check-in with your Advisor or department if you are unsure whether or not you should register an internship/co-op for credit.

• If working 300+ hours within a term, registered students maintain their full-time student status with NDSU, even though they are only enrolled in 3 credits.

Why is this important?

  • Student scholarships will remain in tact
  • Student loans won’t go into a repayment status
  • Students keep access to all NDSU amenities/services of a full-time student
  • Ability to maintain insurance rates, which are determined by student status
  • Students will be able to enroll for classes seamlessly and continue to be connected to NDSU

Internship credits can help students:

  • Fulfill program requirements
  • Earn technical elective credit
  • Earn free elective credit

• The internship is included on your academic transcript which strengths the validity of your experience for future employment.

The number of credits a student is eligible for is determined by the number of hours worked within a semester.

• 100 hrs. – 199 hrs. = 1 credit
• 200 hrs. – 299 hrs. = 2 credits
• 300+ hrs. = 3 credits

*Please note, some departments have a different hour/credit breakdown.

No more than 3 credits can be earned within a semester. Students can register up to 12 credits with the Internship Program during the course of their program at NDSU.

All credits earned through the Internship Program are billed at the North Dakota Resident rate, regardless of a student’s resident status, at the Per-Credit Rate. Internship credits through this program do not fall under the tuition cap.

See update tuition charts here:
Undergraduate
Graduate

Students are responsible for paying for their credits, unless covered by the employer or a third party. A growing number of employers are making the investment in NDSU students by paying the cost of the student’s credits. However, this is not a requirement of the employer, and will depend upon each individual experience.

  • Undergraduate students are graded Pass/Fail
    • A “Passing” grade does have an effect on a student’s GPA
    • A “Failing” will impact a student’s GPA
  • Graduate students are graded Satisfactory/Unsatisfactory
    • Graduate students’ GPA is not impacted by either grade outcome unless the internship is part of a student’s curriculum course plan
  • If requirements are not met by the end of the term, the student will receive an “Incomplete” grade for the course until all components are satisfied.
  • A student may receive a “Failing/Unsatisfactory” grade is they are dismissed from their position and do not notify the Career and Advising Center.

The majority of the learning will take place at your worksite, but there are a few additional requirements for each course:

  1. Complete a Mid-Term Self-Evaluation (sent to you via email) about halfway through the term.
  2. Complete a Final Self-Evaluation (send to you via email) near the end of the term in which you are registered.
  3. Ensure your site supervisor completes a Final Employer Evaluation (sent to their email on the same day you receive your final evaluation).
  4. Complete additional coursework assigned to you by your faculty advisor.

Some instructors choose to utilize Blackboard. Others will communication through email.