If you are in need of or merely want credit for your internship, it is possible to earn academic credit for an internship; however, credit policies vary across departments. Some academic departments will accept the enrollment of students from any major into their internship courses, within the guidelines set by their faculty. Other departments award independent study credit for successful completion of an internship.
To earn academic credit, you will need to complete assignments specified by the department and work for a minimum number of hours at the internship site. Students register and pay tuition for these credit hours in the same manner as other classroom learning experiences.
Click here for a listing of departmental contacts and details on enrollment policies.
A word of caution: Internship postings published by companies sometimes include statements like, "school credit is available." You need to know that the decision about whether or not a particular internship is worthy of academic credit resides with the university’s academic departments – not the companies that recruit students.
When seeking credit for an internship, you should:
- Provide the department contact with a copy of the internship description.
- Contact the department about the possibility of obtaining credit BEFORE you begin the internship (the general guideline is to request credit at least two weeks before the quarter starts).
Another option available to you is ASC 489.02, the zero-credit internship course. Enrollment in the course provides confirmation that you are a currently registered student at The Ohio State University. Maintaining your status as a "registered student" is especially important if you are not taking other courses (e.g., are either interning full-time or completing a part-time internship while off campus) as many internship sites require you to be enrolled. Additionally, if you are not taking other courses during your internship, enrollment in ASC 489.02 maintains your eligibility to receive student benefits including health insurance, access to university facilities, application for athletic tickets, etc). While there is no tuition to enroll in ASC 489.02, you will be charged fees.
