What is an Internship?

And How Can BC Help Me Find One?

Question Mark
An internship is:


It is structured and supervised professional experience, within an approved agency, for which a student earns academic credit. It is guided by learning goals and supervised by both academic and agency personnel.”

Paid vs. Unpaid

Some internships are paid and some are unpaid. It all depends on what the employer is willing and able to offer. The recent court ruling regarding internship states that interns must be the primary beneficiary if it is an unpaid experience at a for-profit company. Furthermore, the intern cannot be displacing a regular employee.

Part-time vs. Full-time

The time commitment also varies depending on what the employer needs. Some internships are full-time, but most are part-time.

Length of the Internship

EXPRL 191 internships can begin and end at any time during the year. The course has continuous registration, which means that you can register at almost any time during the year as long as you have secured an internship that is related to your field of study.

The length of your internship can vary, but the minimum is 50 hours.

Time Required to Find an Internship

The amount of time it takes to find an internship varies greatly depending on your specific interests and needs, as well as the current job market. Sometimes it just takes a few days, and sometimes it takes many months. It’s always best to plan ahead!

Assistance Finding an Internship

The BC Center for Career Connections is available to assist students, alumni, and community members in their search for an academic internship for credit through the Academic Internship Program. We have various methods for assisting you in your search. Here’s how we can help:

  • We assist you in creating or updating your resume and/or cover letter. A strong resume and cover letter is of the utmost importance when trying to get your foot in the door at a company.
  • Our job and internship posting site, called CONNECT!, gives you up-to-date information about opportunities in many fields. In addition, we have partnerships with many area businesses, and these connections allow us to continuously develop new opportunities.

Last Updated May 4, 2021