Summer Internship Credit

Summer Internship Credit

Wellesley College offers non-academic credit for summer experiential learning opportunities—internships, research, volunteer work—that expand students’ learning beyond the classroom and contribute to students’ professional development. This program was initiated in 2016 as a joint effort between the Committee on Curriculum & Academic Policy (CCAP) and Wellesley Career Education as a way to expand student opportunities to credit-worthy work experiences that complement their Wellesley liberal arts education.

Apply for Summer Internship Credit using this Guide

Key forms:
• The Internship Credit Agreement
• Risk & Release Form for Virtual Internships
• Risk & Release Form for In-Person & Hybrid Internships

Application period is April 1 - June 15 (5 pm) for all students, both international and domestic.

Please note that applications must be submitted PRIOR to the start of your internship. Credit will not be granted retroactively for completed experiences.

Also note that international students who need CPT should apply for internship credit as early as possible. After they are approved for internship credit, they may apply for CPT through Slater International Center.

Lorraine Hanley ’98

Director, Internships

Rebecca Place Miller

Assistant Director, Internships

Student Eligibility

Non-academic credit can be awarded for various summer experiences, including internships, research and community service. Students must meet the requirements below in order to receive non-academic credit from Career Education. Students in Wellesley-funded internships are automatically eligible for credit and do not need to fill out a credit application.

First years, sophomores, juniors, and non-graduating seniors are eligible.
Students must be enrolled in the College for the Spring 2023 term or in a study abroad program. Exchange program students from other institutions are not eligible. Students on leave should contact Career Education to inquire about eligibility.
Students may not withdraw from an internship without first speaking to the Director, Internships in Career Education (email internships@wellesley.edu for an appointment).

Note for International Students

Non-immigrant, international students in F-1 or J-1 status who are pursuing an internship in the United States need to apply for employment authorization through Slater International Center. If you are an international student who plans to work for a U.S.-based company or organization (either on-site or remotely), you are required to speak with Slater staff about the CPT process. The international student advisors would like to have conversations now with students about CPT with changes in regulations and potential ones this summer.

Eligibile Experiences

To receive non-academic credit from the College, a summer experiential learning experience must meet Wellesley’s minimum eligibility requirements as described below and listed in THIS downloadable PDF checklist. Students are eligible to receive credit regardless of whether they are being compensated for the experience.

Offer a minimum of 300 hours/8 weeks of work for summer internships or a minimum of 60 hours for Hive Internship Projects. Students are expected to work in a full-time capacity with a single organization during that time. Experiences must start after the last day of Spring semester finals and end before the first day of Fall classes.
Align with a student’s career goals and prior academic experience so the student can develop skills transferable to future career opportunities. For international students seeking work authorization in the U.S., your internship must be directly related to your major.
Allow for direct contact with a qualified professional supervisor to answer questions and provide consistent and timely performance feedback.
Present a reasonable job description and expectations that are substantive and meaningful to the student and company yet manageable in the duration of the experience.
Provide a professional environment along with the necessary resources to complete assigned duties (e.g., access to appropriate technology, equipment, licensed staff, training).
Allow open communication between organization supervisors, Wellesley College staff, and the student, especially in the event of problems or emergencies.
Comply with international, employment and government laws, including all applicable regulatory bodies, and have valid and up-to-date licensure, accreditation and any necessary certifications.

Internship Credit Requirements

Receiving approval for Summer Internship Credit before your summer opportunity starts is only the first part of the award process. Once approved, students must complete the required Summer Internship Pathway throughout their experience in order to be awarded credit.

The Summer Internship Pathway generally includes but is not limited to:

Pre-Departure Orientation
Health and Safety Information
Goal Setting Exercises
Mid- and End-of-Experience Reflection Essays
End-of-Experience Surveys (Intern and Supervisor)

Students will receive detailed information about assignments by the end of Spring semester. Any student who does not complete Summer Internship Pathway assignments by Career Education's specified deadline forfeits internship credit for their summer experience, even if they received the initial approval from Career Education.

Internship Credit on the Transcript

Each summer, students can earn up to 0.5 non-academic credit for approved internships or experiential learning experiences. Students must complete the required Summer Internship Pathway by Career Education's specified deadline otherwise they forfeit the credit.

Summer Internship Credit earned does not count toward the academic credits needed for graduation. However, we still encourage you to participate as awarded credit signals to future employers that your internship met Wellesley College’s high standards for job training and overall experience.
Students may elect to receive Internship 101 (INT 101) or Research 101 (RES 101) on their transcript. If the internship is focused on developing professional skills, we recommend that the student choose INT 101; if it is research-oriented, we recommend RES 101.
After a student successfully completes their summer experience and internship requirements, the credit appears on their transcript in the following manner:
The student will see “0.00” in the CRED column as no academic credit was received. The “ELC” notation in the GRD column means “experiential learning credit.” The 0.5 non-academic credit is noted in parentheses.

Application Details & Forms

The internship credit application requires completion of key forms.

In order to apply for Summer Internship Credit, students must complete these TWO tasks. For more detailed instructions, please use this Summer Internship Credit Guide.

Complete THIS Summer 2023 Internship Credit Application Form.
Submit the required documents listed below into Workday per instructions below. (Please select the Risk & Release form that aligns with your internship format.) Each document should be saved as a PDF and named using this format: YourName_DocumentType (e.g., BettySingh_InternshipAgreement).

Internship Credit Agreement
Risk & Release Form for In-Person Internships
Risk & Release Form for Virtual Internships
Employment Letter (template HERE) written on official letterhead, signed, and containing all the information listed in the template.

WORKDAY INSTRUCTIONS:

To upload the documents in Workday, log into the My Wellesley portal and open Workday. Once in Workday, click on "MENU" in the top left-hand corner of the page and select the "CAREER" worklet. Select "Submit Summer Internship Documents" then "CE Documents for CREDIT ONLY interns".

Once an application has been submitted, students will be contacted by a Wellesley Career Education staff member to let them know if additional information is necessary to process the request. If approved, the student will receive an automated message confirming the request along with a separate official confirmation letter via email. Summer Internship Credit will not be approved or awarded retroactively, which means you cannot apply for credit after your summer experience starts or after it has been completed.

Questions about Summer Internship Credit?

You’ve got questions, we’ve got answers. Review our FAQs to learn the answers to commonly asked questions about the Internship Credit.

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Summer Internship Credit