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  6. Internships

Internships

Students enrolled in the College of Arts and Science may earn academic credit for internships if the student is classified as at least a sophomore and is in good academic standing. Under current faculty legislation, students may earn credit for internship courses in Interdisciplinary Studies or selected departments through the following options:

Interdisciplinary Internships

INDS 3880 a-b-c. 1 credit hour (repeatable)

Students may earn one credit hour per semester or summer on a pass/fail basis for an internship course completed under this designation. This course may be taken once and repeated twice for a maximum of three credit hours. Credit earned under this option may not count toward major or minor requirements but may count as part of the 120 total hours required for graduation. Students are responsible for obtaining their own internship and faculty adviser. The student and faculty adviser must develop a plan of work for the internship course, which must be approved by the Director of Internships in the College of Arts and Science. Students needing assistance with finding an internship should contact the Vanderbilt Career Center.

Departmental Internships

Maximum of 15 hours (non-repeatable)

Under this option, students may earn academic credit for internships in selected departments if they also meet the minimum GPA requirements and have six hours of prior work in the department in which they wish to intern. Students must choose a faculty supervisor in the department of the internship course and work with that individual to develop a plan of academic work for the internship opportunity. Some departments have designated faculty who serve as supervisors for internship courses. In most instances, however, the plan of work must be approved by the department’s Director of Undergraduate Studies. Students may be enrolled in such internships by the department or the Office of Undergraduate Education in 350 Buttrick Hall.

The Readings and Research component(s) of departmental internships must be taken on a graded basis and may count toward the requirements for a major or minor in the department. The Internship Training component may be taken on a pass/fail basis only and concurrently with the Readings and Research component(s). The following departments currently offer up to 15 hours of academic credit per semester or summer for internship opportunities:

(Internship courses are offered during fall, spring, and summer sessions.)

More complete information on internship courses may be found in the Undergraduate Catalog. (Courses that have been recently approved by the faculty will not appear in the current edition of the catalog.)

Cost of an internship

Internships taken during the fall or spring semester will fall under the normal tuition charge unless the student exceeds 18 hours during the semester. The hourly tuition charge will apply to any hours taken over 18 that are approved by the appropriate academic dean. Students will be charged for internships completed in the summer based on the hourly tuition rate for summer school. A summer internship subsidy may be available under certain conditions.  

Please contact the A&S Office of Undergraduate Education with any questions regarding internships and to register for an internship. Due to varied regulations, we may not be able to accommodate applications for internship sites in some states.