Business Internship Services

What to Expect from Your Internship

Work assignments will vary depending on the needs of the employer. Often, students expect to be assigned high-level, sophisticated duties, but in reality, most interns will be assigned basic tasks in their respective fields. Performing basic tasks eagerly and well will encourage your internship supervisor to assign you more important duties as the internship proceeds.

Remember that the goals of an internship are not limited to the performance of work tasks related to the intern’s major. Students will be learning and observing appropriate work behavior, including personal hygiene and dress, professionalism, attitude, punctuality, interpersonal relations, and business communications. Interns learn by observing and asking questions. Please remember that you, as students, are representatives of the School of Business while at your internship, and your behavior on the job reflects the University and the School of Business.

How to Find an Internship

Internships come in all shapes and sizes. Some are paid and some are unpaid. Some last for a summer while others continue through the school year. Internships may be local, regional, or even abroad. Before starting your search, it is important to consider the following:

• What are your skills, interests, and values?
• What kind of internship are you looking for?
• When do you want to have an internship (summer or during the school year)?
• Do you have a list of companies you want to target?
• Do your resume and LinkedIn profile highlight your skills related to career interests?

There are several ways to find internship opportunities, but the most successful searches include combining networking, online applications, and developing internship opportunities.

You may find internship postings online through Cougar Jobline, LinkedIn or other online job boards. Any internship announcements from our campus partners are posted via Cougar Jobline, the School of Business Blackboard page, the School of Business LinkedIn page, or direct email to your SIUE account. When using this method, don’t just click Apply and walk away. Follow-up is VERY IMPORTANT for success using this method.

Connecting with employers through networking events is an excellent way to apply for internships as well as increase your professional connections. Networking can be formal or informal and can take place in a variety of settings. Ways to network include:

• Attending career fairs, employer information sessions, and on-campus events
• Attending events hosted by professional organizations related to your career interests
• Attending student organization meetings with employer guest speakers
• Connecting with recruiters, faculty, staff, and peers on LinkedIn

Some students can secure internships by developing opportunities with employers. This typically occurs with employers with whom you have an existing relationship through either previous work experience or a friend/family member.

If you are interested in any internship, please contact the School of Business Internship Coordinator.

When to Start Your Internship Search

Depending on your career interests, you may need to start your internship search sooner than anticipated. Ideally, you should begin your search no later than the start of the semester before the term you want to intern. However, there are special recruitment cycles for the following:

•  Accounting Firms: recruitment for spring and summer interns is typically August through September.
  • Meet the Firms and Accounting Week are the best ways to secure these internships.
  • Many firms offer Summer Leadership Programs; these are great for sophomore-level students.
• Corporate/Large Intern Programs: Recruitment for summer internships is typically September through October.
  • Connecting with campus recruiters is the best way to secure these opportunities.
• Small/Local Firms: recruitment is on an as-needed basis and can be posted at any time.
  • Personal networks, peer/faculty referrals, the Office of Internship Services, and Cougar Jobline are where you will typically find these.

Academic Credit vs. Transcript Recognition

To determine if you can receive academic credit for an internship, students have guidelines on how many credit hours they must participate in the internship throughout the semester. Students must also be in good academic standing to obtain an internship and receive course credit. To see if you qualify, students must meet with the School of Business Internship Coordinator.

Rather than completing an internship for course credit, another option to document your internship is to get it recognized on your academic transcript. To do this, students must contact the Career Development Center. 

For more details on academic credit, visit the Academic Guidelines for Internship Courses.

For more details on transcript recognition, visit Career Development Center Co-ops/Internships.

Types of Internship Opportunities

Co-op

• Always paid
• Usually for two or more academic terms
• May be part-time or full-time
  • May work full time every other term (or no more than two terms back-to-back), alternating between full-time work assignments and full-time enrollment in school. This is called an Alternating Co-op.
  • May work part-time, year-round, while attending school full-time or part-time. This is called a Parallel Co-op.
• In-depth project opportunities, ongoing major-related experiences, and significant exposure to the field of interest
• Qualifies for "Curricular Practical Training" (CPT) for international students 

Internship

• May be paid or unpaid
• Usually for one academic term (120+ hours)
• Usually part-time
• Project opportunities, major-related experiences, and exposure to the field of interest 

Micro-internship

• Usually paid
• Duration from a few days to a few weeks (40+ hours)
• Does not need to coincide with the entire academic term dates
• Single project-based, major-related experience

Virtual/Online Internship

• May be paid or unpaid
• Usually for one academic term (120+ hours)
• Usually part-time
• Remote experiences that do not require any in-person activities. Typically, project-based opportunities.

International Internship Opportunities

An international internship at FIE is a pre-professional, field-based experience coupled with academic analysis and reflection. Participate in an educational experience focused on developing professional and cultural skills while providing personal and career awareness. With an FIE internship, you have the opportunity to apply classroom theory to practice and to challenge your preconceived notions of cultures and the professional world.

Semester and Summer internships are offered in London, Dublin, and Madrid.

Your internship program includes an academic course such as the International Internship Course (IIC) or an International Service Internship Course (ISIC), designed to provide you with the opportunity to contextualize and reflect on your experience.

Students select three choices from our menu of Internship Areas. This wide cross-section allows us to cater to almost every major and provide students with opportunities to build professional skills, increase industry knowledge, and gain experience working in a different culture in a major global city.

To coordinate your placement, your Internship Advisor will review your application, including your academic and professional achievements, and your three industry choices to identify the best opportunities available to you. On your behalf, your Internship Advisor will continue presenting your candidacy to potential placements until you are provisionally accepted pending a successful interview.

While the process itself is very competitive, once you reach the interview stage, the interview itself is non-competitive, which means you won’t be interviewing against anyone else. The placement is only confirmed after a successful interview. Take a look at After You Arrive to find out more about what to expect, including interviews and what the placement will be like.

More information is available on the FIE website and from the SIUE School of Business Internship Coordinator.

Report Your Internship/Professional Experience

Do you have any upcoming internships or professional experience? Let the School of Business know!

Report your internship in Cougar Jobline:

1. Click on "Internship or Experience" on the left side of your page
2. Click on "+New Experience" and enter the required information
   1. Interested in zero-credit official transcript recognition? NO fees or tuition charged (default)
      • Select YES, and the CDC will contact you about this process.
      • Select NO, and no action will be taken.
   2. Interested in academic credit hours? If yes, contact your academic department for details and fees
      • Select YES, and I will follow up with the next steps for Business course enrollment.
      • Select NO, and no action will be taken.
3. Once you enter all the details for your position, click "Save."
4. Review all the details and click “Submit for Approval.” An email will be sent to your supervisor for approval.

If YES for Academic Credit: Complete the School of Business Approval & Enrollment Form and email it to the School of Business Internship Coordinator.

Finance Students ONLY - Complete the Finance Department Supplemental Form and email it to Amanda Russell, School of Business Internship Coordinator, at ambarto@siue.edu with supporting documents.

Qualified internships and professional experiences can be approved for enrollment in one of the School of Business experience courses and applied to your degree as either a Major or a General Elective. If you have questions about how to earn academic credit for your experience, contact the School of Business Internship Coordinator.

Deadlines to Report Your Experience

DEADLINES FOR 2025-26*

*These dates do not apply to International Students or students in the Accelerated Online Program (AOP).

• For international student deadlines, please refer to ISSS and the CDC.
• For AOP students, please refer to your Academic Advisor.