Do you have an internship arranged for the next semester or summer and want to know whether you could earn elective credit for it? Perhaps your internship isn’t related to your major or you don’t meet the minimum credits completed or the GPA requirements to earn internship credit in your major. If you have completed at least a semester at the University of Maryland and have at least a 2.5 GPA, one of the BSOS internship courses might work for you. (To review other opportunities to earn credit for internships, see http://www.internships.umd.edu/)

Internship eligibility:  Academic credit may only be awarded for para- or pre-professional work with well-established organizations and regular and frequent supervision from experienced professionals. Internships need to require that the student have completed some college coursework, involve creative problem solving and increasing level of responsibility, and include development of skills transferable to another professional workplace.  Clerical and basic administrative office work or internships requiring cold calling will not qualify for BSOS internships. Internships in a home office do not qualify.  The internship must be a new experience for you. Students may only earn credit for one internship experience in one course.

The internship must be completed on site with direct supervision. Internet-based or remote internships are not eligible. You may not earn academic credit for an internship in which you report to a relative or to anyone who reports to a relative, or work in a company owned by a relative. Students can only earn credit for a BSOS internship course during the semester in which they are participating in their internship.  Regardless of whether you will be enrolling in a course to earn credit for your internship, here are some factors you should consider when evaluating an internship offer. Paid internships may qualify for the BSOS internship courses.

For more information about BSOS internships, please contact:

Kathryn Hopps

BSOS Internship Guidelines:  Credits earned depend on the number of hours worked at the internship.

1 credit = 45 hours on site

Training hours may count in the total number of hours. Hours must be completed by the end of final exams in the academic period the student is registered for the internship course. “Hours on site” does not include commute time, meals worked, or time worked at home. We encourage students to complete internships by the end of classes.

Intern responsibilities: Primarily pre-professional or para-professional-level work. Clerical and related tasks should not exceed 20 percent of the intern's duties.

Schedule, attire, and reporting responsibilities should be discussed with the intern supervisor and set before the internship starts. Intern and intern supervisor expectations should be agreed to and listed in internship contract. Time logs will be kept by the intern, approved by the intern supervisor, and submitted to the BSOS internship coordinator every two weeks on the BSOS internship time log form.

A BSOS internship learning contract is to be completed and signed by the intern and intern supervisor, and returned to the internship coordinator prior to the start of the internship. The purpose of this contract is to assist the student and internship supervisor with:

• Clarifying both party's goals, objectives, and expectations of the internship
• Jointly developing a plan to meet the goals, objectives, and expectations of this internship
• Understanding their responsibilities in this internship 
• Establishing a regular meeting schedule for on-going feedback & evaluation; the intern supervisor will complete an intern evaluation form at the end of the semester which will be factored into the student grade for the BSOS internship course(s)

Student Eligibility requirements: Students must have a 2.5 minimum Maryland GPA and have completed 30+ credits, including one semester at the University of Maryland. They may be in any university major.

BSOS Internship Courses:

A. BSOS 288I (1-3 credits), Internship Practicum in the Social Sciences
The only BSOS internship course open to students with 30 completed credits by the end of the previous semester.  Also available to more senior students.

B. BSOS 355  (3 credits), Social Science Internship Practicum, fulfills the GenEd Scholarship in Practicerequirement.  It is open to students who have completed 61 or more credits who have an internship related to the behavioral and social sciences.

C. BSOS 386 (3-6 credits), Experiential Learning is open to students who have completed 61 or more credits.

NOTE: BSOS 386 may not be repeated.  Students are advised not to accumulate more than 12 credits in a 120-credit degree from experiential learning. Standard course policies are outlined here. 

The number of credits earned depends on the number of hours that you will intern, excluding travel and meals, during the semester (first day of classes through the last day of final exams; we encourage students to complete internships by the end of classes). 

Internship Contracts and Course Syllabi:  Upon securing an internship, please review the appropriate BSOS internship learning contract and course syllabus below. You and your internship supervisor must complete the learning contract and submit it to the internship coordinator before the end of schedule adjustment. Your contract must be approved by the internship coordinator before you may enroll in a BSOS internship course. Please note that if the internship occurs during the summer the student will enroll in the summer internship course and will incur tuition costs and fees applicable for courses taken during that term.

1. Obtain a signed offer letter on the organization offering the internship's letterhead including the specific address where work will be done, specific start and end dates, the word "intern," and your supervisor's name and contact information.  The offer letter needs to clearly state how the internship is related to your major.
2. Take I-20, your learning contract, and any job description from your internship supervisor to your ISSS advisor and complete curriculum practical training (CPT) paperwork. Here is the ISSS link for CPT: https//globalmaryland.umd.edu/offices/international-students-scholar-services/f-1-employment#CPT.

Equal Opportunity:

The university is an equal opportunity institution with respect to education and employment. The university's policies, programs, and activities are in compliance with pertinent federal and state laws and regulations on nondiscrimination regarding race, color, religion, age, national original, sex, sexual orientation and handicap. On your internship site, if you perceive any problems related to the above or if you believe you have been the target for sexual or other forms of harassment, contact Kathryn Hopps at khopps [at] umd [dot] edu or Associate Dean Katherine Ford Russell at khopps [at] umd [dot] edu. 

Suggested Reading:

College Recruitment Media, Inc. (2018) 2018 2019 Terp Guide: Internship & Job Search. 

Perlin, Ross. (2011). Intern Nation: How to Earn Nothing and Learn Little in the Brave New Economy.  Brooklyn, NY: Verso

Fact Sheet #71: Internship Programs Under The Fair Labor Standards Act. Retrieved from https://www.dol.gov/whd/regs/compliance/whdfs71.htm

Useful Course Documents:

• Professional Writing Resources
• Time and Activity Log for BSOS 288I and BSOS 386