Internships

An internship is short-term, supervised work experience with a professional organization to get real-world experience in your chosen field or career. Each one includes intentional learning objectives, on-the-job training, and guidance and mentorship from internship hosts.

Internships are required for many Associate of Applied Science (AAS) degrees. Some are offered through FVCC and others are available directly through employers.

  • Programs with Required Internships: Business Administration, Graphic Design, Information Technology, Web Technology
  • Programs with Optional Internships: Accounting Technology, Criminal Justice, Small Business Management, Health Care Office Management, Programming and Game Development, Computer Science
  • Independent Study Internship: You may have the option to participate in an independent study internship. Discuss options with your faculty advisor and Career Services.
  • Micro-Internships: Like traditional internships, micro-internships take place any semester and are short-term, professional assignments. Typically, micro-internships are performed remotely 5-40 hours of work total over a week or month time period. Search and apply for a micro-internship.

Internship FAQ

Plan to meet with an advisor for an internship orientation the semester before you hope to intern.

Generally, this should be by November 1 for a Spring semester internship, July 1 for a Fall semester internship, and April 1 for a Summer semester internship.
Internships can be both paid and unpaid. If you find or currently have a job within your field, check with your advisor if it is possible to count this as your internship. Discuss potential internship sites with your advisor and career advisor. All internship sites undergo an approval process to ensure that you will receive appropriate training and apply your knowledge and skills.

Students may not intern at family’s business nor with an organization where a student’s family member or significant other ranks above the student’s supervisor.
As an FVCC college course, start and end dates for the internship follow the same semester begin and end dates as other classes. Your goal should be to have a signed Internship Agreement in place with an agreed upon start date before the semester begins. Hours at the worksite are determined according to academic guidelines based on the number of course credits.

The credit ratio is one credit for approximately every 45 hours. Interns spend 135-150 hours at their worksites for a 3-credit course, usually working about 10-15 hours per week, although this may vary.
Assignments vary depending upon the instructor.

Most faculty monitor your learning through a weekly activity log, or learning objectives assignment. Many will conduct a mid-term site visit and ask that your internship provider submit a mid-term and final evaluation.

You will receive a grade. Read the Student Internship Handbook and Internship Agreement for more information.
You register and pay tuition for internship credits just like all other credit courses at FVCC.

Student Resources

Contact us for internship help and more information.