About Internships

In a very competitive job market, gaining major- or work-related experience while you’re a student is an essential aspect of building your resume and preparing yourself to land a permanent position.  Internships are obviously one of the best ways to gain this sort of experience. To view Internship opportunities, click here.

A few things to keep in mind:

• In simplest terms, internships are chances for students to put their classroom learning to work in a real-world setting.  So internships are useful for everyone—even for students who are majoring in areas that don’t require them for academic credit.
• If you’re settled on a major and a career path, internships are a perfect opportunity for gaining experience in your chosen field.
• But if you aren’t sure what you want to do, internships are a great way to test a field and try out your interests without making a tremendous commitment.
• internship requirements differ by department, so be sure to check with your department to get any necessary applications, to learn about requirements, to get advice, etc.

A few specifics about internships:

• Typically, internships last for only one semester.  Many students do more than one internship—but they’re usually with different employers.
• Internships can be paid, but that’s not a hard and fast rule.  The specifics depend on your major and your employer.
• Many students get academic credit for their work—but this isn’t always the case.  Be sure to check with your academic department for specific details.
• If you plan to get academic credit, you must meet the following criteria:
• Get approval from your academic department prior to beginning the internship
• Be prepared to complete academic work, such as a journal, and submit it at the end of the internship.
• All internships must have an on-campus supervisor, either in your department or in the Career Center.  If you’re not sure who your supervisor is, contact the Career Center.

How to find an internship

The most effective way to learn about internships is to visit the Career Center and either spend some time in the Career Library, or meet with a Career Center staff member, or both. 

Our Library offers a wealth of printed and online resources, and we’re always available to help guide you through the numerous binders, texts, and other materials.

Staff Members are available for one-on-one appointments for working through all the phases associated with finding an internship—from brainstorming ideas, to contacting employers, to filling out any required paperwork, to completing an evaluation.

Engineering Internship Guidelines

If you’re a student in the College of Engineering and are planning to do an internship, please click here for the forms (arranged by major) you’ll need to fill out and contact your academic advisor if you are interest in academic credits.

Indiana Crusader Connection

What is the Indiana Crusader Connection?  It's an innovative internship program that allows Valparaiso University students to earn $1,000 scholarships while gaining valuable work or major-related experience.  It’s an opportunity for Indiana companies to employ talented Valparaiso students.  This program is an initiative funded by the Lilly Endowment that develops new opportunities for internships in the state of Indiana, and makes existing internships more competitive.  It’s a mentoring network that generates links between Valpo alumni and current students.

The objective of the Indiana Crusader Connection is to encourage and assist Valpo students in the Colleges of Arts and Sciences, Business Administration, and Engineering in securing employment in Indiana following graduation.  In addition to earning $1,000 and gaining work-related experience, interns also receive one free additive credit upon completing their internships.  Internships are available every semester.
For more information, please visit www.valpo.edu/crusaderconnection