Below are the answers to the most commonly asked questions about internships. If you can't find the answer you're looking for, please stop by the Internship Center in the Natali Student Center, Suite 138, or contact the Internship Center at 724-938-1578 or internctr@calu.edu.
How do I create an Internship application?
- Log in to your Handshake account [external link to https://calu.joinhandshake.com/login]
- Go to the Career Center tab at the top of the page
- Click on Experiences
- Click Request an Experience and complete your application
- Double check your application to ensure you are entering accurate information including spelling and punctuation
- Some fields may auto populate if your internship position was posted in Handshake. Double check these field to ensure the information is accurate
- Click "Create Experience" to submit the internship application.
- Click on the Learning Objectives tab
- List your learning objectives in bulleted format
- Check out the article "Guidelines for Internship Learning Objectives" in the Resource section under the Career Center tab
- Review and approve your Learning Objectives
- The Internship Center will communicate with you through the Comments and Activity tab in Handshake. You will receive an email from Handshake each time the Internship Center comments on your application
How many credits do I receive for an internship?
Credits generally range from 3-12 subject to program requirements. The number of credits for your internship will be recommended by your department and approved by the dean of your college. For the majority of academic programs, 40 hours or work/per semester equals 1 credit.
|
Credits |
Total Hours Needed |
Hours/week Fall & Spring |
Hours per week Summer |
|
3 |
120 |
8 |
12 |
|
4 |
160 |
11 |
16 |
|
6 |
240 |
16 |
24 |
|
9 |
360 |
24 |
36 |
|
12 |
480 |
32 |
40 |
What does my internship status in Handshake mean?
Pending: Your internship application was submitted and is awaiting review by the Internship Center. * Students can only edit their application while in pending status
Being Approved: Your application has been reviewed by the Internship Center and the approval process has begun.
Needs Review: The approval process has been halted either due to an approver declining the experience or a deadline to approve has been missed.
Approved: All approvers have approved your internship application
Ongoing: You have been registered for your internship and are interning.
Completed: Your internship is finished
Declined: Your application has been declined.
When will my internship be approved?
Your internship is not approved until all approvers have reviewed and approved your internship application. This process can take up to two weeks depending on the approvers' schedules. The following professionals approve your application in sequential order:
- Faculty Internship Supervisor
- Department Chair
- Employer Internship Supervisor
- Dean
If an approver has not approved your application within two weeks of processing by the Internship Center, please contact him/her to inquire about the status of their review of your internship.
Am I registered for my internship?
The Internship Center will email you once you are registered for your internship.
What if my internship isn't approved?
You will receive an email notification if an approver has denied your application.