Eligibility, Rules, and Requirements

Eligibility

1. Time—Students must be a United States citizen/permanent resident, on an F-1 student visa, or on another temporary visa that provides work authorization, and have completed one full academic year per official U.S. regulations. One academic year is a completion of two full-time academic semesters. Exceptions to the one year requirement can differ based on many factors including second degree status, return from Optional Practical Training (OPT), reinstatement, and many more. Due to the varying number of factors, please meet with an Office of Global Services adviser regarding your individual case.
2. Grade-Point Average—Students must be in good academic status to apply for an internship and continuously maintain good academic status to continue doing the internship.*
   • Undergraduates students: 2.25 grade-point average or above
   • Graduate and doctoral students: 3.0 GPA or above
3. Handshake—Register for a Handshake account with an updated profile and recent résumé

*Academic eligibility is checked at the end of each semester for students seeking to do internships/co-ops the following semester.  Petitions to academic eligibility can be made with academic affairs. 

Rules and Requirements

1. Offer Letter—Internships are employer-specific, therefore students need an offer letter before applying. When the student decides to take an offer and indicate to the employer their intent to do so, they need to cease looking for more work options for the semester. Reneging an acceptance on an offer is not only unprofessional, but it is also against the terms outlined in the online co-ops and internships application forms. However, if the student believes the work is not representative of what was outlined in the offer letter, non-relevant to their field of study, or is treated unethically/unfairly, students must contact the Experiential Learning Office immediately and may be exempt from continuing with the current employer. Students can only work with one employer per term if it is a full-time experience.
2. Academic Relevance—The position description and the work completed during the internship must be directly related to the student’s current field of study and degree level. The work should increase in complexity and/or breadth as the student progresses through successive work terms. The academic adviser, the Experiential Learning Office, and an Office of Global Services adviser will verify academic relevancy based on the offer letter and application.
3. Employer-Specific—Internships are linked to a single employer per term. Therefore, students must provide the employer’s name, employer’s address, and the start and end dates.
4. Time Permitted—Full-time internships may be pursued at any semester once the student is eligible. Graduate students taking a full-time internship cannot enroll in summer courses. Students are to graduate after all coursework is complete and can gain employment through Optional Practical Training after graduation.
5. Full-Time Status—Students must maintain full-time status for the fall and spring semesters. Internships offer administrative credits that will be counted toward the full-time requirement. Students must enroll in at least one additional academic course each semester for the fall or spring term if they are doing a full-time internship, and may take up to two academic courses if desired. Full-time status is mandatory for the fall and spring semester, and if doing a part-time internship, students will have to cover the difference with academic coursework.
6. Fee—There is currently no fee for applying for an internship experience.
7. Within the Term—Start and end dates must fall within the University Calendar and the Key Deadlines.
8. Student Agreement—Students must understand and agree to the terms and conditions of the Student Agreement, linked below, for co-ops and internships.
   EL Student Agreement (259.42 KB)
9. Unpaid Internship or Co-Ops—Unpaid internships and co-ops are permissible through Experiential Learning only in exceptional circumstances, such as working for a nonprofit organization. Students should understand their rights as an intern under the Fair Labor Standards Act and should negotiate for pay if their internship or co-op falls within the range of activities of paid work under the act. Review the United States Department of Labor’s Internship Program under The Fair Labor Standards Act.
10. Loss or Changes in Employment—If employment has been terminated or work details have been changed by your employer, you are required to notify the Experiential Learning Office (explearning@iit.edu) and the Office of Global Services (global@iit.edu) within 10 days of the change.

Violation of Rules

Failure to abide by the rules and regulations will result in consequences. Light violations usually result in a delay in processing until the student addresses the issue communicated by the administrative department. The Experiential Learning Office reserves the right to revoke a student’s co-op and internship privileges indefinitely in the case of a serious infraction.

Examples of violations:

• Student accepts an offer at a company, submits the Experiential Learning forms, and then accepts an offer at another company—This is a violation of the rules because of unprofessional behavior. Students are a representation of the university and, therefore, should be respectful of both the university’s and employer’s time when accepting an offer and applying for Experiential Learning.
• Student accepts a position at a company that is not relevant to their major—This is a violation of the rules because Experiential Learning placements are work opportunities that can enhance and compliment the student’s academic coursework. Academic relevance is the most important factor when considering an internship.
• Student has ceased working at the employer during the semester but has failed to notify the Experiential Learning Office—This is a violation of the rules because students are expected to work in their co-ops and internship placement for the entirety of the semester. If a student is no longer being assigned work, or if they determine their workload is no longer relevant to their academic program, they must contact the Experiential Learning Office immediately. Failure to do so may result in termination of EL Placement, loss of registration, and loss of EL privileges indefinitely.