Internships for Academic Credit

Internships are an integral part of a Macalester College liberal arts education. Academic internships are structured, off-campus, learning-work experiences that can take place in a wide range of community organizations in the Twin Cities and around the world. Internships help you integrate theory and knowledge gained in the classroom with real world applications to develop professional skills, increase confidence, and heighten career awareness.

This past academic year, 323 students from 30 academic disciplines participated in credit-bearing internships in the fine arts, nonprofits, education, government, and business. Please review the Internship Site List for more information.

Our office is here to help you find, register, and successfully complete your internship. College is all about exploring possibilities, and internships are a great way to help you enhance your knowledge, better understand your interests, develop skills, and prepare for your future career.

Why do an internship for academic credit? 

• You will be working with the support of the school and a professor; so if problems arise they are able to help resolve them;
• Many employers prefer their interns earn credit, because they have greater confidence the student will be more reliable and engaged for the duration of the term. This means employers are more comfortable giving you more substantial work to do;
• It’s a good way for faculty to get to know you. It is easier for them to write letters of recommendation after helping you process your internship experience;
• It is easier to commit the required time to do the internship if it is built into your course load and schedule.
• And, you should earn credit for the time and effort you are committing to the experience!
  • Note: International students at Macalester on student visas must register all internship experiences for credit. Review the information on the “Registering an Internship for Credit” web page, including the International Student section at the end.