Getting Academic Credit for Internships by Dr. Eugene D. Schmiel Director for Academic Programs Institute for Experiential Learning As more colleges and universities come to recognize the importance of internships, many are awarding students some academic credit for the experience. They do this either by requiring that the student communicate frequently with a faculty adviser on campus or by making arrangements with an internship-providing organization such as IEL, which acts in the place of the institution. This is not to say that internships have value only if students receive academic credit.
Many students participate in internships, particularly during the summer, on a non-credit basis.
To them, the experience and the learning are sufficient justification for the time, cost, and effort.