International Academic Internships

Wheaton students may participate in and receive academic credit for individual international opportunities including internships and student teaching. Please contact your academic department for details, as requirements may vary.

In addition, Wheaton students have the opportunity to participate in a vocational practicum/internship experience not offered through a major or minor department and receive academic credit for the experience.

International Academic Internships

Students are encouraged to consider the possibility of completing an internship for academic credit towards their selected major; however, students must have reached junior status and have completed at least 16 hours in their major (or minor or certificate program) before requesting an internship.

An internship is a work-related learning experience which is incorporated into a student's academic program. It gives the student an opportunity to integrate theoretical learning in a major area of study with actual work experience. It is intended to enhance educational goals, expand job skills, and guide career decisions. The internship may be completed for 2-8 credit hours (0 hours for Christian Education and Ministry) under the direction of a faculty advisor and an employer supervisor.

To earn credit, the internship must be in the major (or minor or certificate program). No more than 12 hours of internship credit can be taken toward a degree, and no more than eight hours can be counted toward a major. No more than eight hours can be earned for the same internship experience. Billing for internship credit is at normal tuition rates.

A minimum of 40 clock hours of work experience is required for one academic credit (e.g. a 4-hour internship would require a minimum of 160 clock hours of work experience). Depending on the nature of the internship, a department might expect or require more than the minimum required hours.

For a general process overview for the International Internship Application, download the Checklist for Individual Student International Travel.  You will notice that the application process is split into two parts - please be aware of the following deadlines:

All Pre-Decision application requirements should be complete no later than 8 weeks prior to departure. 
All Post-Decision application requirements should be complete no later than 6 weeks prior to departure.

• The target date for Spring 2019 internship applications should be November 16, 2018 if you will be departing right after the first of the year.
• The target date for Summer 2019 internship applications should be March 22, 2019 if you will be departing right after spring semester. 

It is STRONGLY recommended that you complete all application requirements prior to leaving campus as appointments to complete application requirements are more difficult if you are not present on campus. 

Please contact the Internship Advisor in your Academic Department for support and departmental approval.  Some academic departments may require earlier deadlines; please make certain you are aware of your department's deadline.