In order to earn credits for your internship you must be certified eligible to intern before you actually find a placement and intern there. There is no retroactive credit for internships. There are a few reasons for this.
First, registration for internship credits is just like registration for a class: there’s an add/drop period and no changes can be made after that period. Adding the internship to your schedule also requires permission of instructor, which you won’t receive until you are certified and have your placement approved. Next, our Internship Coordinator must have oversight over every internship our students complete in order to ensure that students are getting a valuable learning experience that is in line with the major requirements and to facilitate any problems that may arise in an internship. This is SUNY policy. Before you complete an internship that will count for credit towards your SUNY New Paltz degree, you must be approved to represent our department and our university in the work world.
There are also certain steps that must be taken during your internship, including participating in the 1-credit online internship seminar and securing a mid-semester evaluation from your supervisor. That is why it is necessary to follow all department internship procedures before you start your internship. **Remember, even BEFORE you look for an internship placement, you must get certified eligible by having:
- 60 total credits
- 30 credits at New Paltz
- 18 credits in your major
- 2.5 GPA
This process can be overwhelming at the start but, if you take everything step by step, in the proper order, it isn’t as daunting as it seems. We are always here to help you if you need anything. To read more about the application process visit: tinyurl.com/npinternpacket .