What is an internship?
An internship is an opportunity to utilize knowledge and skills you've acquired in the classroom in a professional context. It's a way to discover which of your skills are transferable to new contexts, learn the practices and protocols of a particular employer and industry, reflect on the quality of your personal contributions to an organization, and refine your personal career goals.
Am I eligible for an internship?
Internships may not be taken for credit prior to the second year of a four-year program or the second semester of an AAS or graduate program.
The number of internships that you could apply toward your degree requirements depends on your program. Consult with your academic advisor about the best way to factor an internship into your overall academic plans. Most students begin interning in their junior year, after they have had opportunities to develop their skills. This enables them to make the most of the internship experience.
Note: You may not begin an internship for credit (including zero credits) until the Internship Work Contract has been signed by you, your prospective employer, and The New School. Both you and the employer will receive a copy of the approved contract via email from The New School, at which point you can begin working.
International Student Eligibility
International students (F-1, J-1 visas) without exception must have any paid or unpaid internship for academic credit (including zero credits) authorized by the New School Office of International Student Services prior to starting work. F-1 students in their first two semesters are not eligible for paid internships but do not need ISS authorization for voluntary, unpaid work. Follow the links below for details of eligibility and restrictions:
What else is required for internship registration?
Currently, the School of Fashion and the School of Design Strategies require all students,
before they register for an internship, to attend a workshop that covers
- How to search for and select an internship
- Interview skills and professional etiquette
- How to succeed in an internship
- Program policies, including information about required hours and documents
How do I find an internship?
- Write a resume: To submit your resume for review by Career Services, upload it to the Parsons Online Job Board (email parsonscareers@newschool.edu for access). If you have never written a resume and need assistance, review the Parsons Job Search Guide (Adobe PDF). Copies of the guide are also available at the Career Services Office.
- Search for an internship using Parsons resources and/or your own research and network:
- Use the online job board to find an internship. To get a password for the job board, bring your resume to Parsons Career Services for review. You will receive resume feedback along with your password within five business days.
- Make an appointment with Career Services if you need help with internship search strategies.
- Attend the Parsons Internship Fair, offered bi-annually, generally in the first two weeks of the semester. Learn about the next fair.
- Search for an internship independently. Visit company websites and look up internship programs (often listed under Human Resources).
- Talk to the faculty The faculty member assigned to your internship course may be able to recommend employers suited to your skill set, interests, and career goals.
How do I register for credit?
- First find an internship: You must secure an internship offer before registering for credit.
- Check the deadline: The deadline for students to register for internship credit in the spring 2012 semester is March 2, 2012. The deadline for students to register for internship credit in the summer 2012 semester is June 29, 2012.
- Complete the Internship Work Contract: This is an electronic document that both you and your employer use to define your duties as an intern, professional development goals, required work hours, and start and end dates. When you are offered an internship, you must fill out the student section of the Internship Work Contract and then submit the form to your prospective employer for completion. View detailed instructions for completion of the form. Download the Internship Work Contract (Adobe PDF).
- Ask your employer to complete and sign the Internship Work Contract electronically. When the employer signs the contract, it is automatically forwarded to the Parsons Office of Advising or to the Faculty of Record in the School of Design Strategies. Because you cannot register for internship credit until the employer completes and submits the form, ask the employer to submit the form as soon as possible.
If the employer delays in submitting the Internship Work Contract, check on the status of the form by emailing or calling your prospective supervisor. The following is an example of a professional, polite reminder:
I am inquiring about the status of the Internship Work Contract that I emailed to you on September 1. In order for me to register for this internship, the university requires you to return the completed form with your digital signature. Please let me know if you're having any problem with the form or need more information before you complete it. Thanks.
- Registering for Your Internship
Your work contract will be sent to advising, (or to your Faculty of Record if you are a School of Design Strategies student) and to ISS if you are an international student. Your academic advisor will email you and instruct you on how to register. Please note that during busy times the university may take from five to seven business days to process an Internship Work Contract. You cannot begin your internship until the Internship Work Contract has been approved. It is important to take this into consideration when deciding upon a start date for your internship. If you do not receive instructions after seven working days, check with your advisor about the status of your contract.
Receipt of a completed Internship Work Contract DOES NOT automatically mean you are registered for the internship. Failure to complete registration can result in liability issues and a failing grade. Please confirm your registration in ALVIN.
- If you are an international student, fill out an Online Service Request: International students (F-1 and J-1 visas) must have any paid or unpaid internship for academic credit (including zero credits) authorized by ISS prior to starting work. When the Office of Advising signs the Internship Work Contract, it is automatically forwarded to ISS. The student must also submit an ISS online service request. Allow three business days after submission of all forms for ISS to issue an updated I-20/DS-2019 showing internship/CPT authorization . F-1 students in their first two semesters are not eligible for paid internships but do not need ISS authorization for voluntary, unpaid work experience.
How many hours should I expect to work?
| Semester |
Credit |
Total Hours |
Hours/Week |
# of Weeks |
| Summer |
0 |
No minimum
or maximum |
No minimum
or maximum |
No minimum or maximum |
| Fall/Spring |
0 |
60 |
15* |
7.5 |
| Fall/Spring/Summer |
1 |
60 |
15* |
7.5 |
| Fall/Spring/Summer |
2 |
120 |
15* |
15 |
*15 hours per week is the maximum for all Parsons students. Some majors are limited to 8 hours per week. Exceptions can be made in extenuating circumstances; speak to your
academic advisor if you think yours is an exceptional situation.
In order to achieve a balance between coursework and the internship experience, Parsons has created guidelines for the number of hours students must work to earn internship credit:
- For a one-credit internship, a student must work a minimum of 60 hours over the course of the semester.
- For a two-credit internship, a student must work a minimum of 120 hours over the course of the semester.
- For a zero credit internship, there is no minimum or maximum total hours of work.
If your employer requests that you work extra hours per week during an extremely busy period, it is your responsibility to manage your time between coursework and the internship. You may not apply extra hours worked at the internship toward the total required hours and leave the internship at an earlier date than was originally stated and agreed upon in the Internship Work Contract. Should an employer desire more internship hours than approved, Parsons usually encourages that employer to consider hiring additional interns. In any case, interns are not meant to fill permanent or freelance hiring needs. If you need guidance on these or other issues, consult with a Career Services advisor.
Parsons does not issue letters of eligibility and credit registration. The Internship Work Contract is sufficient
proof of both eligibility and credit registration. This contract is on Parsons letterhead,
indicates credit registration, and is digitally signed, which The New School
recognizes as a legal signature.
Internship work must be completed in the same academic term in which you expect to receive internship credit. Internships must begin on or after the first day of the academic term and be
completed by the last day of the term (the day classes and exams end). Summer 2012 internships must begin on or after May 21 and be completed by August 17, the last day of the 2012 summer term.
Failure to work through the original end date established on an
Internship Work Contract could result in a failing grade (and almost certainly
would be detrimental to any future relationship with that employer).
A student
taking an internship in a particular academic term can only receive credit
on that term's transcript and cannot apply that internship to different
semester.
Zero-Credit Internship Option
With advisor approval, you may elect to register for an internship for zero-credit. There are several common reasons for taking this option:
- You have already completed your program's internship requirement but wish to take an "extra" internship and have it appear on your transcript.
- You already are carrying the maximum number of credits for the semester and wish to to register for an internship without incurring additional tuition charges for internship credits.
- You are interning during the summer and do not wish to pay tuition for internship credit. (Note that there may be other fees associated with registering for zero credit for the summer term.)
You may not be permitted to enroll for zero credit if you need credit hours to graduate. Academic Advising determines on a case-by-case basis whether or not a particular student can register for a zero-credit internship.
During the academic year, there is no minimum number of hours for a zero-credit internship, but the maximum is 60
hours, so that internships do not interfere with regular courses
during the school year. During the summer, there is no set number of hours that you must work to fulfill the requirements of a zero-credit internship.
It is recommended that international students check with International Student Services for any regulations that might prevent them working beyond a specific number of hours.
Zero-credit internship registration is the same as one- and two-credit internship registration. A zero credit registration based on a properly completed Internship Work Contract is sufficient to guarantee that an internship is officially recognized and will be recorded on your transcript. Zero-credit internships are graded on a pass/fail basis just as one- and two-credit internships are.
How am I graded?
All internships, including zero-credit internships, are graded pass/fail. The employer is asked to evaluate your performance based on the aims stated in your Internship Work Contract, and evaluations are intended to provide qualitative feedback on your general level of preparedness, contribution to the work environment, and skill set. Your employer will propose a grade of Pass or Fail, but your faculty advisor (Faculty of Record) for the internship ultimately decides your grade, taking into account your employer's recommendation and written evaluation. The evaluation form is emailed to the employer by The New School approximately three weeks before the end of the academic term.
View a sample intern evaluation form (Adobe PDF)
Learning Objectives
Learning objectives are defined goals that students hope to attain through their internships. These commonly include
- Professional Skills: Learn professional skills by participating in a professional work environment; observe and gain understanding of office hierarchies and be able to define effective and efficient practices; develop a mentoring relationship and a professional network; accomplish tasks or participate in projects that will showcase your skills and also be utilized in resume and portfolio building; observe professional etiquette including dress code and proper methods of communication.
- Industry Awareness: Learn how a particular industry works; learn how various companies differ from one another, gain understanding of different consumer markets.
- Career Goals and Relating Internship to Classroom Experience: Discuss how your internship relates to your coursework. For example, a student might learn how to apply information gained in a design course to its application in creating a tech pack for a fashion company, gain experience using In Design or Photoshop and use it to create a design for publication, or apply experience in a photo studio to prepare for establishing an independent photography practice.
- Communication Skills: Gain writing and verbal communication skills; gain ease in talking with clients and co-workers; gain experience and confidence in expressing ideas, practice listening and internalizing/accepting criticism and utilization of positive feedback.
