All undergraduate students in the School of Information Technology are required to complete an internship before their last semester of classes. This fulfills the Professional Practice requirement (IT 398) for your degree.
Undergraduate Internships
When to Get an Internship
For four-year students, we recommend getting an internship after your sophomore or junior year. At that point, you've finished your core courses and have a strong academic background. This helps you get the most out of your professional experience. Transfer students should get one as soon as possible. You must complete your internship prior to your last semester of classes.
Getting a job takes time. Make sure you give yourself several months to search and apply for an internship. Every opportunity has a different timeline. Most companies start their internship processes in September. If you're interested in a summer internship, it's essential to search and apply for opportunities during the previous fall semester.
How to Get an Internship
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Attend the IT Internship Fair
The best way to get an internship is to attend the Fall IT Internship Fair. The fair typically takes place in September. Check your email in the early fall semester for more information.
Freshman
Attend the fair to learn more about the companies who hire Illinois State interns and the types of jobs available. You'll also get tips on what employers are looking for when it comes to interns.Sophomores, Juniors, and First Year Transfer Students
Attend the fair to learn and apply for jobs that will be available the following summer. -
Enroll in IT 191
This course is required before completing an internship and helps you research available positions, understand job descriptions, build a resume, and develop interview skills.
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Use the Career Center
The Career Center at Illinois State provides you with career development and employer connections. They also put on a career fair every fall and spring. Attend a fair and meet employers with internship opportunities.
Check out the Career Center website for more events and helpful resources.
If you need help or have questions and challenges during your search, contact the internship coordinator at taparme@IllinoisState.edu. -
Sign Up for Announcements
We use an email listserv to send out internship information.
View the internship listserv subscription instructions
Register for Professional Practice
When to Register
The deadline for submission of your registration is:
- Spring and Fall semesters - by 4:00 pm on Friday of the second full week of class
- Summer session - by 4:00 pm on the first Monday of June
Make sure to complete an internship and enroll in IT 398 before your last semester of classes.
How to Register
Once you find an internship that piques your interest and have a successful interview, here's what to do next.
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1
Get a detailed job description and review it with the internship coordinator. This meeting covers an overview of internships and ensures the internship meets requirements.
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2
Complete the required forms. The registration form and insurance form are fillable pdf forms. You can download and complete them electronically with a pdf viewer that supports fillable forms.
- Professional Practice registration form (Complete and submit to the internship coordinator)
- Insurance Form (Complete and submit to the internship coordinator)
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3
Obtain an employment confirmation letter and submit it to the internship coordinator. If you have an on-campus internship, your supervisor can send an email to confirm your employment.
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4
Once you're approved for the internship, we'll send you a notification to register for Professional Practice.
Credit
Credit is awarded on a semester by semester basis. The greatest amount is six credit hours per semester.
Students with special circumstances can complete an alternate requirement. Contact your academic advisor to learn more.