After arranging an internship, students may apply to earn credit for their experience. Review the Internship Credit Application page for more information.
International Students - Check your eligibility to use Curricular Practical Training (CPT) for your internship prior to submitting your Internship Plan.
Here are answers to common questions regarding internships:
Check out the SGSUP Internship postings for weekly updates of new opportunities!
To learn about strategies and resources for finding an internship, please see Finding an Internship.
Finding an internship requires preparation and commitment, so if you'd like to do an internship, plan to begin working on the search 2-4 months before you hope to be an intern.
An experience qualifies as an internship if the student's work allows him/her to participate in geographic, GIS or planning activities, carried out in a professional setting, under the guidance of a mentor there. The intern should have an opportunity to build knowledge and skills.
Review the following links to know the School of Geographical Sciences and Urban Planning specifics for; Internship Standards, Excluded Practices, and Compensation Policy.
- Internship Standards
- Excluded Practices
- Compensation Policy
- The rate of pay for a student’s internship must be at least federal, state or local minimum wage. Housing cannot be the sole form of compensation.
- Government and non-profit agencies are not required to pay interns, but are still expected to provide a learning experience that benefits the intern. Care must be taken to ensure that if an internship is unpaid, it falls clearly within the legal guidelines that make it a learning experience and not a job.
- If you are a for-profit employer interested in employing an intern, you are required to comply with the U.S. Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA), which governs minimum wage requirements in for-profit organizations.
Undergraduate Student:
Geography, GIS or Urban Planning major may earn a total of 12 credits in internship courses.
- Geography and Urban Planning majors: Up to 6 of these credits may count as electives in your major.
- GIS majors: Three credits can fulfill your Applied Experience requirement, and 3 additional credits may count as electives in your major.
Additional credits beyond the first 6 will count as upper-division elective credit, but won't count towards your major. Check with your Academic Advisor to be sure these guidelines apply to your specific program of study.
International undergraduate graduate students must ensure that internship credit can be applied towards their DARS. If this credit cannot be utilized, approval cannot be granted for the internship course.
Graduate Student:
Master of Urban and Environmental Planning, up to six credits of PUP 584 may count as an elective towards the 47 credit hours required for graduation.
International graduate students must ensure that internship credit can be applied towards their iPOS (Individual Plan of Study). If this credit cannot be utilized, approval cannot be granted for the internship course.
MA and PhD students, should check with their advisor about how an internship course would fit into their plan of study.
Before beginning an internship, you should commit to the total hours you will work. You will earn credit based on total hours worked, as follows:
Credits | Total hours worked | Approximate hours per week | |
Fall or Spring | Summer A+B | ||
1 | 45 | 3 | 3.25 |
2 | 90 | 6 | 7.5 |
3 | 135 | 9 | 11.25 |
4 | 180 | 12 | 15 |
5 | 225 | 15 | 18.75 |
6 | 270 | 18 | 22.5 |
Undergraduates: For each additional credit (up to a maximum of 12), you would work an additional 45 hours at your internship site.
Note: During the Fall and Spring, both Tempe-based and online internship courses are offered only as 15-week Session C courses. During the summer, the internship courses have a custom 12-week schedule that is dynamically dated.
Yes, you may repeat an internship course. Keep in mind the maximum credit amount described above. Undergraduate students pursuing academic credit through a multi-semester internship with the same employer need to submit a new Internship Plan Application for each semester. Each application should provide evidence of their task progression.
The undergraduate internship courses (GCU, GIS, GPH and PUP 484), require:
- Submit an Internship Plan before the posted application deadline for the term you plan to intern. Review the Internship Credit Application for more information.
- Review the GCU/GIS.GPH/GIS/PUP 484 Course Overview to know more about the content, coursework, and time management expectation for the internship course.
The graduate-level internship courses (GCU, GIS, GPH and 584), require:
- Submit an Internship Plan before the posted application deadline for the term you plan to intern. Review the Internship Credit Application for more information.
- Review the GCU/GIS/GPH 584 Course Overview or PUP 584 Course Overview to know more about the content, coursework, and time management expectation for the internship course.
- MAS-GIS students should consult the program's leadership for an explanation of GIS 684 Internship requirements
There are 4 undergraduate internship courses -- GCU, GIS, GPH and PUP 484 -- and 4 graduate internship courses -- GCU, GIS, GPH and PUP 584. You should choose the prefix that's the best match to the realm of your internship. All the undergraduate courses are combined together, so assignments for all four are exactly the same.
Submit an Internship Plan before the posted application deadline for the term you plan to intern. Review the Internship Credit Application for more information.
Term Application Deadlines
Spring (Jan - May) Due Dec 5
Summer (May - July) Due May 5
Fall (Aug – Dec) Due Aug 1
If you need to register for GIS/GPH/GCU/PUP 484 or 584 but cannot meet the application deadline dates, email: sgsup.careeradvising@asu