Internships

About internships

An internship is academically recognized, experiential learning that integrates knowledge and theory learned in the classroom with practical application and skills development in a professional setting. Internships provide opportunities:

For students to gain valuable experience and demonstrate learning as they make professional connections and validate their choice of career field and work environment
For employers to guide, assess, and develop workforce talent
For educators to demonstrate the social relevance and practical applications of their disciplines and learning outcomes
For IU Indianapolis to forge sustainable, mutually beneficial relationships with the community

Internship contacts and courses

See a listing of internship coordinators and courses by school or department to see if you can create an internship or earn credit in your major.

You need an internship

If you want to be competitive for full-time employment after completing your IU Indianapolis degree, you will need to complete at least one internship during college. Data from our IU Indianapolis First Destination Survey show that graduates who completed an internship were significantly less likely to still be seeking employment after graduation and even reported significantly higher starting salaries!

Share your internship experience

Once you've solidified your internship experience, share your experience via Handshake to have it included on your Experiential and Applied Learning Record, the university's official record of vetted engaged learning experiences. Learn how to share your internship experience here.

Find internships on Handshake

Currently enrolled students already have an account created for them on the IU Indianapolis Handshake platform. There are thousands of internship opportunities that you can view and apply for located both locally and from across the country. You can even find fully remote internships.

With so many internships in one place, it can be challenging to find the ones you want. Completing your Handshake profile will allow the platform to better suggest internships that will interest you. When searching for internships on the platform, make sure and take advantage of the search filters and keyword searching they provide. The article and short video at the following link will help you make the most of searching for internships on Handshake. How To Search For Jobs On Handshake

Work and Learn Indiana

Work and Learn Indiana has internship postings from throughout the state of Indiana, some of which are eligible for the EARN Indiana program (a state work-study program). Thanks to a collaboration with Work and Learn Indiana, these postings now appear in the IU Indianapolis Handshake platform. When students click through a Work and Learn position on Handshake to the Work and Learn Indiana website to apply, they will need to create a separate account there.

The Life-Health Sciences Internship Program

The Life-Health Sciences Internship Program connects IU Indianapolis life and health sciences undergraduates with research and professional experience internships on and near campus. Interns explore and refine career and academic goals, gain valuable skills, and grow as professionals under the supervision of faculty and staff in IU Indianapolis graduate and professional programs. Internships are paid and last from the end of August until the beginning of May.

How to spot a fraudulent employer

Not all employment opportunities are legitimate. Some organizations may pose as potential employers to collect personal information from or to defraud job seekers. Here are steps you can take to verify the legitimacy of an employer:

Research company websites thoroughly. Does the company have a website? Does the website match up with the posting? Does the website look legitimate? Look to see if the organization is using a company domain versus a general Gmail or Hotmail account. Match the e-mail address to the company domain. Watch for e-mail addresses that are similar looking, but not the same. Look for stock photos, grammatical errors, and poor use of the English language.
Be leery of non-approved employment flyers on college campuses and other establishments.
Use social media to research each employer (e.g., Facebook, Twitter, Snapchat, LinkedIn).
Research the company on websites such as Glassdoor.com for feedback and complaints.
Be cognizant of unsolicited e-mails that are not specifically directed to you. Many employers have access to resumes via career centers. Therefore, reach out to your career center should you have any concerns or questions.
Keep your private information private! Don’t share personal information (e.g., Social Security numbers, banking information, credit or debit card numbers, PINs, passwords, birthday, address, mother’s maiden name).
Never process ANY financial transactions. For example: Some companies offer opportunities to “make money really quick.” They will offer a “one day only special.” Their intent is to defraud you by sending or wiring money to your bank account. They will ask you to cash the check or send the monies to other accounts. Once your bank or financial institution processes the scammer’s check or financial request, you may be informed the monies are invalid or not real. In the meantime, you are held responsible for the funds the bank has sent at your direction to other accounts.

Fraudulent companies are phishing for the unsuspecting, including you. Be aware of what you share and post online. If you feel uncomfortable or aren’t sure about certain companies or employers, talk to someone in your career center.

Bottom line, if you have any questions, talk to someone before pursuing any opportunity. If an opportunity sounds too good to be true, it probably is. If you believe you are the victim of a scam, contact your local police.

Courtesy of the National Association of Colleges and Employers.