FAQ

To apply for SIP, you must:

• Be a full-time IU Indianapolis undergraduate student working toward a first bachelor's degree
• Be in your second- or sophomore year at IU Indianapolis at the time of the internship (at least one semester at IU Indianapolis prior to applying)
• Have a minimum overall GPA of 2.0
• Have an availability of 10–15 hours per week in your schedule during the internship semester
• Must meet the priority group eligibility

Transfer students are eligible after being at IU Indianapolis for at least one semester (must have an IU Indianapolis GPA at time of application). 

International students are eligible with an active work authorization or student visa. 

Students from all majors are qualified to apply.

International students may apply for the Sophomore Internship Program; however, applicants must be authorized to work off campus. It's the responsibility of the student to arrange their authorization. The SIP team strongly encourages students to meet with the Office of International Affairs to discuss their options. 

The internship experiences are as diverse as the locations in which they are offered. We have positions from various types of majors, which change and expand every semester. Available positions are listed via the online application when it opens each semester. Previous descriptions from former interns offer excellent insight into the types of positions we can have. These can be viewed on the showcase page. 

Our internships are currently a mix of in-person and virtual. This varies by policies on working in person from each internship site. 

An internship with SIP is a paid position in which IU Indianapolis undergraduate students engage in relevant work experiences within a professional area of study. Interns are encouraged to apply their academic experience to real-world problems and to develop critical skills in various areas of research and professional work. The National Association of Colleges and Employers sets the baseline for the criteria and definition of an internship.

Yes! Interns are paid at least $15 per hour for up to 15 hours per week. The pay is based on a $1,200 scholarship from IU Indianapolis at the beginning of the internship and a wage of at least $7.50 per hour during the semester from the internship site to equal the total hourly pay amount. Internship sites can pay students more per hour if they desire—and a lot do! Interns are hired as hourly workers by sites and are subject to federal and state employment laws.

Once students are accepted into SIP, they must verify they have started at their internship site by submitting a specific assignment through the SIP Canvas site. Once confirmed, it will disburse to their bursar account just like any other loans, grants, and scholarships from IU Indianapolis. 

We do not accept work-study students at this time. Check out community work-study jobs for off-campus employers that will accept your award.

You must meet the basic requirements and submit the application on time to be considered. We recommend you apply at your earliest opportunity (usually the spring of your first year at IU Indianapolis) to allow another year of eligibility if you don't get in on your first try. 

The most successful applicants have utilized campus career services for assistance in putting together the application materials.

Unfortunately, students who are no longer in their undergraduate years are not eligible for our program. However, you may be eligible for other internship opportunities. Check with your school's career services office for more resources.

All internships with SIP are one semester long. Therefore, internships may begin in late August and end in mid-December (fall semester) or begin in early January and end in early May (spring semester). Some sites may choose to hire students under other funding after the internship ends.

Interns work a maximum of 15 hours per week, usually during 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. on weekdays. Check your schedule to make sure you have those hours available, preferably in a few blocks of time each week, before you apply for the program. 

Hour requirements or restrictions are specified by internship sites in the job postings listed within the online application. This can also be a great interview question to ask employers! 

All SIP internship sites are located in the off-campus Indianapolis area. We do not offer on-campus internships at this time.

Dress code is specified within the job posting for each internship. This is available during the application period. Generally, the dress code is based on an office setting.

The online application is available toward the beginning of the fall semester for spring internships and beginning of the spring semester for fall internships. You must complete the application in full, which includes a resume, short-answer questions, and professional references. The application must be completed by the deadline. Applications submitted after the given deadline will not be accepted.

Phase 1

• Preliminary screening will be made on the basis of SIP eligibility requirements and completed applications submitted by applicants. Only eligible applicants with complete applications will move forward for screening.
• Review the internship requirements (duties and responsibilities, major, etc). It is your responsibility to demonstrate on your application that you meet all of the minimum requirements to be considered.
• You will receive an email when your application is received in full and one additional email after the due date to inform you of when application decisions will be made. If you don't receive the email, please contact sipindy@iu.edu to make sure your application was received.

Phase 2

• Eligible student applicants will be invited for interviews. Being selected for an interview is not a guarantee of admission to the program.
• Applicants selected for the interview process will meet with given internship sites. These sites are based upon preferences expressed in the application and any sites the program coordinator deems a good fit for you. Supervisors and applicants will meet for an interview (off campus) in a timely manner and will submit feedback to the SIP team.

Phase 3

• Matches are made based on interview feedback reviewed by the SIP team. Additional interviews may be assigned based on feedback and at the discretion of the SIP team. 
• Final matches are sent to employers, who send offers to their matched students. Students are expected to accept or decline their offer by responding to the employer. Once a student accepts the match and the program coordinator is made aware (by the employer), the match is considered "final."
• The SIP team reserves the right to deny final matches based upon final grades of the most recent semester of completion. Interns must maintain a GPA of 2.0 or higher to be eligible for SIP.

Deadlines change each semester due to internship sites changing each semester. The SIP team tries to have the application for a spring internship to be due the week before fall break; and the application for a fall internship to be due the week before spring break. The deadline will be made available on the site and within the application once it's posted for each semester. 

We encourage you to submit your application at least a week before the deadline. Late applications are not accepted.

The Office of Student Employment has many helpful resources for writing a resume.

We highly recommend you visit our office or your school's career office to check your resume and other application materials. You can visit the Learn how to apply page to learn how to meet with them.

You will not need to submit a cover letter for the application. The questions on the application will help us get to know you and prepare you for interviews. However, employers may ask for a cover letter after being matched for an interview.

Appropriate references are former supervisors, professors, academic counselors, advisors, peer leaders, or anyone who can speak to the quality of your work. They are usually happy to act as a reference, so just ask them! Inappropriate references include friends and family members. We do not ask for letters of recommendation, just contact information.

Internship sites will become available when the online application opens. Within the application, there will be a Google Sites link to view all internship site descriptions and job postings.