• Academic Calendar AY 2024–25 (PDF)

To enroll in courses such as independent studies, teaching assistantships, research assistantships, and some senior capstones, you must complete the special course registration form below. A minimum of 45 hours per credit must be spent on the course and completed during the term of enrollment.

To register for an internship or field experience, refer to the internship and field experience information in the next section and complete the internship and field experience registration form.

Summer registrations must pre-pay for the credits prior to registration.

Special Courses Registration Form

A field experience or internship course is a way to gain practical, hands-on work experience in a professional setting.

Eligibility

You may complete a for-credit internship or field experience at any class standing, but about 90 percent of all internships are completed during the junior or senior year. This is because some internships can be highly competitive and require advanced coursework and strong faculty recommendations. Northland does not have a minimum GPA requirement for internships or field experiences. Up to twelve credits of internships, field experiences, or assistantships may count towards graduation requirements.

Planning

You must search and apply for the opportunity, be offered the internship, and then request the experience via Handshake before the add/drop deadline of the semester in order to register it for academic credit. Some academic departments have specific requirements for what constitutes an internship. Talking with your advisor at least one semester before you plan to do one of these courses is recommended. Internships are typically advertised months ahead of time. Below is a rough guideline for when to begin looking for opportunities:

• Fall Term Internships—Posted March through August
• Winter Term Internships—Posted October through January
• May and Summer Term Internships—Posted December through May

Finding an Internship or Field Experience

You may pursue opportunities locally or elsewhere and may earn credit for paid and unpaid internships. Northland works with state and federal governmental agencies, nonprofit organizations, for-profit organizations, Tribal governments, municipalities, campus departments, and others to develop opportunities. These resources will help you find available internships and field experiences:

1. Handshake—Northland’s job and internship board—features opportunities that are exclusive to our students.
2. Faculty—many of Northland’s faculty members are engaged in their own research or have professional connections with opportunities for students.
3. Customized Experience—if you can’t find an opportunity that fits your professional goals, we may be able to create a customized internship for you. To explore all options, contact the student career advisor at internships@northland.edu or 715-682-1232.

What is an internship?

Northland College utilizes the following framework from the National Association of Colleges and Employers (NACE) to define an internship. The experience must meet all of these points to be considered an internship:

1. A learning experience that provides opportunity to apply the knowledge gained in the classroom. It must not be simply to advance the operations of the employer or replace the work that a regular employee would routinely perform.
2. The skills or knowledge learned must be transferable to other employment settings.
3. The experience has a defined beginning and end, and a job description with desired qualifications.
4. There are clearly-defined learning objectives/goals related to the professional goals of the student’s academic coursework.
5. There is supervision by a professional with expertise and educational and/or professional background in the field of the experience.
6. There is routine feedback by the experienced supervisor.
7. There are resources, equipment, and facilities provided by the host employer that support learning objectives/goals.

The Difference Between an Internship and Field Experience

Register for an internship if:

• The experience meets all of the academic departmental requirements of an internship;
• Will include training or mentoring in new skills and knowledge; and
• Will primarily increase your knowledge, while benefiting the cooperating organization.

Register for a field experience if:

• The work is applying skills and knowledge already learned;
• Will provide significant support for the cooperating organization with less focus on new learning;
• The work is a learning experience but does not meet a department’s definition of an internship.

How to Register for an Internship or Field Experience

1. Work with a Faculty Member

After you have accepted an internship or field experience offer from a host organization or employer, work with a faculty instructor in the department you would like to earn credit in to determine the appropriate course number/level, to develop academically-aligned learning goals, and obtain the criteria for evaluation. The criteria for evaluation may include a journal, final reflection paper exploring your learning from the experience, or evaluations and/or periodic check-ins with the faculty instructor.

2. Pay Any Required Fees

For Fall, Winter, and May Terms, there is no specific cost associated for registering as long as the credits for the experience do not put you in an overload for the term (over 17 credits in fall and winter or over 5 credits for May). During the summer, internships and field experiences cost $150 per credit, plus a $25 summer registration fee. Summer internship payment must be received at the Business Office, and the experience request must be submitted by the add/drop deadline in a term to the Office of the Registrar. Registration is contingent upon final approvals from your internship supervisor, faculty supervisor, and the student career advisor. An email will be sent with any questions or to confirm registration.

3. Request the Experience on Handshake

Once an internship or field experience has been offered and you have paid any associated fees (only applicable during Summer Term or if the full-time credit load has been exceeded for the term), request the experience via Handshake. You can reference the step-by-step resources available through the Office of Career Services as you’re submitting your experience to ensure everything is completed accurately. If you get stuck, contact the Office of Career Services for help.

Calculating Credits

Credit is awarded based on the number of hours spent at the position. You are allowed to choose the number of credits you wish to earn as long as you fulfill the minimum number of hours required. Therefore, if you will be putting in 135 hours through your internship, you may choose to earn 3, 2, or 1 credit(s). The breakdown for credit is:

• 1 credit = a minimum of 45 hours within the semester
• 2 credits = a minimum of 90 hours within the semester
• 3 credits = a minimum of 135 hours within the semester
• 4 credits = a minimum of 180 hours within the semester

Note: These hour requirements do not apply if completing an internship for outdoor education majors. Please see an OED advisor for more detail.

Grading

You will earn either a Satisfactory (S) or Unsatisfactory (U) grade based on completion of minimum number of hours, evaluations from your site supervisor, and other work you agreed to submit. This does not affect your GPA.

Other Questions

Contact the student career advisor at internships@northland.edu or 715-682-1232.

Summer Internship Tuition Payment

Make your tuition payment for Summer Term below. Once this is completed and the experience you requested through Handshake has been approved by all involved (internship supervisor, faculty supervisor, student career advisor, and registrar), you will be registered for your internship or field experience. You will receive confirmation of approval through Handshake, and will also be sent an email confirmation of approval by the Northland College registrar. For payment-related questions, contact the Business Office.

Summer Internship Payment Form