Courses and registration.

To enroll in courses such as independent studies, teaching assistants, research assistants, 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 ninety 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 complete the internship and field experience registration form (MS Word doc download) before the add/drop deadline of the semester. 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 Semester Internships – Posted March through August
• Winter Semester Internships – Posted October through January
• Spring and Summer Semester 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, non-profit organizations, for-profit organizations, tribal governments, municipalities, on-campus, and others to develop opportunities. These resources will help you find available internships and field experiences:

1. Handshake, Northland’s Job and Internship Board – Northland College creates opportunities that are exclusive for 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.

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 instructor in the department you would like to earn credit in to determine the course number and criteria for evaluation. The criteria for evaluation may include a journal, final reflection paper exploring your learning from the experience, evaluations and/or periodic check-ins with the faculty instructor.
2. Once an internship or field experience has been offered, complete the internship and field experience registration form below.
3. Pay any required fees. During the school year, there is no cost as long as you are registered for 12-17 credits. During the summer, internship and field experience cost $150 per credit, plus a $25 summer registration fee. Summer internship payment must be received at the Business Office and the internship and field experience registration form must be submitted by the add/drop deadline in a term to the Office of the Registrar. Registration is contingent upon final approval and an email will be sent with any questions or to confirm registration.

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. 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 your Internship Registration Form has been submitted and approved, you will be registered for your internship or field experience. For payment related questions, contact the Business Office.

Summer Internship Payment Form

To enroll in a May term travel course at this time, you’ll need to submit an add form or have instructor approval emailed to the registrar.  You also need to  submit the form below with full payment.

Once your payment is made, the Registrar’s Office will be notified and they will send you an email confirmation of registration.

May-Term Travel Course Payment

With instructor approval, you may choose to audit courses—with the exception of art and music studio courses—which may not be audited.

When you audit a course, you are not required to complete regular assignments for the course. Audited courses appear on a student’s transcript with a grade of AU.

If you wish to change your status in a course to auditing, or vice versa, this change may be made during the add/drop period of each session using either the course audit form below or the add/drop form, depending on the nature of the change.

For audit fees, see tuition rates. Applicable course fees are required for audited courses.

Course Audit Form

Course rotations can help you plan your schedule. Use this document to learn which courses will be taught for the next two years.

• Course Rotations for 2020-21 and 2021-22

Individual Course Fees

• Winter Term 2021

Travel Course Fees

International study trips and domestic travel courses have individual fees, above the cost of any tuition or audit fees. They also have certain requirements for payment, refund ability, and eligibility for participation. Know your costs.