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Undergraduate Students

Required vs Elective Internships

There are two main categories of internships:

ELECTIVE INTERNSHIPS those that students elect to take.

Elective Internships are taken by choice rather than because they are a required part of a degree program. There are two broad types of elective internships - (a) those that are not bearing credit, and those (b) that are taken for academic credit.

Elective non-credit internships are internships that are not credit bearing and are a form of work experience, in which the intern performs tasks as directed by the work-place supervisor. Students taking non-credit internships are not required to inform the university they are taking such internships, or to formulate learning plans and identify learning outcomes. Sometimes employers use the word "internship" to indicate that the work experience is temporary, and will not necessarily lead to a permanent position with the company.

Elective academic credit internships are internships that are taken for academic credit and are courses that contribute towards the intern's degree, and must be enrolled in like any other course.

REQUIRED INTERNSHIPS are those required by programs of study.

Required internships are an integral part of a professional degree. Programs such as Social Work and Education require their students to complete internships - also known as field education, clinical programs, and teaching practice - before they are eligible to receive their degrees. These required internships usually have clearly prescribed learning goals, and are arranged, monitored and assessed by the Schools that offer them.