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Clark University
Career Connections Center

What is an Academic Internship at Clark?

An academic internship is a credit-bearing, career-related work experience of limited duration in which an individual takes on responsible roles outside of the traditional university environment. Academic internships may take place in a nonprofit organization, government office, or for-profit business. Depending on the employer, some internships are paid. Internships include mentoring and supervision by a professional in the field; this valuable form of training allows students to explore their career interests.

Rising sophomores, juniors, or seniors may earn academic credit for internships during the fall, spring, or summer terms.

Please note that the Academic Internship Program follows the add/drop deadline from the Registrar’s Office. We strongly encourage undergraduate students to submit their Academic Internship Program applications one week or more prior to the add/drop deadline. Applications submitted after the Registrar’s Office add/drop deadline are subject to a late fee.

Note: Graduate students do not use this application process; instead, they work with their academic departments to obtain credit.

The Spring 2020 Academic Internship Program application is now closed. For additional questions, please reach out to Justin Monell, jmonell@clarku.edu.

Academic Internship Program Details:

Additional Documents:

Visual and Performing Arts (Studio Art, Art History, Theatre Arts, Screen Studies)

Biology

Computer Science

Media, Culture, and the Arts; Marketing

Economics

English

Environmental Science

Geography

International Development and Social Change

Management

Math/Physics

Political Science

Psychology

Sociology

Women’s and Gender Studies

“This internship has enabled me to engage with the field I want to pursue in a way that would not have been possible otherwise. It has highlighted the importance of working both in and out of the classroom. I honestly cannot emphasize enough the value that doing an internship has added to my college experience!”

– Kasyan Green

 

How did you first find out about your internship, and how did you secure this opportunity?

 I first found out about this internship opportunity via Indeed.com. Then, I recognized that my friend and Clark alum, John Pisacreta, works for the company. After talking to him and discovering that he also did an Accounting Internship for them, I figured it would be a good internship to apply for. I used his name as a reference and heard back from them soon after. The next steps were a phone screening interview and an on-site interview. A couple weeks later, I received a call asking if I would like to accept the position.

– Kyle Coughlin

 

How did your internship experience affect your perception of the industry or role, and how did it inform your future career goals/plans? Did it confirm what you want to do next? Did you decide to move in a different direction?

“This internship made me realize how much I love working in a startup. Even as hectic as it can get, everything is new and exciting and we have to be as flexible and supportive as we can when things don’t go exactly how we want it to be. Also, from this internship I’ve realized that I might want to pursue being a program manager.”

– Nadia Fakhrol

 “Some of the highlights of my internship has been in the second week where I led a workshop on critical media literacy and one of my campers built a poster of inclusion and how they would want to see the world. Having been able to convey the biases of the media and how it affects people of color and seeing that reciprocated has been one of the best moments. Being able to engage all these campers from different cultures and backgrounds into such conversation has been a strength that I have developed.”

– Anisha Hassan


Has your academic component changed at all? If so, how?
I started the internship thinking I would research on if these resilience building programs work or not, however my paper has evolved to cultural competency, and how that is essential to working in a multicultural environment such as camp.”

– Anisha Hassan

Was the student’s academic preparation adequate for the internship? Is there anything Clark University can do to ensure a better learning outcome and experience for future academic interns?


“Our intern has a strong understanding of creative writing, grammar, and communications which I am assuming is reflective of her education at Clark University. In addition to her academics, she also has amazing soft skills which will make her a great future employee for a lucky employer.”

– Pulse Magazine

 

“Our interns’ academic preparation was great for the internship. We look forward to working with future Clark University students and offering them internship opportunities at the Center.”

– Worcester Youth Center

 

“Our intern has set the bar very high for our next intern. Kudos to Clark for helping prepare her. Her academic preparation was exceptional.”

– Center for Health Impact