Registering for Credit: Internship Guide

Online Internship Forms

Congratulations on securing an internship! To receive credit for your internship, you must complete the online Internship Application Form, which can be accessed at Internship Registration (GradLeaders). If you have not yet accessed GradLeaders, your username will be your full G# and your password, until you change it, will be geneseo. 

Important Terms to Understand

Faculty Director

Faculty Director: Oversees the academic portion of your internship and grading.

Field or Immediate Supervisor

Field or Immediate Supervisor: This is your direct supervisor at the internship site. Completes an evaluation of your work and verifies hours worked. Field Supervisors do not assign the internship grade. Some Faculty Directors do weigh the feedback from your Field Supervisor into the final grade.

 

Departmental Internship Coordinator

Departmental Internship Coordinator: Used by some departments as a central point of contact for students.

Registration Term and Start / End Dates

Registration Term and Start / End Dates: Registration for internship credits correspond to regular deadlines set by the Registrar and the Career Design Center. They can be viewed on the Academic Calendar.

Fall 2025 Internship Registration Deadline: September 15th

September 2026 Internship Registration Deadline: February 10th

 

Internship Form or Learning Agreement

Internship Form or Learning Agreement: Online agreement in the Internship Registration System that is completed to receive internship credit.

Ratio of Credits to Hours

The ratio of Credits to Hours Worked: 40 hours of work per credit hour minimum. (See more about credit per hour below.)

Types of Internships & Credit Options

At SUNY Geneseo, students have the option of receiving departmental credit or elective credit through INTD 395. Departmental internships are generally open to juniors and seniors meeting certain GPA requirements. Students ineligible for departmental credit such as sophomores or students interning in areas unrelated to their major may receive credit through INTD 395. Below, the three credit options are summarized.

Departmental / Academic

Departmental / Academic (XXXX 395): Departmental internships managed by the academic department carry a letter grade and are variable credit. These credits may or may not count towards the academic major or minor. Students are advised to start with their academic advisor to discuss specific internship requirements and determine if credits earned will satisfy any Major requirements.

Departmental (XXXX 395)

1-15 credits (repeatable, but no more than 15 total credits)

Open to all students (> 2.75 GPA or with department chair approval)

Internship relates to academic major

The internship must be career-related

Credit is a letter grade

Credits may count towards major (limits are set by individual departments)

Requires academic work and reflective work

40 hours of work per credit hour

Students may receive no more than 15 internship credits towards 120 credit graduation requirement

Supervised by a professional at the internship site

Overseen by academic departments

May be paid or unpaid

Availability varies by department

Credit granted to internships related to students' academic major

Interdisciplinary (INTD 395)

INTD-395: Open to all students, INTD-395 is a variable credit internship course overseen by the Career Design Center. Graded as Satisfactory / Unsatisfactory (SU), INTD-395 does not satisfy Major or Minor requirements. The credits apply to the 120 credits needed to graduate.

INTD 395

1-15 credits (repeatable, but no more than 15 total credits)

Open to all students with a 2.0  GPA or greater.

The internship may or may not relate to major

The internship must be career-related

Credit is pass/fail

Credits count towards the graduation requirement of 120 credits

Requires reflective work (journals, portfolio)

40 hours of work per credit hour

Students may receive no more than 15 internship credits towards 120 credit graduation requirement

Supervised by a professional at the internship site

Overseen by the Office of the Provost and the Career Design Center

May be paid or unpaid

Available year-round (all semesters)

Grants credit to inter-departmental internships like Walt Disney World College Program or internships unrelated to academic major of the student

Step-by-Step Internship Guide

STEP 1: Understand the expectations - consult with your faculty advisor

Before meeting or interviewing with any field supervisors, be sure to understand the expectations of your academic department. Consult with your faculty director, adviser, or department chair FIRST about your interest in completing an internship. Individual departments may have their own guidelines and standards for approving a student for an internship.

STEP 2: Consult with your field supervisor

Consultation with your with your field supervisor to understand their expectations and be informative of the internship process.  You may find it easier to complete the online internship form with your internship field supervisor present. Required fields include a minimum of three learning objectives, work schedules, internship job description, GPA, internship or field supervisor contact and e-mail address, and departmental information.

STEP 3: Complete the online internship agreement form

Log into the Internship Registration System (GradLeaders). If you have not yet accessed GradLeaders before, your username will be your full G# and your password, until you change it, will be geneseo. 

Upon your submission of the form, the Career Design Center staff will initiate the electronic signature process which varies from department to department.

STEP 4: The internship approval process

Each participant in the internship process (field supervisor, faculty internship director, etc.)  reviews, accepts or rejects the internship agreement. Accepted forms automatically are sent via email to the next participant in the approval workflow process. Career Design Center reviews rejected forms to determine the nature of the rejection. Then routes the document to be corrected and resubmitted if necessary.

STEP 5 Tracking the agreement progress

Once everyone in the process has electronically signed the form, the Registrar will formally register the course. You may monitor the progress of your internship form in your GradLeaders account. Your internship form appears showing where the form is in the approval process. You will receive an e-mail when the process is complete and your course is registered.

Things to Keep in Mind

GPA Minimum

Students must have a minimum 2.0 GPA to register for internship credit unless they receive a GPA waiver from their department chair or the Office of Advising. It is recommended you first discuss your GPA with the chair or the Office of Advising before submitting the form. 

Registration Deadlines

Internships can be registered up to 3 weeks into the semester. Please see the academic calendar for current internship registration deadlines. 

Drop/Add

Dropping or withdrawing from internship credits is the same as any other course. If you decide to drop or withdraw, you must notify your internship supervisor, faculty director, and Hope Martin in the Career Design Center (Erwin 116).

Tuition Costs

Tuition costs for any departmental 395 course or INTD 395 are the same as a traditional course. Students interning in the Fall or Spring typically register for internship credits as an overload with no additional tuition charges. During the Summer and Winter Sessions, any registered credits including internship credits, carry tuition costs and applicable fees. Tuition is required for all Summer and Winter internships, including unpaid internships. It is against SUNY and College policy to receive internship credits retroactively. You may not request Fall or Spring internship credit for internships completed during Summer or Winter. 

Credits per Hour

Be sure that the internship schedule you create meets the criteria listed below.

Credits	Hours of Work
1 credit	40 minimum hours of work
2 credits	80 minimum hours of work
3 credits	120 minimum hours of work
4 credits	160 minimum hours of work
5 credits	200 minimum hours of work
9 credits	360 minimum hours of work
12 credits	480 minimum hours of work
15 credits	600 minimum hours of work

Maximum Credit

A maximum of 15 internship credits applies to graduation requirements of 120 credit hours. Academic departments set a limit of 0-6 internship credits that can be applied to academic majors. Full-time (12-15) credit internships are permitted to select seniors and juniors. Underclassmen are encouraged to do multiple internships that may accumulate to 15 credits.

Academic requirements

Department internships are assigned a letter grade based on the academic requirements outlined in your internship form. INTD  internships are graded S/U. Be sure to understand the academic requirements established by your faculty director.

Questions

The Career Design Center has weekly drop-in hours Monday - Friday 12 - 2 for internship advising, job search strategy, and more. See the Career Design Center for the current schedule. You may also schedule individual appointments with Hope Martin, Applied Learning Coordinator, by calling 585-245-5721. Questions may also be directed to your department chair or departmental internship director.