Internships are credit-bearing experiences that connect classroom knowledge with hands-on application in a student’s discipline. Students work with a faculty sponsor to develop experiential learning goals and with their site supervisor to match learning with appropriate site work. Internship sites are available on the SUNY Potsdam campus, across the North Country community, around New York state, and through national partnerships and global/remote options. Internship sites provide a vital network of professional contacts and references as well as the potential for future employment at the site itself (over half of eligible interns convert to full-time employees, according to NACE's annual survey). Internships help students explore career paths and become career ready!
Internship Guide for Students
The Internship Guide for Students (PDF) is a good starting place when planning for an internship. This guide includes overview of the registration process, helpful links/forms for registration, and information about internship funding opportunities (LoCAL stipend and internship scholarships).
A Note from the Internship Coordinator
The process of searching for and securing an internship requires constant coordination and communication between all parties—this is a team effort. Internships are not ready-made courses. Instead, setting up an internship means working with other key players (academic advisor, faculty sponsor, site supervisor, and internship coordinator) to craft details of the experience and connect with a host site. It's never too early to begin planning an internship experience!
Searching for Internships on Handshake
Any student looking for a list of internship sites in their discipline should visit SUNY Potsdam Collections in Handshake. The Collections feature allows students to browse and filter internships by discipline/department.
This video provides a brief overview of how to locate and browse the SUNY Potsdam Collections in Handshake.
Note: Not all Employers within a Collection currently offer an internship. In some instances, the student or Internship Coordinator must initiate site contact to arrange an internship experience.
Proposing/Registering an Internship on Handshake
SUNY Potsdam uses Handshake to register internships for course credit. First, students should complete the Internship Proposal Form (rough draft for personal use). Second, students should transfer all information to the official Handshake proposal. Once the internship proposal is submitted on Handshake, the following people must review and approve it before it can be registered: Internship Coordinator, Faculty Sponsor, Site Supervisor, Dean of School, and Registrar. Students may be required to make corrections if details are missing or incorrect. At the end of the approvals process, the Registrar will register the student for their internship.
Please reference the Internship Guide for Students for an overview of the entire proposal/registration process. A video walkthrough is forthcoming!
How to Use the Internship Proposal Form
The Internship Proposal Form is rough draft for student use. This form does not get submitted to anyone, but it does aid students in compiling all necessary details for a secured internship. Students should use this form when communicating with their faculty sponsor and site supervisor. Once complete, all details from the form can then be copied to the official Handshake proposal.
About the Internship Proposal:
- Acts as a contract between you, your faculty sponsor, and your internship site supervisor. It specifies educational and work-related expectations as well as outlining criteria and techniques for mid-term evaluation and grading at the internship’s conclusion.
- Outlines learning goals and specific strategies for achieving those goals. You are not an employee or a “free agent.” In return for your experiential opportunity, you carry out agreed upon activities and projects. You are negotiating what you want to learn, what the supervisor needs done, and what your faculty sponsor wants you to demonstrate you have learned.
- Describes your academic work. Faculty sponsors will require you to undertake learning activities that will supplement or enhance on-site work. You should work together to develop specific assignments and duties (e.g., supplemental readings, write a paper, and/or keep a journal of your work).
Helpful Resources
- Step-by-Step Walkthrough - a guide for submitting your internship proposal on Handshake (with pictures)
- Access Handshake - this takes you to the Handshake website
Deadlines for Internship Registration
- Summer 2025 internship registrations open on 3/10
- Fall 2025 internship registrations open on 4/9
Students are encouraged to submit their Handshake proposal as soon as they have their internship selected and should not wait until the semester begins!
Students must complete the Late Internship Registration Appeal Form if proposing an internship after the registration deadline (late internship registrations will not qualify for a stipend)
LoCAL Internship Stipend
Summer 2025 stipend applications will remain open until Sunday 5/4 (11:59pm)
Fall 2025 stipend applications will open during summer session (students registered for fall will receive a reminder email to apply)
Complete a LoCAL Stipend application
Students must submit their internship proposal on Handshake before applying for an LoCAL stipend (only credit-bearing internships are considered for this award). Applications will be reviewed by the LoCAL Advisory Board. Note: Late internships (submitted through the late internship registration appeal form) do not qualify for a stipend.
Processing and Disbursement Schedule for Summer 2025 Stipends:
- Application Deadline Sunday 5/4 (11:59pm)
- Application Reviews, Monday 5/5
- Award Letters Sent, Tuesday 5/6-Wednesday 5/7
- Student Paperwork Due, Wednesday 5/14
- Paperwork Processing, Wednesday 5/14-Thursday 5/15
- Disbursements Begin, Friday 6/13
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Internship Scholarships
Complete an Internship Scholarship application
All SUNY Potsdam eligible students may apply for the following Internship Scholarships:
- Haden Land Endowed Internship Scholarship (Aerospace and Defense Internship Scholarship), $1000
Purpose: Students must be a major in Computer Science, Mathematics or Informatics Programs-a double major or major/minor combination is encouraged, e.g., CIS/Math.
- Kellogg Family Scholarship, $1000
Purpose: Recipient must have declared a major in The School of Arts & Sciences; Recipient must demonstrate a current or previous involvement in an internship or other work experience related to their major or career path while maintaining a full-time academic status; Recipient must have strong leadership and citizenship background; Recipient must have financial need as determined by the Financial Aid Office; and have at least a GPA of 3.0 or higher (rare exception, as low as 2.7, at the Director of Experiential Education's discretion).
- Lambert Eagle, $1000
Purpose: Awarded by the Office of Experiential Education to a student with a minimum GPA of 2.5, who has secured an internship placement of at least 6 credits, and has demonstrated financial need as defined by the Office of Financial Aid. The student must submit an Internship Proposal and Learning Contract along with an application for the scholarship.
Lougheed Center for Applied Learning, Internships
Max Grube, Internship Coordinator, can help with all steps of the internship process. Please click here to book an appointment with Max through Starfish (preferably during office hours), or email at grubejm@potsdam.edu.
We encourage you to also work with your academic advisor to determine eligibility. If your program requires an internship, your department or school may have a faculty coordinator you can work with, as well.
School of Arts & Sciences
Arts Management: Joshua Vink
Environmental Studies: Jessica Pearson
Graphic Design: Kathleen Mahoney
STEM and pre-health: Robert G. Ewy, Biology
School of Education & Professional Studies
Business Administration: Shalu Wunnava
Community Health: Sarah Lister
Education: Julie Johnson, Center for School Partnerships
Exercise Science: Tanya Hewitt
Crane School of Music
Music Business: David Via
General Advising: David Heuser
Internship Checklist and Workflow
- Determine your eligibility for an internship.
- Identify a faculty sponsor.
- Search for an internship.
- Apply to and secure your internship.
- Complete the Internship Proposal.
- Submit the Internship Proposal to register for credit.
- Complete your internship evaluations.
Each of these steps is described in detail in the Internship Workflow webpage.
What is a faculty sponsor?
Students are required to have a faculty sponsor for all credit-bearing internships. The faculty sponsor determines the academic appropriateness of the proposed internship, monitors the student intern’s progress, and assigns a grade for the student's overall internship experience. It is the responsibility of the student to recruit a faculty sponsor - they don't have to be your advisor, but they do need to be knowledgeable about the kind of work and learning you will be doing in your internship. The faculty sponsor reviews the internship description, outlines the expected learning outcomes of the experience, and assigns related academic work. Faculty sponsors are expected to meet with their student interns, face to face or online, on a regular basis during the internship.
What is a site supervisor?
The student must have a supervisor at the organization where they intern, to offer training and guide the hands-on, practical learning experience of the internship. A sIte supervisor provides an internship description and outlines intern duties for the student's Handshake proposal, and the supervisor must approve the full Handshake proposal once it is submitted. Site supervisors must submit a mid-term and final performance evaluation of the student’s internship experience, which is used by the faculty sponsor to determine an appropriate grade for the hands-on portion of the internship.
How many contact hours at a worksite do I need to complete in order to be granted 1 academic credit hour?
40 contact hours plus an academic component assigned by a faculty sponsor equals 1 (one) credit hour.
1 credit = 40 contact hours
3 credits=120 contact hours
6 credits =240 contact hours
9 credits= 360 contact hours
12 credits=480 contact hours
SUNY Potsdam allows students to earn up to 12 internship credits to count towards graduation. Some departments have specific guidelines about how internships can count toward the major, so students must check with their academic advisor before registering for a credit-bearing internship.
Can I register now for the internship I did over the summer?
No! It is expected that the faculty sponsor and the student are working together on academic content at the same time that the student is working at the internship site. This cannot be done if there is no Internship Proposal created.
- Registration must be completed by the published deadlines for the semester in which the internship will be undertaken.
- Academic credit will be awarded only for hours worked during the period listed in the Internship Proposal.
- No “retroactive credit” can be awarded for hours worked before or after the period of the contract or after the internship is completed.
- Late registrations will only be considered in extremely unusual circumstances.
What are the due dates for registration?
You can find the application/registration deadlines located here.
If I have a summer internship and I want to receive academic credits, do I have to pay summer tuition?
Yes! A summer academic internship is just like a summer class. You must fill out an Internship Proposal with your faculty sponsor and site supervisor, and then submit that proposal via Handshake. A staff member will register you for the summer session, and you will be billed for tuition per credit hour from the Student Accounts' office.
Can I complete more than one internship?
Yes! You can complete one internship or multiple internships. You also have the option of completing multiple internships simultaneously, if that makes sense with your degree work. Remember that the credit threshold for internships is 12 credits. Whether registering a single internship or multiple internships, university policy does not allow for exceeding this threshold.
Can I be paid and receive academic credit for an internship?
Yes! The academic credit is based on your contact hours at the internship, your academic work with your faculty sponsor, and your performance at the internship site. There is no conflict in being paid for the hours you work, so long as your academic and job performance meet the learning outcomes and duties agreed upon in the Internship Proposal.
Can I do my internship at my mom's law office?
No. Students are not permitted to develop internships where they would be working under the direct supervision of, or in close proximity to a member of their immediate family or a close relative. Exceptions may be made if there are extenuating circumstances and the faculty sponsor, site supervisor, and advisor are all aware of the situation in advance of approving the internship. Please contact the Lougheed Center for Applied Learning to discuss options.
What do I do on my first day as an intern?
- Confirm in advance what exactly what is required and expected of you by the internship site on your first day - this may just be "Meet Erica Lopez in her office at 9 a.m.", but knowing what to do first on the first day will help you smooth out any nerves.
- Find out what the dress code of the organization is so you dress appropriately. This is a good question to ask of your site supervisor.
- Act professionally. Your co-workers will be depending on you and will expect you to adhere to the same rules and regulations as other employees. If you're not sure if something is appropriate, ask. They know you're an intern, and learning - but be sure to ask respectfully, and accept the answer you're given.
- Learn what to do if you cannot make it into the office BEFORE you need to call in sick. What is the attendance policy? Who should you contact? Can you make up the hours?
- Ask if there is any information you may review to learn more about the organization, and what processes and procedures you should know, like what to do in case of emergency.
- Display enthusiasm for the internship position and remember that the more dedicated you are to a position, the more recognized you will be.
- Get to know other employees and become familiar with their work functions - you may learn about your dream job this way!
- Take a lot of notes - you may want these for your academic work, and you'll need to remember what you've been assigned to do.