Explore and focus your career path through an internship!
Internship Guide for Students
The Internship Guide for Students (PDF) is a good starting place when planning for an internship. This guide captures information from the Internships webpage and puts it in one place (with helpful links and forms for registration, funding information, etc.).
Internship Checklist
- Meet with your advisor to determine internship eligibility.
- Identify a faculty sponsor within your discipline.
- Search for/apply to internships. Ask faculty mentors and/or Internship Coordinator for ideas and contacts.
- Secure your internship and confirm your site supervisor.
- Complete the Internship Proposal Form.
- Transfer information to the Internship Proposal on Handshake (submission registers the internship for credit).
- Complete your internship evaluations during the experience.
Each of these steps is described in detail in the Internship Workflow webpage.
Search for Internships
You can use search tools like Handshake and CareerShift to identify internship opportunities (both in-person and remote). Filter tools are helpful when searching for internships by location, industry, etc. For a list of internships by discipline, visit the SUNY Potsdam Collections in Handshake (this step-by-step video shows you how to access the Collections in Handshake).
Note: Not all employers within a Collection currently offer an internship. In some instances, you or Internship Coordinator must initiate site contact to arrange an internship experience.
Secure an Internship
There are two main ways to secure an internship:
- You make direct contact with an internship site to inquire about internship opportunities (on your own or with the support of a Faculty Mentor and/or the Internship Coordinator).
- You submit an application to be considered by an internship site. In this case, application materials are a preliminary step in connecting with a potential internship site (an internship posting will link to any required application).
Next Steps
Site Supervisor—this individual will oversee your day-to-day internship work. They must be able to provide structured mentorship in your discipline/career path, and they are expected to provide regular feedback on your site work performance, career development, etc.
Note: Your initial contact with a site may be with someone other than your eventual Site Supervisor. Some employers prefer to use an HR office or main contact for vetting internship inquiries and applications. In either case, be prepared to provide an updated resume as well as your availability to schedule an in-person or remote interview. Scheduling a resume review with Career Services is highly recommended!
Faculty Sponsor—this individual is chosen by you to create learning goals and assignments that connect to your internship experience. They will also assign the final grade once all internship hours and assignments are complete.
Note: You must identify a Faculty Sponsor from the department/program that houses your major or minor. This should be a mentor in your discipline. Most departments/programs have faculty who are experienced in sponsoring an internship. If not, you should ask around or check with the Internship Coordinator.
Propose/Register Your Internship on Handshake
SUNY Potsdam uses a Handshake proposal to register internships for course credit. An internship proposal is like a contract between you, your Faculty Sponsor, and your Site Supervisor. A proposal specifies work-related expectations, and it outlines criteria and techniques for evaluation at the midpoint and conclusion of the internship. A proposal may require negotiation of what you want to learn, what the Site Supervisor needs to be done, and what the Faculty Sponsor wants you to demonstrate you have learned. Reminder: You can register a maximum of 12 internship credits during degree work at SUNY Potsdam.
Follow these steps for proposing/registering an internship:
- Complete the Internship Proposal Form. This is a fillable, rough draft for personal use and does not typically get submitted to anyone. You should complete all fields on this form when meeting with your site supervisor and faculty sponsor.
- Submit your Internship Proposal on Handshake (cutting and pasting from the proposal form makes this easy). This step-by-step walkthrough shows you how to navigate this process. Your internship will be registered for credit once the internship proposal is fully approved.
Once submitted, your internship proposal will go through a chain of approvals. The Internship Coordinator will review it for accuracy before sending it for approvals by the Faculty Sponsor, Site Supervisor, School Dean, and Registrar. The Registrar will ensure that the course is registered, added to your schedule, and a Brightspace page will be created for the course.
You can check the status of an internship proposal by following these steps:
- In Handshake, click on “Career Center” (in left-hand menu), then click on the “Experiences” button
- From the Experiences dashboard, click on the “View Details” button
- Scroll down to the “Approvers” section to view where the proposal is in the approvals process
Deadlines for Internship Registration
- Fall 2026 internship registrations open on 4/7/26 and close on 9/20/26
- Spring 2027 internship registrations open on 11/2/26 and close on 2/8/27
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).
Internship Support Stipend
Fall 2026 stipend applications open on 4/7/26 and close on 9/20/26
Apply for a Fall 2026 Internship Support Stipend
The Internship Support Stipend helps offset costs incurred during an internship experience. This funding is meant to help you with a portion of your unpaid site hours, mileage, professional development, and material costs. The Lougheed Center for Applied Learning aims to equitably address student interns' financial needs across the entire campus; however, stipend awards cannot cover all internship expenses in a given semester.
You must submit a Handshake proposal to be considered for this funding (stipend applications must be submitted by the registration deadline). The Lougheed Center for Applied Learning will review all stipend applications once the application window closes. Students can expect to hear back roughly 1 week following the deadline, and disbursements will follow shortly thereafter.
View the Internship Stipend Repayment and Completion Policy
Internship Scholarships
Fall 2026 stipend applications open on 4/7/26 and close on 9/20/26
Complete an Internship Scholarship application
You are eligible for an internship-specific scholarship when registering your internship for credit through Handshake. To apply, you must sign in to the internship portal and complete an application. While you will be auto-matched to scholarships based on award criteria, you are welcome to apply for others.
The Lougheed Center for Applied Learning reviews all scholarship applications and works with the Financial Aid office to make determinations on awards (based on award availability and students' financial need). Only internships processed through Handshake/by the Center for Applied Learning are eligible for internship scholarship awards.
Meet with Your Academic Advisor
The first step in planning an internship is to check with your academic advisor. They will help you understand the best timing for an internship in your degree sequence, how many credits you might register for the experience, and what degree requirements the internship can fulfill.
Meet with a Faculty Mentor
You can speak with a faculty mentor in your discipline about internship ideas, site contacts, and next steps. Some faculty may refer you to the Internship Coordinator while others may provide site specifics and contacts to get you started. As the subject experts in your field, faculty mentors are a great place to begin exploring internship options.
School of Arts & Sciences
Environment and Sustainability: Jessica Pearson
Graphic Design: Kathleen Mahoney
STEM and pre-health: Robert G. Ewy
School of Education and Professional Studies
Business Administration: Shalu Wunnava
Public Health: Kelly Bonnar
Exercise Science: Tanya Hewitt
Crane School of Music
Music Business: Tim Yip
General Advising: David Heuser
Meet with the Internship Coordinator
All students are welcome to schedule an advising appointment with Max Grube, Internship Coordinator, in the Lougheed Center for Applied Learning. Book an appointment with Max through Starfish (regular student advising hours available), or email at grubejm@potsdam.edu. Whether you are in the early planning phase or you have an internship secured and ready to register, you can schedule an appointment to review any step of the internship process.
About the Presidential Internship Program
The Presidential Internship Program (PIP) was started in Summer 2024 to match student interns with North Country internship sites during the summer (the PIP is summer only). Employers apply in the fall, students apply in the spring, and matching occurs before summer (through an interview and matching process). Students accepted into the PIP receive tuition coverage and a wage stipend to offset the costs of their summer internship—this program is both competitive and high-value for SUNY Potsdam students!
How to Apply
Visit the PIP webpage for more information and application instructions!
How the Program Works
Credits and Funding
The Lougheed Center for Applied Learning will cover 3 credits of tuition and award a wage stipend of $1,920 for unpaid internship wages (equivalent to minimum wage for a 3-credit, 120-hour experience)
Students applying to the PIP can register any amount of credits for their internship (up to the 12-credit maximum); however, the Lougheed Center for Applied Learning will only cover 3 credits for each student
Applications, Interviews and Matching
Employers submit an application during the fall semester to be added to the list of PIP site options. These site options represent the employers that students can choose from when applying.
Students submit an application during the spring semester, which qualifies them for the PIP cohort. Students will choose their top 2 (North Country) site choices from the list provided.
Students who have a successful application will be invited for 2 interviews: First, students will interview with staff from the Lougheed Center for Applied Learning to ensure good fit for the program. Second, students will schedule an interview with their top 2 site choices (students must schedule site interviews on their own).
Once all interviews are complete, the Internship Coordinator will consult all sites regarding their top choices and matching will take place. Once matching is complete, all sites and students will receive an announcement about final matches for summer.
Professional Development and Mentorship
Students accepted into the PIP must commit to attending (required) professional development sessions during the month of June. Students must attend in person.
Professional Development sessions occur twice a week (currently Monday and Friday from 3:30-5:00pm) during each week of June.
Professional Development sessions count toward the overall site hour total.
PIP students must also commit to mentoring a younger SUNY Potsdam intern during the month of June. Each PIP student's mentee will complete an internship on campus/locally during June and attend professional development sessions. Mentorship guidance and structure will be provided in advance in order to develop leadership skills during the experience.
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?
View the application/registration deadlines
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 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 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 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 could review to learn more about the organization, and what processes and procedures you should know, like what to do in case of an 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.