Internships for Academic Credit
You’ve acquired business skills and knowledge in the classroom. Now you are ready to apply those skills to the business world in an applied learning experience such as an internship. To facilitate this, the College of Business Administration has a well-established internship program that brings employers, faculty and students together to provide students with meaningful work experiences.
Before You Apply
After securing an internship, review these eligibility details and next steps for internship courses:
- Accept a position during which you will work the required number of work hours for credit. Students’ work hours count only from the date of a submitted application for the program. Hours will not count retroactively.
- 3-credit courses (3986+4986, 4989, and 3990) require a minimum of 240 work hours.
- The 1-credit course requires a minimum of 120 work hours.
- BUAD 3987, the full-time internship course, requires 400 work hours during the Fall/Spring semester.
- Students must meet the minimum cumulative GPA requirement of 2.0 and sophomore standing (at least 24 completed credits).
- Review the PDF brochures linked in the next section for course prerequisites, major-specific GPA requirements, and other eligibility details.
- Before completing an Internship for Credit application form, be prepared to upload a job description of the internship position from the company. (This is a summary of the role, not an offer letter.)
- Students attending Marquette on an F-1 Visa: Find out about work authorization for international students and be prepared to apply for CPT.
- Graduate students: If you are interested in pursuing credit for an internship, especially for visa or CPT compliance, please consult the GSM forms page and/or contact your Program Director.
Apply promptly before beginning work in Fall/Spring semesters. Applications are typically reviewed in 5-7 business days. Summer applications need to be received by the third Monday in June for consideration.
Still searching? Visit the BCC webpage with Job & Internship Search tips for guidance and resources, or schedule an appointment with BCC staff through Handshake.
Major-Specific Internship Course Details
Note that for some majors, 3-credit internship courses count as major electives, while others count as upper division business electives. Review the summary below and view complete details and instructions in the PDF brochures.
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Credit Area
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Additional Notes
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Students who began in COBA fall 2020 or later: Upper division business elective
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| Accelerating Ingenuity in Markets (AIM) |
Upper division business elective |
An internship is required for any AIM student graduating at or before May 2026; |
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Upper division business elective
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Review PDF for 1-credit and full-time course opportunity details.
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| Business Analytics |
Upper division business elective |
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Upper division business elective
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Review PDF Commercial Banking program details.
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Upper division business elective
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Upper division business elective
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Upper division business elective
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If you enrolled in MU in Fall 2017 or later, an internship is required for graduation.
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Applications
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1-Credit Internship (fall/spring: BUAD 2989 or summer: BUAD 1986+2986)
Relevant for freshmen, sophomores, and international students.
Consider the BUAD 1986 Internship course if:
- You have secured an internship and your employer requires that you earn academic credit.
- You are an international student on a F-1 Visa and need to apply for Curricular Practical Training(CPT).
BUAD 1986+2986 or 2989 is a 1-credit course sequence that enables a student to fulfill needs above. The lower-level business credit will not fulfill any graduation requirements (graduation checklist items). It will count toward a student’s total number of credits earned at Marquette University.
3-Credit Internship for all majors except Accounting (fall/spring: 4989 or summer: 3986+4986)
Relevant for sophomores, juniors, and seniors interning during the summer or academic year.
- Fall & Spring Internships: Students will enroll in a 3-credit course during the semester of the internship (4989).
- Summer Internships: Students will enroll in a 0-credit course (3986) during the summer semester (to avoid a tuition charge). After completing the 3986 course, students may enroll in the 3-credit, 4986 course during the next Fall or Spring semester (when tuition does not change for enrollments above 12 credits).
Eligibility:
Most majors: Completion of the introductory course in the major in which the student will intern (most are XXXX 3001), completed 24 credits, and a 2.5 cumulative GPA or higher.
Real Estate and Finance majors: GPA of 2.67 or higher in major coursework is required.
Once you receive an offer for an internship position, an Internship for Credit Application form must be completed describing the responsibilities, number of work hours, the length of the internship, and including a job description document from the company. Internship Faculty Liaisons in each major determine if the internship will aid in the education of the student in respect to the student's major.
Approved internships earn 3 credits. To receive credit students must have the internship approved at the beginning of the work experience. Students earn 3 credits upon successful completion of 240 hours of work experience. It is not necessary that an internship be completed within one academic semester. You may choose which semester you apply your credits. Credit will not be given for any work done prior to the internship being approved; hours will not be applied retroactive to approval.
To receive academic credit for the internship, the student must provide an interim and final report which demonstrates the learning that has taken place. Final evaluation documents will be completed by both the student and employer. All internship courses are graded on an S/U basis only.
Application Links:
3-Credit Full-Time Internship during fall or spring only (BUAD 3987)
Relevant for sophomores, juniors, and seniors interning full-time during the academic year (while not taking any other courses).
College of Business Administration sophomores, juniors and seniors may apply to earn credit for a full-time internship they will complete during an academic semester, similar to a co-op. The full-time internship for credit process is separated into two courses. The first course is a zero-credit course, BUAD 3987. The BUAD 3987 course holds your full-time status as a Marquette University student, requiring students to complete 400 work hours.
During the semester in which you are enrolled in BUAD 3987, you will not be charged tuition and will not pay student services fees. As a result, you will not have access to the Student Medical Clinic, Rec Center or Rec Plex, or the UPASS program.
During the semester after completing their internships, students enroll in the second course. The second course is a 3-credit course within the department where a student has been approved for credit (HURE 4986, FINA 4986, etc). The 4986 course is considered in the student’s tuition. If the student enrolls in this course during a term when they will exceed 19 total credits a “Credit Overload Request Form” needs to completed and submitted. There is no additional cost for exceeding 19 credits.
Accounting Internship Details & Applications
Eligibility: Accounting major with a cumulative GPA of 2.5 or better. By the start of the internship, students must have senior standing (90 credits completed) and must have completed ACCO 3001 - Intermediate Accounting, ACCO 4020 - Advanced Accounting, and three upper-level ACCO courses. If you will not meet the eligibility criteria for an ACCO internship by the start of the internship, students are encouraged to consider BUAD 3986+4986 or 4989 credit.
ACCO internship for credit will count as Upper Level Business Elective credits for students who enrolled at Marquette in fall 2020 or later. Students who complete “busy season” spring internships with least 500 work hours may earn three additional credits that will not fulfill a Marquette requirement but will be counted toward the 150-credit CPA requirement.
For additional eligibility and course information, please review the appropriate checklist below:
Accounting Internship Early Recruitment (AIER) Program Internships: Students who are offered an internship through the Accounting Internship Early Recruitment Program are automatically approved for the ACCO Internship for Credit course(s).
Self-Found Accounting Internships:
- Review the Student and Position Eligibility Requirements on the Self Found Internship Checklist to see if you qualify.
- If you meet the qualifications, complete the online internship form
- Be prepared to attach your Job Description to the online internship form.
- After completing the steps above, Business Career Center staff and Laura Poupitch will review your application and will provide a response about your internship’s eligibility for ACCO credit within 2-4 business days. If your internship is approved, you will receive a permission number for the internship course.
Business Minors in ENTP & HURE
Relevant for sophomore, junior, and senior HURE and ENTP business minors interning during the summer or academic year.
Eligibility: Completion of the introductory course in the minor in which the student will intern (most are XXXX 3001), completed 24 credits, and a 2.5 cumulative GPA or higher.
Once you receive an offer for an internship position, an Internship For Credit Application form must be completed for approval describing the responsibilities, number of hours required, the length of the internship, and including a job description document from the company. Internship Faculty Liaisons will determine if the internship will aid in the education of the student with respect to the student's minor.
Additional Course & Program Policies
- Students in the College of Business Administration can pursue up to 7 credits total through Internship for Credit. The same credit area or major cannot be taken twice. (For example, if approved, a student can take FINA 4989 and MARK 4986 – for two different roles – but cannot take FINA twice). The one exception is BUAD: Students may complete 4 credits of BUAD internship through the 1-credit and 3-credit options.
- Students cannot pursue credit twice for work in the same internship continuing at the same company. A second course must be associated with a substantially new role.
- Upon Internship for Credit approval, students should read their program welcome email carefully and remember to complete their internship goal survey before they enroll in the course.
- Review these additional details about unpaid internships.
Possible ESSV2 Fulfillment
If you began at Marquette in Fall 2020 or later and have the Engaging Social Systems & Values 2 (ESSV2) requirement on your checklist (page 1 within the Marquette Core Curriculum), you may be able to co-enroll in MARQ 3929 along with an approved Internship for Credit course. See the MARQ 3929 course description below to determine if this might be a good fit.
After being approved for and enrolling in an Internship for Credit experience (3986 or 4989 course) you should automatically be able to register for MARQ 3929. If any issues or further questions about the course please reach out to Dean Krey (beth.krey@marquette.edu).
MARQ 3929: ESSV2 Reflective Analysis: Taken in conjunction with a college-approved internship, externship, or coop, or with an independent community placement tracked through MUEngage to fulfill the Marquette Core Curriculum’s ESSV2 requirement. Employ Ignatian pedagogical principles to reflect on the influence of social structures in the real world. Assess the systemic features of race, class, and gender in practical settings. Evaluate plans for contributing to equality and inclusion in the world today. 0 credit / S/U grading scale
Employer Supervisors
Linked here are Internship Supervisor Guidelines to help employers and supervisors with their intern’s growth and development. We encourage you to review this short document to promote a successful internship experience.
Questions?
We’re here to help!
Email businesscareers@marquette.edu or schedule a 15-minute Internship for Credit Questions appointment via Handshake.
