The Freeman For-Credit Internship (FFCIP) allows BSM students the opportunity to meet requirements of employers seeking to hire students for an unpaid internship in exchange for gaining practical industry-related skills.
Many employers wishing to comply with the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) have asked schools and universities to provide some type of academic credit in lieu of hourly payment to students. However, it should be noted that there is no university requirement for students to receive credit for any internship, nor is it a requirement for graduation.
We've created this program so that BSM students are eligible for internship opportunities that require credit as a term of hiring and employment.
Only internships that are unpaid will be considered for receiving credit. This includes internships that continue past one semester, even if you and the employer agree that you will continue to work without pay.
Statement of Understanding - Internships and the university
Students who accept internships - paid or unpaid - are entering into an agreement with an employer. This agreement would be the same if it were a part-time job working at a store or a restaurant.
There is no requirement, regulation or punishment if a student takes on an unpaid internship and chooses not to receive credit.
Tulane University and the Freeman School of Business accept no liability or protection if a student is injured while working in an internship, paid or unpaid. The responsibility for safety, fair treatment and acceptable work conditions are standards the employer must provide for every employee, regardless of whether the employee is a paid or unpaid intern or a payroll employee.
There are only two reasons a student should decide to enter into the Freeman For-Credit Internship Program:
- The employer will not hire the student unless there is notification of credit being assigned for the internship opportunity.
- The student wishes to gain credit for the internship.
Again, there is no university requirement that students gain credit for unpaid internships.
Statement of Understanding - Internship Class Credit and Your Degree Requirements
Class credits for an internship do not count toward the required credits for awarding your degree. In other words, if you are 1 credit hour short to reach your minimum requirements for a BSM degree, your enrollment in the Freeman For-Credit Internship Program will not satisfy that requirement. You will still need to identify another course that satisfies your minimum credit hour requirements to gain the hour needed.
Student Eligibility
Students must meet the following requirements to be eligible for the FFCIP:
- Sophomore standing or higher
- In good standing with Tulane University and the Freeman School of Business.
- Minimum 2.0 overall GPA or better.
- Students on academic or disciplinary probation are not eligible. No exceptions.
- You must complete an online evaluation of your internship at the end of the working assignment before credit is awarded. Failure to do so will result in a "U-Unsatisfactory" for the class.
- Please note - you can only enroll in the program one time while a BSM student. You may continue the internship if the employer and you agree, but you will only receive credit ONCE.
Internship Partner Requirements
Employers wishing to accept students seeking credit for an internship through the FFCIP must agree to the following:
- Your internship must require you to earn academic credit as a condition of hiring.
- Your internship must be for a period of at least 9 weeks with an average of 10 hours per week. Temporary assignments and/or project based work are not eligible for credit
- Your internship employer provide an evaluation of your performance at the end of the internship duration and attest that you worked at least 90 hours
How to Apply
Students must have all steps below completed before successful enrollment in the FFCIP:
- You must have a fully-operational Handshake account with an approved resume. There are no exceptions to this requirement. The approved resume must be in the Freeman School of Business Resume Format.
- You must complete the FFCIP Student Application Form online and answer all questions. You will see a personalized confirmation on the screen once you submit the application.
- On the application, you will have a space to copy/paste the job posting that you applied to. If the position was in Handshake, then you can indicate this, and we will identify it in the system. Incomplete applications will not be processed.
- On the application, you will need to indicate the full name of the company, full name of the contact at the company, their contact information including mailing address, email and phone number. Do not apply if you do not have this information. Get it and come back to the application. It will not be accepted with incomplete fields.
- On the application, you will need to indicate the city where the internship will take place and your start and end dates. If you don't have this information, get it and come back to the application.
Next Steps
Once you have completed all of the steps above and submitted the application, the Career Management Center will confirm all details with your employer and produce a "Letter of Understanding" which identifies that you have been accepted into the FFCIP and you will receive credit for a successful internship.
Employers will be sent the letter in anticipation of your start date and then you should be ready to start!!
Students should plan for a 5-7 day turnaround from successful application submission to "Letter of Understanding" creation and submission to employers. This process may take longer during peak times in the semester.
Students - It is your responsibility to complete this process before you start working. Do not assume this can be done within a matter of hours.
Students will be enrolled in the For-Credit Internship class as follows:
- If your internship is in the summer, you will be enrolled in the class in the fall semester after your internship. We do not enroll students in the class during the summer or you will be charged tuition by the university. These fees will be part of your normal tuition when the class is part of your fall/spring schedule of classes.
- If your internship is in the fall, you will be enrolled in the class in the fall semester up until the last day to add classes to your schedule. If you enroll in the program after the last day to add classes, then the class will be added to your schedule in the next spring Semester.
- If your internship is in the spring, you will be enrolled in the class in the fall Semester. Certain exceptions for graduating seniors can be considered if needed. These exceptions are handled on a case-by-case basis.
If your employer requires you to be enrolled in the class during the summer, the employer will need to state this in writing in order for the CMC to ask for permission to waive fees for summer and enroll you in the summer class. This must be a requirement by the employer, and we will need evidence of the need directly from the employer.
At the End of the Internship
Once the term has ended, students and employers will be sent separate evaluations that must be completed in order for credit to be awarded.
This document is part of your official university record since Tulane University is awarding you credit for work you did off-campus. Failure to complete the evaluation by the deadline will result in a "U" being assigned for the course. The deadline for completing the application will be clearly stated.
Deadlines for Summer For Credit Internship Applications
Applications will be accepted January 1 of the current year through the first day of class for the Fall semester.
Questions?
If you have questions regarding anything you see here or about the process, please direct them to:
Ms. Tori Lane
Associate Director of Career Education
vlane1@tulane.edu
Frequently Asked Questions and Answers
1. What paperwork will I need to apply?
You need to have an active Handshake account with an approved resume and access to the job posting that the company advertised.
2. Where is the application?
The FFCIP Student Application Form is available online. You must complete all required fields to successfully submit the application.
3. How long will this take to get approved?
You should plan for 5-7 days to have everything approved. It may take longer during busy times in the semester.
4. I am at the job RIGHT NOW and I need to get this done or they won't let me start. What do I do?
The Career Management Center will do what it can to help you, but you will need to be patient. We encourage all students to take care of this before the semester ends.
5. The employer doesn't require me to get credit and I really don't want to go through all of these steps, should I still do it? Will it make a difference for me in the future?
It's really up to you. There is no requirement to get credit for an internship. Tulane does not require it nor does the Freeman School of Business. Potential employers will SEE your internship on your resume and ASK you about what you did before they check your transcript to see if you got credit for it.
6. What happens if I forget to do the evaluation?
You will receive a "U" for the class.
7. What happens if my employer rates me poorly?
The CMC will follow up with the employer and you to see where the issues were. This does not mean you receive a "U" for the class.
8. What happens if I rate the internship experience poorly?
The CMC will follow up with the employer and you to see where the issues were. This does not mean you receive a "U" for the class.
