The Career Center is a leader in experiential education and thrives on facilitating connections between students and employers.
With more than 86% of AU undergraduates and 48% of graduate students completing one or more internships before graduation, our career advisors are adept in helping students to identify and maximize meaningful internships. Advisors' recommendations for students translate into best practices for employers.
View internships as unique learning experiences for budding professionals. Design your program in a way that enables students to test lessons learned in class, become aware of their obligations as professionals and to the public, and acquaint themselves with different work environments.
Offer challenging assignments that result in beneficial outcomes for your organization and tangible work samples or valuable experience for your interns.
Create a positive learning environment in which your interns may test their classroom theories. Credit-bearing internships must include a minimum of 85% substantive duties and no more than 15% clerical tasks. Internships must extend for a minimum of 14 weeks and require at least five (5) hours of work per week. Workplace evaluations account for 25-50% of students' final grades. Read the guidelines for credit-bearing internships.
At American University, students may earn both academic credit and compensation for their internships. Therefore, we strongly encourage you to provide competitive hourly wages or stipends to help students defray the ever-increasing costs of living and tuition.
As a nonprofit or government employer offering unpaid internships, try to include value-added opportunities such as structured mentoring programs, specialized training, access to special events, and complimentary meals. If you are a for-profit organization offering unpaid internships, we expect you to comply with the Fair Labor Standards Act, particularly as it relates to internships.
AU partners with Parker Dewey to offer students professional micro-internships with organizations, as a way to gain critical skills and experience to bolster their career development. Or, consider creating a virtual internship position or program within your organization. Virtual internships are accessible and reach a wider and more diverse set of AU students.
Use Handshake, our comprehensive recruitment tool, to post and promote internship opportunities for free. Participate in other campus recruiting activities and become an employer of choice among AU students.