Professional Internship Program
The Georgia Tech Division of Professional Practice offers a program called the Professional Internship Program, specifically targeting students like IAC students who usually do not co-op but participate in numerous internships.
What is it?
The Professional Internship Program offers internship credit to any student participating in a full-time internship during any semester. That's most of you!
How does it work?
If you secure a full-time internship you can get "Professional Internship" credit posted to your transcript for the semester in which you participate in the internship. This will be 12 hours of audit credit. (Audit credit does not count towards the degree). To participate you must have a 2.0 GPA and have completed 30 credits by the end of the semester prior to your intern semester. Internship should be equivalent to 16 weeks.
Why should you care?
- By having this official designation on your transcript , employers and graduate schools can see that you didn't just take a semester off but that you were on a GT sanctioned internship program gaining incredible experience.
- Even though you are not attending classes, being enrolled in the Professional Internship program allows you to maintain full-time student status at Tech, which allows you to keep your on-campus housing, keep full-time student status for medical insurance, and maintain full access to campus email and resources.
- Your professional internship semester will not count as a "semester off" for readmission policies. Currently, students taking two consecutive semesters off from Tech need to reapply, regardless of the good standing they were in before they left Tech. For instance, before the Professional Internship program existed, a student performing a summer internship and then studying abroad in fall on a non-GT program would be considered absent from GT for two semesters and would need to reapply to Tech. Now, if a student receives Professional Internship credit for summer, she is considered a full-time student at Tech for that summer. Then, that student will only need to be absent from Tech for one semester to participate in a non-GT abroad program. NO NEED TO REAPPLY TO TECH!
- The Division of Professional Practice will call your internship program to confirm your full-time status and detail GT expectations for the organization, including the need for the internship to provide you with meaningful work and projects, not just clerical responsibilities.
- As a student receiving professional internship credit, you will also have access to counselors from the Division of Professional Practice. You can consult counselors if you are having problems with your employer during your internship.
- This is a way to secure those internships that indicate you will not be selected unless you receive credit for your internship.
- If the organization decides to keep you as an intern for additional semesters, you can count this professional internship towards co-op requirements.
Note: Students can participate in the Professional Internship program during any semester they are pursuing a full-time internship.
As soon as you have an offer for a full-time internship you should see a counselor in the Division of Professional Practice, which manages co-ops and the professional internship program. They are located in the Savant Building, Room 103. You can reach them at 404-894-3320. The Division of Professional Practice can also help you find an internship by signing up for their program.
For more information, check out the Georgia Tech Undergraduate Professional Internship website or contact Mary Fisher, Coordinator of the Undergraduate Professional Internship Program. Also by phone at 404.894.3320.
