49 / 72
the program’s academic staff throughout their participation. Cooperative
Education, as the term implies, represents a collaborative effort between
the University and participating companies.
Students may qualify for the co-op program after satisfactorily completing
30 credit hours of coursework and declaring their major. Transfer students
may qualify after one semester of coursework at the University. Students
normally enter the program as sophomores or juniors and complete two to
five rotations in a co-op assignment. Students should enter the program
and begin the matching process in the semester prior to the one in which
they want to do their first rotation.
Off-campus and International Internships
An internship is a form of experiential learning that integrates classroom
knowledge with career-related work experience. This can be a vital link
between college majors and the exploration of professional opportunities.
Students are able to participate in a domestic internship on or off campus,
as well as internationally. Specific requirements will vary depending on the
type of internship and the student’s major. Internships are typically offered
for a specific period of time during the spring or fall semester (14–16) weeks
or during the summer (10–14) weeks. Students are strongly advised to
begin their search at least four to six months in advance. Students are also
advised to attend a workshop, contact their department or visit with a career
counselor at the beginning of each semester.
The CCPD offers a variety of services for students to find internships.
In addition to providing counseling and resources that aid in the internship
search process, part-time and full-time, zero-credit hour internship courses,
which are denoted on students’ academic transcripts, are also available
through the CCPD. The full-time INT courses also allow students to maintain
their University enrollment status while interning. Students enrolled in the
program must register for the appropriate course number (e.g. INT 1010,
1020, etc.) for each rotation to receive a grade of Pass or No Pass.
Students pay a participation fee each academic term that coincides
with an internship rotation.
On-campus Internships
The University Professional Internship and Co-op (UPIC) Program offers
students on-campus professional learning experiences. Students have
the opportunity to work with Clemson faculty and staff as well as receive
an internship notation on their transcript. Enrollment in the INT course is
required for this program. In order to be eligible for the program, a student
must have completed at least one full semester at Clemson University and
be an enrolled undergraduate student in good standing. Student applications
for future internships are typically listed in ClemsonJobLink halfway through
the semester prior to the experience.
Departments/Majors Requirements
Internships typically involve working with a professional mentor on a
structured project relating to a student’s major or career interests. Credit-
bearing internship courses may be available through a student’s academic
PARENT TESTIMONIAL
“Our daughter, who will
graduate in May, has had
two summer internships and
one on-campus internship
during a semester. She was
also involved in two Creative
Inquiries. These experiences
have been invaluable! They
have complimented her
academic work so well and
have rounded out her college
experience. Through them, she
has learned more about what
she loves to do and what she
doesn’t want to do. Discovering
what she doesn’t want to do
has been as important as
finding her passions. As our
younger children come along,
we realize how important it
is to guide them to use their
three college summers well.
The time really is short, and
they can’t afford to waste it!”
Rhonda Barinowski
North Augusta, S.C.
49