Completing an internship experience is a great opportunity to figure out your career goals and build skills for your resume. If you’re interested in gaining course credit for your internships, we offer an “Internships In The Sciences” class for 1, 3, 6, and 9 credit hours. This opportunity is available to all CNS students.
Attention
Applications for the Fall 2026 internship courses are closed.
Applications for the Spring 2027 internship courses will open November 2nd.
Which Course Should You Take?
This is your decision based on your degree plan. If you aren’t sure, talk to your academic advisor. Please note that courses are fully virtual and do not require attendance of any lectures and have no exams. Each course offering has different working hour requirements (see below). The available courses will change according to when you’re completing your internship as well:
Fall and Spring
NSC 120E: Internship in the Sciences
- 1 credit hour
- Experience must meet a minimum of 40 total working hours to qualify for this section
- Offered FALL and SPRING semesters only
- Pass/Fail Only
- Online course
NSC 322: Internships & Experiential Learning in the Natural Sciences
- 3 credit hours
- Experience must meet a minimum of 120 total working hours to qualify for this section
- Offered FALL and SPRING semesters only
- Pass/Fail Only
- Online course
NSC 622: Internships & Experiential Learning in the Natural Sciences
- 6 credit hours
- Experience must meet a minimum of 240 total working hours to qualify for this section
- Offered FALL and SPRING semesters only
- Pass/Fail Only
- Online course
NSC 922: Internships & Experiential Learning in the Natural Sciences
- 9 credit hours
- Experience must meet a minimum of 360 total working hours to qualify for this section
- Offered FALL and SPRING semesters only
- Pass/Fail Only
- Online course
EXP 000/080: Internships & Career Experiences
Career Success offers EXP 000/080: Internships & Career Experiences, a free, zero-credit course, available to all undergraduate and graduate students participating in internships and other career experiences. This course may also meet the requirements for CPT internship course enrollment. Learn more about the 0-credit course here.
Summer
NSC 120E: Internship in the Sciences - University Extension
- 1 credit hour
- Cost: $500
- Offered during Summer semester only
- Pass/Fail
- Online Course
- Transferable credit that appears on an official UT transcript
NSC 322: Internships & Experiential Learning in the Natural Sciences - University Extension
- 3 credit hours
- Cost: $500
- Offered Summer semester only
- Pass/Fail
- Online course
- Transferable credit that appears on an official UT transcript
EXP 000/080: Internships & Career Experiences
Career Success offers EXP 000/080: Internships & Career Experiences, a free, zero-credit course, available to all undergraduate and graduate students participating in internships and other career experiences. This course may also meet the requirements for CPT internship course enrollment. Learn more about the 0-credit course here.
Requirements
Before gaining access to register for our internship courses, you must first have an internship offer where the dates of the internship are concurrent with the semester in which you’re enrolling in the course.
Internship Offer Letter
Your offer letter from the company MUST include:
- Name and contact information of your internship supervisor
- Specific beginning and end dates of the internship
- Number of hours working per week
- Pay rate (must identify if unpaid)
- Description of what you will be doing during the internship
Process
In order to request course enrollment, follow these steps (deadlines to apply will be noted here):
- Log in to your 12twenty account.
- From the left navigation bar on the left side of your screen, click “Intern & Co-op Courses” (if you are unable to locate this tab, please email maddy.herring@austin.utexas.edu).
- Select “+ New Experience”
- Under Internship Course, select “NSC”
- Fill out the form, then save your form by clicking “Save” at the end
- Complete the form and upload a PDF of your official offer letter from your internship (see offer letter requirements above). Then, wait for an approval from the CNS career services staff. Once you’ve been approved, you will receive an email with instructions on how to register in the course. If you have questions, please email: maddy.herring@austin.utexas.edu
- If you are an international student, once your request has been approved, you will need to complete the Curricular Practical Training form. Contact the International Office for more information about this process.
What are my internship dates as an international student?
If you have any questions about documents, employment dates, or if you have any other questions about CPT, schedule an appointment with an international student advisor prior to applying for CPT. You can also read more about CPT requirements on Texas Global’s website. **EDIT** COURSE MAY NO LONGER COUNT FOR CPT ACCORDING TO NEW GOVERNMENT GUIDELINES. PLEASE CONTACT TEXAS GLOBAL REGARDING NEW CPT REQUIREMENTS.
- Summer Internship Dates: If you are enrolling in the CPT course in the summer, then the earliest you may begin work is the day after the spring graduation in May and the latest is the day of the university’s official graduation in August.
- Fall Internship Dates: If you are enrolling in the CPT course in the fall and using CPT in the fall, then the earliest you may begin work is the day after the university’s official graduation date in August and the latest date is as follows:
- Students in their final semester: Fall graduation date
- All other students: Winter term end date
- Spring Internship Dates: If you are enrolling in the CPT course in the spring, then the earliest you may begin working is the day after the university’s official graduation date in December and the latest date is as follows:
- Students in their final semester: Spring graduation date.
- All other students: May term end date.
- You can check graduation and term end dates here.
Status of Your Course Request
Please allow 3-4 business days for processing your request. Feel free to check the status of your application on 12twenty. You can see if your request is pending, approved or if additional information is needed on the “comments” section.
Internship Criteria
To establish uniformity in the use and application of the term “internship,” CNS Career Services uses the following definition from the National Association of Colleges and Employers (NACE):
An internship is a form of experiential learning that integrates knowledge and theory learned in the classroom with practical application and skills development in a professional setting. Internships give students the opportunity to gain valuable applied experience and make connections in professional fields they are considering for career paths; and give employers the opportunity to guide and evaluate talent.
To be considered a qualifying internship by the above definition, all the following criteria must be met:
- The experience must be an extension of the classroom: a learning experience that provides for applying the knowledge gained in the classroom. It must not simply advance the operations of the employer or be the work that a regular employee would routinely perform.
- The skills or knowledge learned must be transferable to other employment settings.
- The experience has a defined beginning and end as well as a job description with desired qualifications.
- There are clearly defined learning objectives/goals related to the professional goals of the student’s academic coursework.
- There is supervision by a professional with expertise and educational and/or professional background in the field of the experience.
- There is routine feedback by the experienced supervisor.
- There are resources, equipment and facilities provided by the host employer that support learning objectives/goals.
We currently cannot support bespoke affiliation agreements for individual students with unapproved employers. Please email maddy.herring@austin.utexas.edu if you have questions.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why do I need/want to take an internship course?
These courses are designed to grant credit for an internship experience. Your internship employer may require that you receive credit while performing your internship. You may want to obtain credit for an experience. Or, if you’re an international student, course credit for an internship is required by federal law.
If I perform my internship in the summer can I get credit in the fall? If I perform my internship in the fall, can I get credit in the spring?
No. You must be enrolled in a course that is concurrent with your internship. For example, if you are performing your internship in the summer, you must be enrolled for the summer to receive credit. Retroactive credit will not be granted.
Will I receive credit on my transcript if I enroll in a University Extension version of a course?
Yes. University Extension course versions are offered in the summer only. This option offers a reduced course rate. If you complete the course successfully credit will transfer to your official UT transcript. Additional transcript questions should be directed to the Office of the Registrar.
After completing the application how long will the approval process take?
The approval process generally takes 3-4 business days. You can check 12twenty to see the status of your request. CNS Career Services office reviews your application first and then submits it for a quick review by your advisor. Allow yourself plenty of time to apply, get approved and complete other necessary registration steps prior to the first day of your internship. If you’re submitting your request within a week of the approval deadline (see top of page), then email maddy.herring@austin.utexas.edu as well to notify them of your urgent request.
Is there a deadline for applying?
Yes. Deadlines are listed at the top of this page. Applications will close and enrollment will not be permitted past that date.
What if I want to take a zero-credit hour internship course?
You can find out more about the Zero-Credit (EXP 000) internship course here.