Resources and Guidelines

Students participate in internships mainly to learn; and respond best to postings that are clear, focused on real-world projects, and balanced between your needs and their professional goals. Consult our Internship Description Guide as a comprehensive resource.

Students can choose to earn academic credit for their internship participation while getting paid. Credit-bearing internships are semester-long experiences, with a maximum 20 hours per week during fall and spring, and up to 40 hours per week during summer.

There are four central strategies to an effective internship description:

_{1.  Identify and support a motivated supervisor who can commit to spending regular time with an intern.}

An individual  within your organization, with established expertise aligned with the internship project(s), must be available to mentor and guide the intern throughout the experience. This will ensure buy-in and helps differentiate the intern from an employee. 

2.  Define your internship around core projects that include learning objectives, milestones, and purpose. 

Engage your intern in projects that teach them about your company, its products and services, target audience, and mission. By the end of your internship, what will the student have achieved?

3.  Decide on academic background, class levels, technical or other specialized skills and qualities you seek.

Help students see themselves as a fit for your internship by outlining multiple skills and qualities instead of narrowing on just one or two.  Read about our highly ranked academic programs for sophomore, junior and senior undergraduates; and full-time MBA  and MS students to better align your needs and vision.

4.  Add experiences and activities to keep your intern busy.

Aside from the core project(s), are there related initiatives that need attention, colleagues to meet, trainings or meetings to attend?  Include opportunities to interact with key people.

Required for all credit-bearing internships, this fillable pdf is emailed to you and your intern for signatures, after your student intern has accepted your offer and reported the internship to our team in BizLink. 

International students are eligible for internship engagement through an easily attainable work authorization called Curricular Practical Training (CPT) that requires academic credit.  You supply a formal offer letter, in addition to signing our Management by Objectives Learning Agreement (MBO), and we take care of the rest.

Please note: CPT is issued per semester, and abides by strict start and end dates. Should you desire to keep your intern for multiple semesters, we can accommodate, providing there is progression. 

Required components of an internship offer letter:

• Presented on company letterhead with company contact information (address, phone, email, website URL)
• Date letter was written plus start and end dates of the internship
• Name, title, and contact information of the intern supervisor
• Intern's title and brief description of the internship opportunity

Your student will submit the offer letter as part of their request for work authorization, processed by our UB ISS office, which can take up to 15 business days. When fully authorized, they will receive an updated I-20, allowing them to begin the internship.