If a graduate student will be engaging in an internship and plans to earn academic credit, there are multiple internship course options available to them. Students can opt to enroll in a departmental internship course or one of the available GRAD internship courses, each of which is described below. GRAD internship courses may not be substituted for a required departmental internship course.
Important Information for International Students
International students in F1 or J1 status who wish to engage in a summer internship will need to request work authorization from ISSS (Curricular Practical Training (CPT)/Optional Practical Training (OPT)/Academic Training). F-1 and J-1 student visas only permit international students to work on campus, so any off-campus internship must be directly related to their major and will require them to enroll in an internship course. If the student will be applying for CPT, the academic advisor will need to confirm in the CPT application that the internship forms an integral part of the student's academic program and is appropriate for the degree level and program. Students cannot start their internship until their work authorization has been approved by ISSS. Contact international@uconn.edu with any questions or concerns.
Departmental Internship Courses
Students should refer to the Graduate Catalog or be in touch with their department to determine if a department internship course is available and how best to enroll. If a departmental internship course is available, that is likely a more appropriate option than GRAD 5991 for the plan of study.
GRAD 5990 (Summer Graduate Internship)
GRAD 5990, which appears on the transcript with the course name, "Summer Graduate Internship", is a zero credit internship course, can be taken concurrently with other courses, and is CPT-eligible. This course is only available in the summer term and does not incur fees. The advisor will be responsible for providing a S/U grade for this course at the end of the term. This course may not be substituted for a required departmental internship course.
How to Enroll:
Students register for GRAD 5990 by completing an Enrollment Change Form (available in Student Admin by selecting the eForms tile on the Student Homepage) to add an internship course for the Summer Spanning session. A project title of "Graduate Internship in [Field of Study]" or similar title should be included on the eForm request. Through the Enrollment Change eForm process, a section of GRAD 5990 will be opened with the advisor listed as instructor and the student will be auto-enrolled. Please do not ask your advisor/department to open sections in advance.
GRAD 5991 (Graduate Internship)
GRAD 5991, which appears on the transcript with the course name, "Graduate Internship", is a variable credit (1-6) internship course, can be taken concurrently with other courses, and is CPT-eligible. The number of credits for which the student will enroll should be determined with their advisor. The advisor will be responsible for providing a S/U grade for this course at the end of the term.
How to enroll:
Students register for GRAD 5991 by completing an Enrollment Change Form (available in Student Admin by selecting the eForms tile on the Student Homepage) to add an internship course in the Summer Spanning Session. Through the eForm process, a section of GRAD 5991 will be opened with the advisor listed as instructor and the student will be auto-enrolled. Please do not ask your advisor/department to open sections in advance.
GRAD 5930/6930 (Full-Time Directed Studies)
This is a three-credit course that represents a full-time internship, field work experience, or other course of off-campus study required as part of the student's program and appears on the transcript with the course name, "Full-Time Directed Studies". Students cannot be enrolled in any other courses concurrently with this course. Though it is only three credits (and therefore only incurs three credits worth of tuition), this course will report a student as enrolled full-time for the term. This course is CPT-eligible. The advisor will be responsible for providing a S/U grade for this course at the end of the term.
How to enroll:
Students may enroll in this course through Student Admin, however, enrollment requires a permission number that must be requested by forwarding a copy of the advisor’s approval of the grad’s plan to register in this course to gradschool@uconn.edu.
General Credits Guideline for Internship Hours and Variable Credit Internship Courses
These are general guidelines to help determine how many credits may be appropriate for an internship. The number of credits the student actually enrolls in will be determined between the student and their advisor.
1 credit = fewer than 10 hours per week
2 credits = 10-15 hours per week
3 credits = 15-20 hours per week
Tuition/Fees
Tuition and fees for the fall and spring semesters can be viewed on the Office of the Bursar website. Summer fees, per credit, can be viewed on the Summer Programs website. Please note, there is no GA tuition waiver available for summer courses.
Supplemental Employment – Holding Both a GA and an Internship
Students who wish to hold both an internship and a GA appointment (or summer on-campus employment including a Graduate Student Technician appointment) simultaneously must request approval to do so through the GA Supplemental Employment Approval form. GAs are expected to be present in Connecticut for the duration of their appointment, including during the summer term.
Finding an Internship
Online resources UConn provides to help students identify internship opportunities:
- 12twenty, a web-based recruiting system
- Interstride, an interactive platform designed to enhance the job/internship search experience for international students
- Parker Dewey, a platform for project-based, paid micro-internships
Graduate students and recent graduates are able to schedule virtual and in-person career coaching appointments with staff from the Center for Career Readiness and Life Skills (formerly Center for Career Development) all year.
