Student meets with Faculty Advisor to discuss the following
- Academic Department requirements for an internship, eligibility based on GPA, academic standing, courses completed, and class year, etc.
- The number of internship credits you should apply for and how they will count towards degree completion
- Approval of the internship position description
Complete the internship application in Handshake
- Log into your Handshake account at pennwest.joinhandshake.com
- Click on the ‘Career Center’ tab
- Click ‘Experience’ and then ‘Submit an Experience’ to complete your application
Application Tips
- “Experience Type” = Internship Application
- “Term” – Select the correct semester and year
- Review your application to ensure you have entered the correct information, including spelling and punctuation. Check auto-populated fields for accurate information.
- Click ‘Create Experience’ to submit your internship application
About the Application Process
- The internship application approval process can take up to two weeks. Please plan for additional deadlines (scholarships, military funding, etc.)
- The Internship Center reviews applications in the order submitted
- The Internship Center will contact you to schedule an appointment to review your application
- Applications are approved in sequential order by the Faculty Internship Supervisor, Academic Department Chair, Employer Internship Supervisor, and Dean
- The Internship Center will communicate with you through Handshake’s Comments and Activity Box. You will receive an email from Handshake each time the Internship Center comments on your application. Please ensure these emails are not sent to your clutter or junk files.
- Once your application is approved, your Academic Department will send you registration instructions.
Hours and Credits
Credits for internship courses generally range from 3-12, subject to program requirements. The number of credits for your internship will be recommended by your department and approved by the Dean. For most academic programs, 37.5 hours of work equals 1 credit. See the chart below for the number of hours you need to work for the number of credits you request. Students can work more hours than they receive credit for but cannot work less.
Credits | 3 | 6 | 9 | 12 |
Required Hours (per semester) | 112.5 | 225 | 337.5 | 450 |
How do I edit my application?
- Go to the Career Center tab on Handshake and click on Experiences
- Click the View Details tab and then click Edit
- After you edit, click Update Experience at the bottom of the page
- You can only update your application when it is in Pending status
What does my internship status mean?
- Pending – Your application was submitted and is pending review by the Internship Center.
- Students can only edit applications in pending status.
- Being Approved – The approval process has started
- Needs Review—The approval process has stopped. Either a reviewer missed the deadline to review and approve an application or declined it.
- Approved – All approvers have approved your application
- Declined – Your application has been declined.
How do I check the status of my application?
Click on the Career Center tab, and then click Experience. The status for each Experience is in the top right corner.
How can I see who has approved my application?
- Click the Career Center tab, and then click Experience
- Click the View Details tab of your Experience and scroll down to the Approvers section
Questions? Contact the Internship Center at internship@pennwest.edu or 724-938-1578.