The responsibility is upon the individual student to comply with USCIS regulations regarding internships. However, you should know:
Please discuss your individual situation with I.S.S.
An internship is defined as a learning experience in which traditional classroom learning is applied through practical hands-on job experiences. The internship represents an opportunity to help students develop personal, professional, and academic goals. Internship experiences link the classroom to the real world of work, therefore solidifying academic competencies.
It also gives students the opportunity to explore various possibilities while still in school. For the participating business, agency, or institution, there is the added benefit of using highly motivated and, in most cases, unpaid labor, with fresh approaches and different outlooks.
Internships are designed to relate to a student's field of study. The internship assignment is intended to augment classroom work by enabling the student to observe actual events in a job context, and to participate in the process of applying theoretical principles to real-life situations.
Although students are generally paying tuition for the privilege of working as unpaid interns, the program can yield important pay-offs for the participants. For instance, the internship can give a student the chance to test the strength of a particular career interest and to establish contacts with individuals in a given field of study. During an internship, a student is free to make mistakes, a luxury not often available in the real world of work.
Internships may be full-time or part time. Employment for less than 20 hours per week is considered part-time; employment for more than 20 hours per week is considered full-time. You can only do full-time during school breaks, summer, or with special permission.
There is a time limit on CPT and OPT. Discuss your specific case with International Student & Scholar Services. The rules are complex.
General guidelines (certainly not complete):
You must have received support and recommendations from both your academic advisor and from International Student & Scholar Services (I.S.S.S.). Also be aware that not every student is eligible for paid internship experience. Communication with I.S.S.S. is crucial, so please keep in touch.
Students must inform in a timely manner both I.S.S.S. and their academic advisor of their intent to pursue an OPT internship. We recommend planning a semester in advance, because the USCIS paperwork can take months. By being well prepared, the student will experience less anxiety. You need USCIS authorization before you can start OPT.
Curricular Practical Training must be an integral part of established curriculum. You must have a specific and definite job location and job offer in order to apply for CPT. This may be a full-time or part-time internship, work experience or practicum. Because you will earn academic credit, you must pay Wilson tuition during your practical experience.
Students who work fulltime for 12 months or more during CPT will not be eligible for OPT.
If you feel that you are eligible for OPT and would benefit from practical training in your field of study, request a recommendation from the I.S.S.S. Director. A Wilson College DSO has to recommend you for OPT in SEVIS and provide you with an updated I-20 showing the recommendation. You will submit the updated I-20 with the application for employment authorization. You do not need a job offer to apply for OPT. However, the approval time for OPT may be months, and you must pay a fee to Department of Homeland Security when applying for authorization.
Bring your completed packet to the International Student & Scholar Services office for review. A recommendation will be made in SEVIS and a new I-20 issued. You may then mail the application packet for processing. You may not participate in OPT until you receive authorization from USCIS. Again, this process can take months!
There are two types of training available to international students:
Curricular Practical Training (CPT) and Optional Practical Training (OPT)
All internships must be related to your major and in your field. For example, an equestrian studies student cannot work at a bank even if it is a great job offer at the bank.
Housing in Atlanta, Boston, Chicago, LA, NYC, Philadelphia, San Francisco, DC and nationally
More Housing in Washington, DC
Housing in Orlando - year round
Commonwealth of PA - The Capital Semester Internship Program (CSIP) offers assignments with various Commonwealth agencies.
Harrisburg Internship - Click on Classifieds at the top of the page
Hershey Entertainment and Resorts
Hershey Foods - Hershey's Intern Professional Program has numerous opportunities for various majors including liberal arts.
Hot Jobs and Cool Internship with the Federal government
Interexchange -International internships
Internship Programs - The internship search engine.
Idealist - A listing of internships, jobs, and career events for non-profit organizations.
Magazine Internships - A listing of internship opportunities in the magazine industry.
Mountbatten - internships in England
Pennsylvania Historical & Museum Commission
The Philadelphia Center - More than 800 internship positions at a wide variety of agencies, organizations, businesses, and institutions.
Public Leadership Education Network - In Washington D.C., prepares women for leadership in politics and public policy.
Sierra Club Science Internships - A listing of science/environmental summer jobs and internships.
The Smithsonian -this includes the National Zoo and museums in NYC
Stay and Invent PA - Learn about Pennsylvania internship opportunities.
University of Dreams - Summer Internships
Washington Area Women's Foundation
The Washington Center housing for this program may be found atwww.internsdc.com or contact dlewis@internsdc.com
Webster Apartments - A residence in midtown Manhattan for working women, college interns and working college students.
Wetfeet - The WetFeet Network provides information on companies, careers, and industries that job seekers use throughout their careers to make smarter career decisions. WetFeet also offers job seekers expert advice, newsletters, salary benchmarking tools, and discussion boards on everything from negotiating a raise to writing better cover letters.