Internships and Co-Ops
Internships and co-ops provide a great opportunity for you to gain work experience and connect with professionals in your field before graduating. With intentional learning goals, supervision, and evaluation, you will apply classroom learning to develop transferrable skills and expand your professional network.
CAFLS students actively participate in a wide variety of internships, often in their discipline of choice. Internships are often key to gaining employment upon graduation and required for many of our CAFLS majors. In order to receive credit for an internship, speak with the internship coordinator in your department.
FAQs
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Do I have to register for a class to do an internship?
If you are receiving class credit, yes! Talk with your advisor and get signed up for the appropriate internship class. Many of our students do internships outside of those required for class credit. This is highly encouraged! You can always reach out to CAFLS Career Services for resources on finding an internship in your area of interest!
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Why should I do an internship?
Many employers are interested in newly graduated students who already have working experience, even if it is just for a few months! Internships are a way to gain experience in your major field, thus validating what you are studying. You can also gain valuable professional skills and connections with people in your field, possibly leading to references and recommendations. Many of our past students have found jobs at the very places they interned!
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When can I do an internship?
This can vary by opportunity. Many students complete their internships during the summer between their sophomore and junior years. However, we are seeing more employers that will also give opportunities to freshmen.
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Where can I do an internship?
In theory – anywhere! Our students have done their internships abroad and closer to home. But you can do an internship wherever you like. You will need to get pre-approval of your internship plans from your respective internship coordinator IF you are seeking Clemson credit. We do recommend that you intern at a place where you haven't previously interned or worked to broaden your scope of work experiences.
CAFLS Career Services has resources and connections to help you with resume critique, mock interviews and industry connections for internships.
Contact CAFLS Career Services to learn about major-specific internship requirements and opportunities.
Center for Career and Professional Development (CCPD)
CCPD manages the Cooperative Education (Co-op) Program, University Professional Internship and Co-op (UPIC) Program, and the International Internship Program in addition to providing other internship and career preparation resources and services.
The Co-op Program is a dynamic academic program that is widely recognized as one of the top in the country! UPIC provides over 900 paid, on campus internships for Clemson University undergraduate students each year.
