ALA 225: Undergraduate Internship Course

• International students can take ALA 225 as part of their Curricular Practical Training (CPT) authorization. 
• Students applying for the LSA Internship Scholarship (US-Based only) must be enrolled during the spring/summer term in order to be considered for the scholarship. To see if your internship qualifies, please visit the LSA Internship Scholarship page.
• Sometimes employers will offer an internship if a student is getting academic credit. ALA 225 is a way to earn that credit. Please note, however, that credit is given for the ALA225 coursework completed in conjunction with your internship, not for the internship itself.

• You must have already accepted an internship for the term in which you are applying.
  • To determine whether the experience qualifies as an internship, we evaluate it based on the criteria developed by NACE.
  • Spring/summer internships must be a minimum of 5 weeks in length and must require that you work a minimum of 150 hours throughout the course of your internship.
  • Fall/winter internships must be a minimum of 10 weeks in length and must require that you work at least 10 hours per week.
• You must apply and enroll in the course before your internship start date. 
• You must provide a proof of internship document from your employer that meets ALL of the following requirements:
  • Be on official company letterhead
  • Contain exact start and exact end dates within the academic term in which you are applying
  • State the number of hours per week you will be interning
  • Provide a brief job description detailing specific duties, tasks, goals, etc.
  • Specify the address where the internship will take place (street, city, state, and zip code). If you will work remotely, the letter should specify this and list the company’s physical address.
  • Include the name and contact information of your internship supervisor

You will not be able to enroll in ALA 225 without applying for an override. To apply for the override, follow these steps:

Step 1: Log in to LSA Engage and then select “Experiential Learning” on the left hand side vertical menu.

Step 2: Select “New Experience” in the top right hand corner, fill out the form, and then click “Save” at the bottom of the page.

Step 3: On the next page, click “Documents and Forms.” DO NOT CLICK “SUBMIT.”

Step 4: Select “Upload File” to attach the proof of internship document from your employer. If the document does not meet all of the requirements detailed above, please reach out to your internship site to request an edited letter before proceeding. Then, click “Save.”

Step 5: Click “Submit” in the upper right hand corner. A pop-up window will now appear. Click “OK.”

Step 6: Click “Submit for Approval,” then click “OK.” Your application should now have a yellow box at the top that says “Pending Final Approval.” This box means that your application is now in our approval queue.

How much work is ALA 225?
Over the course of your internship, you will complete one pre-internship module, four reflections of 400-500 words each, two informational interviews, and one post-internship module. You'll also be asked to attend one LSA Opportunity Hub event or coaching session, or another professional event of your choosing.

How do I earn credit in ALA 225?
Credit is given for timely completion of the assignments listed above. Because reflections are tied to active learning and engagement at the time of the internship, reflections can't be turned in together at the end. Also for this reason, credit can't be earned for an internship that has already taken place. The course is graded on a credit (CR) and no credit (NC) basis.

Can I repeat ALA 225 for credit?
You can take ALA 225 twice to earn credit that counts toward graduation. You can take it a third time but this third credit will not count towards your total credits for graduation.

Can I take ALA 225 for an internship that's longer than one semester?
You can apply to take ALA 225 for the same internship in consecutive semesters. For example, if your internship takes place from September to April, you will need to apply for ALA 225 twice (once for the fall semester and again for the winter semester). Each proof of internship document must contain the exact start and end dates within the academic term for which you are applying.

Can I earn more than one credit for ALA 225?
Not in one semester. The course has been approved for one credit only. Any sort of individual arrangement, and different forms of "extra work," have not been approved to earn additional credit.

Can I take ALA 225 for more than one internship at the same time?
ALA 225 may only be applied to one internship per term. For example, if you have two internships over the summer, you can only take ALA 225 with one of them.