Internships
Career & Professional Development seeks to partner with faculty to promote student engagement in internships. Internships are an effective way for students to develop relevant skills for success in their future careers. As faculty often advise students on internships that align with particular majors, it is important that you maintain an awareness of the industry definition of an internship:
An internship is a form of experiential learning that integrates knowledge and theory learned in the classroom with practical application and skills development in a professional setting. Internships give students the opportunity to gain valuable applied experience and make connections in professional fields they are considering for career paths; and give employers the opportunity to guide and evaluate talent.
This definition and the following criteria are defined by the National Association of Colleges and Employers (NACE), a global organization comprised of career services professionals and employment professionals.
Criteria For An Experience To Be Defined As An Internship
To ensure that an experience—whether it is a traditional internship or one conducted remotely or virtually—is educational, and thus eligible to be considered a legitimate internship by the NACE definition, all the following criteria must be met:
- The experience must be an extension of the classroom: a learning experience that provides for applying the knowledge gained in the classroom. It must not be simply to advance the operations of the employer or be the work that a regular employee would routinely perform.
- The skills or knowledge learned must be transferable to other employment settings.
- The experience has a defined beginning and end, and a job description with desired qualifications.
- There are clearly defined learning objectives/goals related to the professional goals of the student’s academic coursework.
- There is supervision by a professional with expertise and educational and/or professional background in the field of the experience.
- There is routine feedback by the experienced supervisor.
- There are resources, equipment, and facilities provided by the host employer that support learning objectives/goals.
If these criteria are followed, it is the opinion of NACE that the experience can be considered a legitimate internship. Whether an internship is paid, unpaid, or grants academic credit, Career & Professional Development seeks for the above criteria to be consistently met to ensure an appropriate developmental experience for our students.
While academic credit legitimizes an unpaid experience, in order to be identified as an internship, that experience must fit the above criteria. For experiences that employers make available only if academic credit is awarded, the college or university’s requirements in combination with the criteria laid out above should be used to determine if the experience is a legitimate internship.
We encourage faculty members to support students by facilitating internships for academic credit when possible, particularly in cases where an employer will not be providing compensation. If you have questions about this process, please contact our office. Campus Greensboro, Humanities at Work, and the SECU Foundation Public Fellows are just a few of the fantastic internship programs available to Spartans.
Source: Position Statement: U.S. Internships, National Association of Colleges and Employers
Local Internships
We have curated a collection of local internships and made them available to students in Handshake. The list below contains a few of the internships in that collection. Please have your students log in to Handshake to see the entire collection.
- Employer: Belk, Inc. – Belk Corporate Office Expires: 01/17/2026 Belk Retail Development Program Overview Belk offers talented and ambitious recent graduates the opportunity to work in multiple areas of our business. The Retail Development Program (RDP) is a fast-paced three-month program designed to prepare recent college graduates for a full-time role at Belk. We […]
- Employer: Guilford County Government Expires: 02/06/2026 Integrated Data and Services Intern This internship provides a strong foundation of knowledge about local government and municipal management, as well as the opportunity to develop skills relevant to the field of public service. Candidates should be currently enrolled and have completed some coursework in a Master’s level […]
- Employer: Greensboro Convention and Visitors Bureau Expires: 02/05/2026 Position OverviewThe Greensboro Area Convention & Visitors Bureau (GACVB) is seeking motivated, professional, and detail-oriented undergraduate or graduate students to serve as Spring Semester Interns. This internship offers hands-on experience in tourism administration, destination marketing, hospitality operations, and organizational support within a fast-paced, community-focused environment. […]
- Employer: CDPC Sales Team Expires: 05/18/2026 CDPC Sales and Marketing, a national innovative leader in pest-control services and sales, has announced a Paid-Summer Internship/Co-op program. Positions are available in each of the locations listed: Austin, TX; Northern Virginia, VA; Little Rock, AR; Nashville, TN; Kansas City, MO; Columbia, SC; Richmond, VA; Cincinnati, OH; Greensboro, […]
- Employer: North Carolina Zoo Expires: 02/02/2026 🐾 North Carolina Zoo Internship Program – Summer 2026 🐾 Hands-on experience. Professional mentorship. A career-changing opportunity. Looking to kickstart your career in animal care, conservation, education, horticulture, or Zoo operations? The North Carolina Zoo Internship Program offers an immersive, real-world experience at the largest natural habitat Zoos in the […]
- Employer: The Reuben Rink Co. Expires: 01/30/2026 Are you a college student with a passion for creativity and communication? Do you want to develop new professional skills while directly contributing in a collaborative environment? If so, you may be a great fit for an internship with Reuben Rink Marketing & Advertising.Reuben Rink provides effective marketing and advertising solutions […]
- Employer: Precision Walls, Inc. Expires: 01/30/2026 Precision Walls Interns Wanted!We have several locations offering Summer/Spring InternshipsOur company has an outstanding internship program that allows students the opportunity to gain hands on construction management experience in the field as well as the office. This is a great way to put into play knowledge learned […]