What is an Internship?
An internship is a short-term employment assignment that is related to your major or career goal. Interns work in a professional setting under the supervision of a practicing professional and are a great opportunity for you to obtain work experience, network with professionals in the field, gain knowledge of business functions, explore a chosen career path, improve teamwork and communication skills and increase your marketability to employers.
Many internships will offer a competitive pay rate, while others will be unpaid. You may also be able to obtain credit for certain major-related internships. Evaluate your individual academic and financial situation before accepting an internship offer.
Internship FAQs
It’s never too early to do an internship! Remember that a for-credit internship requires that you meet the set academic prerequisites and be approved first to earn credit. These prerequisites vary by major so check with your academic advisor to determine your eligibility. If you are not ready for a for-credit internship, do one anyway and gain the professional experience for a promising start to your career.
Deadlines for well-established internship programs can be as early as one or two semesters prior to the start of the internship. For example, employer recruitment for summer internships can take place the previous fall. Other employers post internships one to two months before they start. Give yourself time to research and apply for an internship.
There is no limit. Students may benefit the most by completing several internships. Your first one may not be for credit. When you have satisfied all the prerequisites, your next one can be for credit. The college encourages students to do two internships during their collegiate career.
- Attend professional preparation events hosted by the Alvarez Student Success Center such as a resume and cover letter workshop.
- Use the Career Resources provided by the Alvarez Student Success Center and the University Career Center.
- Attend the company’s on-campus information session and introduce yourself to the recruiter. Join a registered student organization with a professional-minded mission statement.
- View professional development videos on LinkedIn Learning and keep your LinkedIn profile up-to-date.
- Attend the All-Majors Career Fair, hosted every fall and spring semester by the University Career Center.
- Become an active user of the UTSA job board, Handshake. Companies post campus visits on Handshake.
- Attend Rowdy Recruiting sessions hosted by the Alvarez Student Success Center.
- Attend panel discussions and networking events sponsored by the Alvarez Student Success Center.
Report Your Job or Internship
Whether you participate in a paid, non-paid, credit or non-credit internship, share your experience with the college to support future rankings and help us better support all students.
To report your internship:
- Login to Handshake
- Under “ Experience Type,” select “Carlos Alvarez College of Business-Internships” and complete all required fields
Academic Credit Internship
An academic internship is a credit-bearing, career-related work experience of limited duration where you gain real-world experience while earning credit toward your degree. Academic credit internships may take place in a non-profit organization, a government office or a for-profit business and must include training and supervision from an industry professional.
Additionally, during an academic credit internship, you perform scholarly work in conjunction with your approved internship experience. The academic internship must be supervised by a faculty member, and the scope and nature of the academic work must be defined and approved by the faculty member before you register for an academic credit internship.
Spring 2025 Application Deadline
Tuesday, Jan. 7
Spring 2025 academic credit internship applications are now being accepted.
Move on to the next steps to learn more about the process.
The Academic Credit Internship Process
Eligibility
To qualify for an academic credit internship, you must meet all of the following requirements. Your major department may have more extensive requirements than the general policy below. Applications for academic internships will not be approved unless all the criteria are met.
Undergraduate
- Must be a declared business major and in good academic standing at UTSA and in the college.
- Complete a minimum of 60 semester credit hours of which a minimum of 15 credit hours have been completed at UTSA.
- Meet all the prerequisites of the current catalog; consult your major degree requirements for specific details.
- Must adhere to the graduation requirements concerning the total number of hours that may be earned for academic credit through an internship.
- Note: Each 3-credit hour academic credit internship must be completed with a different company/organization.
- The internship must be in (or related to) the student’s declared major.
- The internship must last at least 160 work hours.
- Internships at all for-profit companies must be paid at an hourly rate equivalent to the minimum wage or higher to comply with the Department of Labor guidelines.
- An academic credit internship with a firm where a student is currently employed may be considered, but only if clear evidence shows that the internship is substantially and programmatically different from such employment.
Graduate
- A graduate student seeking academic credit must submit their request before starting the internship.
- Students who have completed ALL required leveling courses and adequate academic preparation (usually after 12-15 hours of degree-required coursework). Prerequisite requirements may vary by department.
- Have a GPA of 3.00 or higher.
- Graduate students interning with a for-profit company must have at least a minimum-wage paid internship that complies with the U.S. Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA), which governs minimum wage requirements in for-profit organizations. Students interning with a nonprofit 501c3 or government agency may have an unpaid internship. See the Department of Labor Fact Sheet 71 for more information.
- The internship must last at least 200 work hours.
International Students
Please contact International.Services@utsa.edu or 210-458-7202 before starting the application process.
Once you accept your internship and meet all the eligibility requirements, move on to step 2.
Academic Advisor
Meet with your academic advisor to review your eligibility for an academic credit internship.
Undergraduate Advisors Graduate Advisors
Major Requirements
Make sure you understand your major specific requirements. Currently, there are no additional requirements for graduate students.
Department of Accounting
Course: ACC 4933 Internship in Accounting (3 credit hours)
Prerequisites:
- 12 semester hours of upper-division accounting courses including ACC 3033
- 3.0 UTSA GPA
- 3.0 GPA in upper-division accounting courses
Department of Management
Course: MGT 4933 Internship in Management (3 credit hours)
Prerequisites:
- MGT 3003
- 6 semester credit hours of management courses
- 2.5 UTSA GPA
Department of Finance
Course: FIN 4933 Internship in Finance (3 credit hours)
Prerequisites:
- MGT 3003
- 6 semester credit hours of upper-division finance courses
- 2.5 UTSA GPA
Real Estate Finance and Development
Course: RFD 4923 Internship in Real Estate (3 credit hours)
Prerequisite:
- Declared major in Real Estate Finance and Development
- 6 semester credit hours of upper-division real estate or finance courses
- 2.5 UTSA GPA
Department of Marketing
Course: MKT 4933 Internship in Marketing (3 credit hours)
Prerequisites:
- MGT 3003 and MKT 3013 with a grade of "C-" or better
Sport, Entertainment and Tourism Management (SET) Track
Course: SET 4943 Internship in Sport, Event and Tourism Management (3 credit hours)
Prerequisites:
- MGT 3003 and MKT 3013 with a grade of "C-" or better
Department of Management Science and Statistics
Actuarial Science
Course: STA 4933 Internship in Statistics (3 credit hours)
Prerequisite: 2.5 GPA
Business Analytics
Course: MS 4933 Internship in Management Science (3 credit hours)
Prerequisite: 2.5 GPA
Operations and Supply Chain Management
Course: MS 4933 Internship in Management Science (3 credit hours)
Prerequisite: 2.5 UTSA GPA
Statistics and Data Science
Course: STA 4933 Internship in Statistics (3 credit hours)
Prerequisite: 2.5 UTSA GPA
Department of Information Systems and Cyber Security
Applied Cyber Analytics
Course: To be confirmed.
Prerequisite: To be confirmed.
Cyber Security
Course: IS 4943 Internship in Cyber Security (3 credit hours)
Prerequisites:
- 6 semester credit hours of information systems courses (excluding IS 1403 and IS 3003)
- 2.5 UTSA GPA
Information Systems
Course: IS 4933 Internship in Information Systems (3 credit hours)
Prerequisites:
- 6 semester credit hours of information systems courses (excluding IS 1403 and IS 3003)
- 2.5 UTSA GPA
Department of Economics
Course: ECO 4933 Internship in Economics (3 credit hours)
Prerequisites:
- 12 semester credit hours of upper-division economics
- 2.5 UTSA GPA
Once you know this is a good fit for your degree, move on to Step 3.
Undergraduate Faculty Supervisor
You must select a faculty member within your major to supervise your internship course. Your faculty supervisor is separate from, and in addition to, your department chair. Do NOT list your department chair as your faculty supervisor on the application.
Use the college's faculty directory, to help you identify a faculty member within your major.
Department of Accounting
Department Chair for Application: Harrison Liu, Ph.D.
Faculty Advisor for Application: You must contact Patrick Lee, CPA to serve as your faculty supervisor.
Department of Management
Department Chair for Application: Joe Broschak, Ph.D.
Find a Faculty Supervisor in Management
Department of Finance
Department Chair for Application: Karan Bhanot, Ph.D.
Find a Faculty Supervisor in Finance
Department of Marketing
Department Chair for Application: Deepa Chandrasekaran, Ph.D.
Find a Faculty Supervisor in Marketing
Department of Management Science and Statistics
Department Chair for Application: Wenbo Wu, Ph.D.
Find a Faculty Supervisor in Management Science and Statistics
Department of Information Systems and Cyber Security
Assistant Department Chair for Application: Raymond Choo, Ph.D.
Faculty Supervisor for IS 4933 and IS 4943 Applications: Please list Robert Kaufman as your faculty supervisor and contact him at Robert.Kaufman@utsa.edu before submitting your application.
Department of Economics
Department Chair for Application: Samson Alva, Ph.D.
Find a Faculty Supervisor in Economics
Graduate Faculty Supervisor
Select your program below to connect with your Program Internship Coordinator. Your coordinator can help you identify a faculty member to supervise your course progress.
M.A. Economics
M.S. Business
M.S. Management of Technology
M.S. Data Analytics
MACY and 150-hour
M.S. Finance
M.S. Information Technology (and Cyber Security Concentration
M.S. Finance, Real Estate Finance and Development Concentration
M.S. Statistics and Data Science
Now that you have secured a faculty supervisor, move on to Step 4.
Internship Packet
You must complete steps 1-3 to complete the electronic Carlos Alvarez College of Business internship packet.
Contact Caitlin Farias at caitlin.farias@utsa.edu with concerns or questions about your submitted internship packet.
Deadlines
Spring 2025: Tuesday, Jan. 7
Online Internship Packet Student Application Instructions (PDF)
Almost there, move on to Step 5 for the final step.
Tuition and Fees
Your tuition and fees must be paid in full by the published payment deadline for each semester.
Please visit the One Stop Enrollment website for more information on the cost of attendance and payment options.
