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.

Two people shaking hands

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.
Photo of female student with glasses wearing a blue polo shirt with the Alvarez College of Business logo in front of the UTSA Business Building

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

Report Your Internship

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.

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 Dr. Elaine Sanders 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

Anastasia Zervou, Ph.D.

M.S. Business

Daniel Davied, Ph.D.

M.S. Management of Technology

Glenn Brown, Ed.D.

MACY and 150-hour

Elaine Sanders, Ph.D.

M.S. Information Technology (and Cyber Security Concentration

Raymond Choo, Ph.D.

M.S. Finance, Real Estate Finance and Development Concentration

Tony Ciochetti, Ph.D.

M.S. Statistics and Data Science

Keying Ye, Ph.D.


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.