BSI students are not required to do an internship as part of the degree program, but many do. An internship teaches you to apply knowledge and skills to specific problems outside the classroom and enables you to combine what you have learned in the classroom with what you observe and experience in the "real world." 

We recommend all students to participate in an internship (for credit or not) for a number of reasons. First, it gives you the opportunity to see the results of the skills you’re building in real-world situations. Second, it gives you a better understanding of the opportunities and challenges in the field, which you bring back to your second-year coursework. Third, it allows you to build experience, as well as a stronger resume and/or portfolio, which future employers look for. And finally, we know that the connections made during internships are critical for networking and can lead to job offers.

To see the outcomes from the many internships our students participate in each year, we invite you to browse our internship outcomes page.

A key resource for finding internships is UMSI CareerLink, UMSI's online recruiting system. Our Career Development Office educates students on conducting a successful internship search. 

BSI students can earn 1 credit from approved internships. These approved internships must take place during the summer. Credit earned from internships (SI 390) are counted as part of the upper level SI credits needed for graduation.

For students on an F-1 Visa, please work with the International Center to review eligibility for a Curricular Practical Training (CPT) visa for experiences outside of the University of Michigan. More information about CPT can be found here.

All internships approved for UMSI Internship Course credit have these benefits:

• Relates to what is taught and researched at UMSI and connects to the student’s coursework and future career goals
• Provides hands-on professional work that helps the student develop new learning, skills and abilities
• Has a professional supervisor with three or more years of experience who provides mentoring for a successful experience