The IMA Internship course (IMNY-UT 901) is a credit-bearing course that combines professional work experience with academic learning. Students secure their own internships and apply classroom knowledge in a professional setting.
Course requirements include: written reflections, one-on-one meetings with your advisor, and supervisor evaluation. To earn credit, students must successfully complete both the internship and all course requirements.
Finding Internships:
IMA faculty and staff regularly share internship opportunities through the ITP/IMA Opportunities Blog.
You can also use NYU’s career resources:
- NYU Office of Career Development – Career advising, workshops, and internship opportunities.
- Tisch Office of Career Development – Career advising, workshops, and internship opportunities.
You may also search for internships through online job platforms:
- Tisch College Central – Internship and job postings for Tisch students.
- NYU Handshake – Internship and job postings for NYU students.
- LinkedIn – A professional networking site with internship and job listings.
Tip: Many internships are found through personal connections. Let your family, friends, professors, classmates, and professional contacts know that you’re looking for an internship.
Before You Accept an Internship:
- Does the position provide meaningful learning opportunities?
- Will you be supervised by experienced staff?
- Does the internship complement the work of regular employees rather than replace them.
- Complement the work of regular employees rather than replace them.
For additional guidance, review NYU’s internship guidelines.
Can I Receive Academic Credit?
Not every position called an internship qualifies for academic credit. For additional guidance, review Important Considerations Before Accepting a Job or Internship.
Paid and Unpaid Internships
NYU encourages employers to pay interns whenever possible. However, both paid and unpaid internships may qualify for academic credit if they meet NYU’s internship requirements. Students pursuing unpaid internships may be eligible for funding through the Wasserman Center Internship Grant.
International Students & CPT:
Once your internship has been approved by your academic advisor, all international students with F-1 visas must contact the Office of Global Services (OGS) to register their internship, whether it is paid or unpaid. To apply for Curricular Practical Training (CPT), you must provide proof of your internship offer and the contact information for your assigned academic advisor.
As an F-1 student, CPT allows you to accept off-campus employment as part of the curriculum of your degree program. You must meet the following eligibility guidelines:
- You must have a job offer directly related to your program of study.
- You must have been a full-time student in the US for at least one academic year.
- You must have a valid F-1 status.
- You must be in good academic standing.
To begin the process, submit the online request (click here) to OGS for an I-20 authorizing you for CPT. Note: If you work over 12 months of full-time CPT, you will forfeit all OPT.
On the online CPT request form, you will need to:
- List Sharleen Smith (ses4@nyu.edu), ITP / IMA Department Administrator, as your departmental contact / academic adviser for the CPT authorization process.
- Provide the name, address, and dates of employment for your proposed CPT employer.
- Upload a scanned copy of your I-94 record.
Once OGS receives your request for a CPT and the electronic confirmation from your department, it takes up to 5 business days to process your request. When your new CPT-authorized I-20 is ready, OGS will email you at your NYU email address.
- You must present your CPT-authorized I-20 to your internship Human Resources within the first three days of your internship start date.
- Once you receive your authorization for CPT, you must apply for a Social Security Number if you don’t already have one. You must have a Social Security Number before you can be paid.
Note: If you have questions about CPT, please contact our OGS colleague, jackie.chin@nyu.edu.
How Many Credits Can You Earn with an Internship?
Fall / Spring Term Internship Hourly Requirements:
Internships function as 14-week courses, following the same start and end dates as the academic semester. These 14 weeks are also used to calculate the estimated hours required to earn internship credits.
The number of credits you can earn for an internship depends on two factors:
- The number of hours you work at the internship per week
- The number of available credits in your schedule
| Units/Credits | Hours per Week | Total Hours |
| 1.0 | 3-4 | 50 |
| 2.0 | 7-8 | 100 |
| 3.0 | 10-11 | 150 |
| 4.0 | 14-15 | 200 |
Summer Term Internship Hourly Requirements:
Summer is a popular time for students to pursue internships. However, unlike the Fall and Spring semesters, most students are not enrolled full-time, so they will need to pay for internship credits to earn academic credit over the summer. If you plan to intern during the summer and want to receive credit, please consult your advisor to discuss your options.
| Units/Credits | Hours per Week | Total Hours |
| 1.0 | 3-5 | 42 |
| 2.0 | 6-8 | 84 |
| 3.0 | 9-11 | 126 |
| 4.0 | 12-14 | 168 |
Note: These hourly requirements are minimums to pass the class at the designated unit level. For international students with CPT, please see the additional guidelines below for planning your working hours
IMA Internship Course IMNY-UT 901:
Enrolling in the Class:
You cannot enroll yourself. To begin the credit-earning Internship process, you must get approval from your Internship Academic Adviser, Sharleen Smith.
- Complete the IMA Internship Request Form.
- Once approved— Send the signed Internship Agreement and Anti-Discrimination forms to Sharleen
Once an Internship opportunity is approved and all forms are in, you will be enrolled in course IMNY-UT 901.
Late registration: Ideally, approval and registration happen before the add/drop period of the semester. Exceptions can be made for later start dates; however, this complicates the required hours to meet the credits sought for the 14-week semester.
Does enrolling in the class place me in a job?:
No. Signing up for the class does not place you in an internship. Students are expected to secure their internship opportunities. Many resources are available through the university; see the Finding Internships section at the beginning of this guide.