The IMA Internship class (IMNY-UT 901) is open to IMA majors in their Sophomore year or higher. Internships are meant to allow students to gain hands-on experience, explore career options, develop confidence in work abilities, and practice the theory and principles taught in class.
Finding Internships:
IMA faculty, staff, and administration send internship opportunities to the ima-announce list as they come across them. These are aggregated on the Opportunities Blog.
Other NYU resources include the Tisch Office of Career Development and the NYU Office of Career Development. Both offer workshops and list internships.
Register with online job listing services to find companies that post for internships opportunities. Job posting platforms include:
- Tisch College Central: Job postings from employers looking to hire and place Tisch students specifically
- NYU Handshake: Job postings from employers looking to hire NYU students
- LinkedIn: This is the social networking platform used for professional networking
Note: Remember that the best way to find jobs/internships is often through your personal network of family and friends.
Not all jobs are Internships: Internships and Academic Credit
The position must meet the requirements outlined in the NYU Internship Criteria below to earn academic credit for an internship. If the opportunity does not meet these criteria, you can still pursue it independently, but it will not be considered a credit-bearing internship—even if your title is “intern.” In this case, you would work as an individual, not as a “student” for academic credits.
Note: Before committing, carefully weigh the pros and cons based on your schedule and determine whether a part-time role aligns with your academic and personal commitments.
NYU Internship Criteria: TSOA Internships 101
- The internship is similar to training that would be given in an educational environment;
- The internship experience is for the benefit of the intern;
- The intern does not displace regular employees but works under the close supervision of existing staff;
- The employer that provides the training derives no immediate advantage from the intern’s activities; on occasion, its operations may actually be impeded.
Internship Restrictions & Limitations:
- IMA freshmen are not eligible for Internships.
- You cannot complete more than 4 points in a semester.
- There is a maximum total of 8.0 internship units during your undergraduate career.
- Working for other students or at a student-run start-up is not considered a viable internship option.
Compensation
NYU’s Wasserman Center advocates that all students should receive compensation for their work. However, they acknowledge that some industries do not typically pay their interns, yet they still provide a meaningful learning experience. Paid and non-paid internships can qualify for course credits. Wasserman Center Internship Grants are available to students pursuing unpaid internships.
Before You Accept an Offer:
It is important to get a realistic idea of what the position offers. When considering an internship offer, review the items on this page: Important Considerations Before Accepting a Job or Internship.
How Many Credits Can You Earn with an Internship?
The number of credits you can earn for an internship depends on two factors:
- The number of available credits in your schedule
- The number of hours you work at the internship per week
Full-time students can take between 12 and 18 credits per semester. For example, if you are registered for 16 credits of coursework, you could add a 2-credit internship, bringing your total to 18 credits for the semester.
Fall / Spring Term Internship Hourly Requirements:
| 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 |
Fall and Spring semesters: 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.
Summer Term Internship Hourly Requirements:
| 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 |
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 may 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.
Note: These hourly requirements are minimums to pass the class at the designated unit level. There are no maximums; however, for international students with CPT, please see the additional guidelines below for planning your working hours.
IMA Internship Course IMNY-UT 901:
Starting in Fall 2025, the Internship course will require coursework and assignments in addition to your work experience.
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.
Enrolling in the Class:
To begin the credit-earning Internship process, you must get approval from your Internship Academic Adviser (Sharleen).
- 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.
What are the course requirements?
- Search for and obtain an internship.
- Complete internship agreement paperwork
- Course attendance & Assignments:
- Attend three (online) group meetings with Advisor & other students
- Meet for a minimum of three 1:1 meetings with Advisor
- Attend two (online) Small Group / Peer Feedback Sessions
- Complete three writing assignments
- Submit Midterm Check-in
- Work the minimum number of hours required for the number of credits registered.
- Submit Your End-of-Term Documentation
- Timesheet for semester
- Your Self-Evaluation
- Internship Supervisor Evaluation
- Revise and hand in Résumé / LinkedIn profile
International Students & CPT:
International students with F1 visas must contact the Office of Global Services (OGS) to register for an internship (both paid and unpaid). To apply for Curricular Practical Training (CPT), you must provide proof of an internship offer and the contact information of 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.