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• STUDENT REQUIREMENTS

  To be eligible for academic credit for an internship, students must: 

  • complete one semester at Columbia College prior to the internship (two semesters for international students)
  • have a 2.0 GPA or higher at Columbia College
  • have earned at least 30 credits on your transcript (can include transferred credits)
  • register for internship course prior to the deadline (varies by course and semester)
  • complete at least 75 hours during the semester (students are permitted to work more than 75)
  • additional requirements may apply based on student program or status – see below for more details
• STEPS TO APPLY FOR CREDIT
  1. Secure your internship (see our Career Resources page for tips on searching or meet with a career advisor).
  2. Submit your application for the internship for credit program in .
  3. Your Career Advisor will automatically receive your application and review it to ensure it meets the guidelines for credit. They may reach out to your internship supervisor to learn more about the opportunity.
  4. Your Career Advisor will inform you if your opportunity is approved. If it is not approved, this does not bar you from participating in the opportunity. It means that the opportunity cannot be registered for academic credit.
  5. If approved, your Career Advisor will send an electronic Internship Agreement listing the expectations of the experience, to be signed electronically by you, your internship supervisor, the international student services office (if applicable) and lastly by your Career Advisor. It can take several days for all required parties to sign the agreement, so plan accordingly.
  6. Once all required parties have signed the agreement is signed, your Career Advisor will reach out to confirm your course selection and provide you with steps for registration in the MyColum portal. 

  *Please note that internships must be registered by the deadline designated by the type of course chosen. It can take a few days to get your internship approved and agreement signed depending on you and your supervisor’s timeliness. It is recommended you apply as early as possible. 

• COURSE OPTIONS

  UNDERGRADUATES:
  # COLL 200 – Zero (0) credit 

  • 75 hours minimum worked
  • Deadline to register: Friday before final week of classes
  • No tuition cost (even during the summer)
  • Can be taken repeatedly
  • Pass / Fail grade
  • Requires Final Supervisor Evaluation and Intern Experience Survey at end of semester 

  # COLL 210 – One (1) credit

  • 75 hours minimum worked
  • Deadline to register: Friday before final week of classes 
  • May count toward graduation requirements—check with your academic advisor
  • Can be taken repeatedly
  • Pass / Fail grade
  • Requires Final Supervisor Evaluation and Intern Experience Survey at end of semester

  # COLL 230 – Three (3) credits – Internship: Professionalism and Creativity 

  • 75 hours minimum worked 
  • Deadline: Registrar’s Add Deadline
  • May count toward graduation requirements—check with your academic advisor 
  • Cannot be taken more than once 
  • Letter graded A-F
  • Requires online asynchronous course taught by a faculty member. Since everyone in the course concurrently participates in an internship, students will have the opportunity to network with and learn from other interns and their experiences. The course has weekly online assignments, discussions and projects that focus on professionalism skills, help students synthesize their internship experience and plan for the next steps in their career. 

  # COLL 330 – Three (3) credits – Advanced Internship: Professionalism and Creativity  

  • Prerequisite: COLL 230
  • 75 hours minimum worked 
  • Deadline: Registrar’s Add deadline
  • May count toward graduation requirements—check with your academic advisor
  • Cannot be taken more than once 
  • Letter graded A-F
  • COLL 330 builds on the knowledge learned in COLL 230. In addition to participating in the internship, students will be responsible for participating in an asynchronous online course component taught by a faculty member. Since everyone in the course, concurrently participates in an internship, students will have the opportunity to network with and learn from other interns and their experiences. The course has weekly online assignments, discussions and projects that focus on professionalism skills, help students synthesize their internship experience and plan for the next steps in their career. 

  GRADUATE STUDENTS

  # COLL 600 – Zero (0) credit 

  • 75 hours minimum worked 
  • Deadline to register: Friday before final week of classes
  • No tuition cost, even during the summer
  • Can be taken repeatedly
  • Pass / Fail grade
  • Requires Final Supervisor Evaluation and Intern Experience Survey at end of semester 

  *Some graduate programs have additional internship course options. Check with your Career Advisor to learn more. 

ADDITIONAL REQUIREMENTS

• INTERIOR ARCHITECTURE

  Students in the Interior Architecture program must complete an internship that follows the guidelines below in order to complete their graduation requirement. Opportunities that fall outside of these guidelines could still be accepted for elective credit.

  ADDITIONAL STUDENT ELIGIBILITY

  • Completed 64 credit hours and completed INTA 252 Surface Manipulation Studio 
  • Register for internship course prior to the deadline—these vary by course and semester

  EMPLOYER ELIGIBILITY

  • Firm must provide interior architecture or interior design services
  • Showrooms, kitchen and bath, cabinet makers, furniture dealerships are acceptable for major credit. Direct-to-Consumer, retail positions will not be accepted.
  • Firm must have an office location (not a home office) and employ at least two professionals.
  • Direct supervisor must have a degree in Interior Architecture, Design, or allied discipline.
  • Firm must have a company email address and website.
  • Students need to be involved with design-related tasks.
  • Student must complete a minimum of 150 hours within the semester they receive credit. 

  COURSE OPTIONS

  # COLL 410 – Zero (0) credit 

  • 150 hours minimum worked
  • Deadline to register: Friday before final week of classes 
  • No tuition cost, even during the summer
  • Can be taken repeatedly
  • Pass / Fail grade
  • Requires Final Supervisor Evaluation and Intern Experience Survey at end of semester 

  # COLL 411 – One (1) credit  

  • 150 hours minimum worked
  • Deadline to register: Friday before final week of classes 
  • Can be taken repeatedly
  • Pass / Fail grade
  • Requires Final Supervisor Evaluation and Intern Experience Survey at end of semester
• INTERNATIONAL STUDENTS

  International students wishing to intern MUST enroll for academic credit in order to have permission to work. They do this by participating in CPT (Curricular Practical Training), an extension of their visa. 

  CPT is any off-campus employment in the form of internships, practicums, etc. Positions may be paid or unpaid, and all CPT requires authorization in advance. For more information on CPT, contact ISSS.

  Effective Sept. 1, 20206:

  Due to recent regulatory changes initiated by the Student and Exchange Visitor Program (SEVP) on August 22, 2026, Curricular Practical Training (CPT) is only available to students whose academic program requires that all students in the program complete an internship to satisfy degree requirements. We are unable to issue Curricular Practical Training (CPT) as elective internship credit for any students on an F-1 visa at this time. If your program requires an internship, please see the following guidelines and instructions below. Please contact isss@colum.edu if you have any questions or need further clarification.

  STUDENT ELIGIBILITY REQUIREMENTS 

  • You must be in F-1 status for one academic year prior to being eligible for an internship through CPT authorization
  • All internships must be related to your major field of study.
  • Minimum 2.0 cumulative GPA prior to starting the internship
  • Require a new I-20 with the CPT authorization of your internship site.

   

  All students on CPT must report changes in personal information as well as employment information to International Student and Scholar Services (ISSS) at ÒùÆÞÉç within 10 days to ensure you maintain your visa status. You will receive a new I-20 with the CPT authorization of your internship site.

  STEPS TO APPLY 

  1. Secure an internship offer (visit the Career Center for help searching, applying, and interviewing for internships.)
  2. Complete the Career Center’s —be sure to fill out all information. Log into ColumWorks, click on "Internship for Credit," and then click the button for "+New Experience" to submit your application.
     • You must include a start date and an end date and the complete address, including the postal code, of the internship site. The Office of International Student and Scholars Services cannot sign incomplete contracts and it will be returned to you for correction if it is incomplete.
  3. Once approved, the Career Center will send the completed contract to the Office of International Student and Scholars Services to sign. If complete, they will sign it and issue your new I-20 for CPT.
  4. Once you have your new I-20, you may begin working.
     • ***Do not start your internship (especially if it is paid) until you have a new I-20, as it could be considered a violation of your student visa status. 

  For more information, .

  COURSE OPTIONS

  Internship course options are the same as domestic students, see above.

SPECIAL PROGRAMS

Columbia hosts two specialized internship programs, the Semester in LA (SILA) and the On-Campus Internship Program, that offer exciting opportunities to gain real-world work experience.

• SEMESTER IN LA INTERNSHIPS

  The Semester in LA program provides students with critical experiences in the media and entertainment industry to carry into their career after graduation. It is open to all majors. In the program, students spend a semester in Los Angeles with courses focused on professionalism and are required to find and participate in an internship. Find out more information about the program at the SiLA website.

  Past and current SiLA Internship Sites: 

  • Netflix 
  • Circle of Confusion 
  • Monkeypaw Productions 
  • Osprey Productions 
  • Stagecoach Entertainment 
  • NBC Universal 
  • Imagine Entertainment 
  • Legendary Entertainment 
  • Atlas Entertainment 
  • 2656 Marketing
  • Broadway Video 
  • Untitled Entertainment
  • Funny or Die
  • Creative Arts Agency (CAA)
  • Fox Entertainment
  • Thunder Road Films
  • Wondery
  • ARRAY
  • SkyCastle
  • Gunpowder & Sky

   

  What students say about their SiLA experience:

  “Week by week I received exciting and entertaining projects to cover, but as the semester went on the projects I received seemed to be more important and got me more excited. I also got to meet more people on a personal level as time went on and I am very excited to meet everyone in person when I move out to LA.” - Anthony Fuentes (Rideback Productions)

  “I learned the techniques and value of self-marketing and how it can help launching a career in Hollywood. This was an unexpected learning outcome which I really admire Donna and Sandy for teaching me.||Time management skills also grew over the internship as I had to balance a lot of tasks along with my class and work schedule. My supervisors gave me firm deadlines which allowed me to plan and manage my time. I also learned how to edit effectively.” -Joel Freecheck (2656 Marketing)

  “I developed my coverage ability and stretched it to further encompass writing ability not just story structure like I previously had been focusing on. I learned about the TV development process-- it has such a quick turn around! I learned about avail checks and how to inquire at agencies for submissions etc.” - Audra O'Brien (Array Filmworks)

  “Everyone was incredibly welcoming and inviting, making every day going into the office a pleasant experience. Then, my supervisor made working for the company super exciting as well, being flexible in the things that I worked on and constantly asking what I wanted to do. If I could, I would have continued working for the company just because of how great of an experience I had.” - Drew Brown (Imagine Entertainment & Television)

  “I met Jordan Peele and he asked me about myself, then came back ten minutes later to keep talking. Very nice man. He remembers my name and says hello whenever we see each other now.||Multiple higher up employees have also told me they hope I stay for a long time.” - Sophia Caranicas (Monkeypaw Productions)

  “Every single day I was learning and growing. I am truly a more well-rounded filmmaker after this internship.” - Georgia Lee (Legendary Entertainment)

• ON-CAMPUS INTERNSHIP PROGRAM

  ÒùÆÞÉç’s On-Campus Internship Program provides students with opportunities to gain valuable real-world experience with on-campus professionals while applying learning inside and outside the classroom, while receiving compensation and academic credit.

  These positions are listed on the Handshake job board and as a part of the role, students are required to register for an academic course each semester they participate in the internship.  Students can participate in the internship for as many semesters as they are in the role. Students are limited to registering up to 3 one-credit courses (COLL 210) and each of the three-credit courses (COLL 230 & COLL 330). They always have the option to register for the tuition-free course COLL 200.  A Career Advisor will work with the student to choose the best option for them.

  Departments that host on-campus interns:

  • Museum of Contemporary Photography
  • Student Communications
  • Student Leadership
  • WCRX Radio Station
  • Strategic Communication and External Relations
  • and more!

  What students say about their On-Campus Internship experience: 

  “It is already known how hard it is to get the opportunity to work at Museum of Contemporary Photography, but nothing is more rewarding when you are actually given the chance. The person learns so much compared to what they learn in the classroom. Not only will they get to work with artists and curators, they will also be hands on with artworks and get to be a part of the creation of an exhibition, which is one of the most rewarding feelings in the world. The connections you make and the undergraduate students you work with is also a great part of it, because you get to create things with them in the meantime.”  -- Oyku Kolat, Museum of Contemporary Photography

  “This internship position has helped me gain a stronger sense of what type of work environment I work best in as well as helping me realize that I really enjoy working in a team!” -- Paige Brunsen, Student Activities “Every day I am learning more and more about how different types of people learn, and I think that is fascinating. As well as learning how to incorporate these different types of people/personalities/mindsets into each individuals session.” -- Paige Kizer, Academic Center for Tutoring

  “My internship has provided me incredible opportunities to be creative and make work I am proud of.” -- Paige Brunsen, Student Activities

• AIDS Foundation of Chicago
• Apple Studios
• Art Institute of Chicago
• Blumhouse Productions
• BMO Bank
• Brooklyn Museum
• BUST Magazine
• Chicago Bears
• Chicago History Museum
• Chicago Opera Theater
• Chicago Sun-Times
• City of Chicago Mayor’s Office
• The CW
• DDB North America
• DreamWorks Animation
• Epiphany Center for the Arts
• Express
• Field Museum
• Fox Television
• Gensler
• Havas Worldwide
• Hilton
• Hindman Auctions
• House of Blues

• Hyde Park Art Center
• Leo Burnett
• Live Nation Entertainment
• LVMH Moet Hennessy Louis Vuitton Inc.
• Lyric Opera
• Madewell
• Mandalay Pictures
• Marc Jacobs
• Maria Pinto
• Marvel Entertainment
• McDonald’s Creative Agency
• Monkeypaw Productions
• Museum of Contemporary Photography
• NASA
• NBC Chicago
• NBC Universal
• Netflix
• Nordstrom
• Ogilvy
• PACE Prints
• Paper Magazine
• Paramount Pictures

• Peggy Notebaert Nature Museum
• Pitchfork Media
• Publicis
• Second City
• Sephora
• Sony Music Entertainment
• South Chicago Dance Theatre
• The Paley Center for Media
• The Walt Disney Company
• Thunder Road Films
• Tiffany & Co.
• Time Out
• United Talent Agency
• Univision
• Vera Wang
• Victoria’s Secret
• Volvo Group
• Warner Bros. Entertainment
• WTTW Chicago
• PBS
• Goodman Theatre
• WBEZ
• Whirlpool Corporation