Interdisciplinary internships offer you a hands-on, professional experience that directly relates to your Interdisciplinary Studies program.
Internship Considerations
Does the internship provide an opportunity for you to develop and gain new skills beyond learning in the classroom that will be marketable upon graduation?
Do you see yourself working long-term for this company or a similar company?
Will the internship be with a legitimate business in which the experience itself is marketable to future employers?
Will you have a mentor within the organization as well as other networking opportunities?
IDS398R | Internship Experience
IDS 398R is a 1-credit internship course
Work at least half of an academic semester (7 weeks)
10 hours/week minimum
Complete a minimum of 100 hours of work
Have a full-time professional mentor/supervisor during the internship
Additional Internships Requirements
Internships must provide students with experience in their chosen concentration. When possible, the internship should also incorporate other degree elements (minors and clusters)
Start looking for an internship two semesters in advance. By the time registration opens for the semester, you will want to already have your internship lined up or you should be applying for internships.
For example, if you want to take an internship during Winter semester:
Start looking for internships during the two previous semesters (Spring and Fall semesters).
When registration opens for Winter semester, begin applying for internships.
Keep in mind that your internship timeline will likely be affected by the track system. So, be flexible about when you take your internship.
Many companies will post when they have internships. You could take the initiative and approach a company, but most students are looking at postings. The Internship & Career Services Office on campus offers resources to help you find postings for internships.
Consider these options when seeking internships:
Visit an employer in person
Use social media networks like LinkedIn and Handshake to find internship opportunities
Attend training meetings at the BYU-Idaho Career Center
Learn about available resources at the Career and Academic Advising Office
Sometimes there are internship opportunities that you may want to take advantage of that are unpaid. Make sure that what you will be doing and learning in the internship is worth the unpaid experience. But for all internships, both paid and unpaid, the university has internship grants that you could potentially qualify for. If finances are a consideration, reach out to the Financial Aid office to learn more about Internship Grants.
International internships are often not approved due to safety concerns. If you know of a good international opportunity that would greatly benefit you, start planning that earlier than you would a regular internship and have a good rationale of how it’s connected to your major. The approval process for international internships takes a lot longer and you would need to make sure that you have a really good reason for an international internship and that it is in a safe place.
No, you can’t do an internship with your family business.
Situations like this are considered on a case-by-case basis. If you are an Interdisciplinary Studies major, please email Brother Brower, the Dean of Interdisciplinary Studies, at interdisciplinarystudies@byui.edu, and explain your situation. If you are majoring in something other than Interdisciplinary Studies, please email the Internship & Career Services Office at internships@byui.edu.