There are several differences between the two. An internship follows the academic calendar and begins and ends with each semester. A co-op can continue for multiple semesters. An Internship requires that you have a faculty sponsor, that you register for academic credit, and that you pay tuition and fees . Only internships will appear on your transcript. Co-op students receive a certificate of completion provided by the ELC.
If you’re taking an internship you will pay the tuition associated with the number of credits you register for. If you are taking a co-op, there are no costs involved.
YES - If you meet the qualifications for an internship, you may receive BOTH credit and pay for an internship - pending approval from your faculty sponsor, employer and Internship Advisor.
In order to have worker’s compensation insurance coverage, you must either do an internship or co-op. UC Denver does not support or coordinate internships or co-ops carried out on a strictly volunteer basis. For-profit employers are required by law to pay a minimum wage unless the person is enrolled in a university internship/co-op program.
Required onsite internship hours vary by college and by how many credits you’ve registered for. Minimum requirements are 45 onsite hours for each registered credit hour, however many students work many more hours than these minimums.
No. Co-op hours are discussed and agreed upon with your employer.
No. Co-ops often continue for multiple semesters but must have a new Learning Agreement on file at the Experiential Learning Center each semester. Internships typically last only one semester. Because it is like any other upper division elective class, the internship begins and ends within approximately the same timeframe. In some cases a student may continue an internship if they are given a new assignment with significantly different learning goals. They will need to complete a new Learning Agreement and register for an additional internship class. Some students continue with their employer in a co-op.
No. At this time the Experiential Learning Center does not support non paid, non credit internships. The Bureau of Labor’s Fair Labor Standards Act states that it is against the law for a for-profit company to “hire” volunteers for work they would otherwise pay an employee to do. In addition, students participating in non-paid, non-credit experiences typically do not have liability coverage should they get injured on the job.
Yes, as long as the internship provides a significant learning experience related to your major, and you meet the minimum qualifications of your department. Your faculty sponsor will have the final say as to whether it is a credit-worthy experience.
The Experiential Learning Center (ELC) will assist you with all aspects of your co-op. Your Internship Advisor is your advocate throughout your experience should anything go wrong or if you have questions or concerns – no matter how big or small. By having a Learning Agreement on file with the ELC, your co-op is a university sanctioned experience. We will make sure the employer understands our expectations, including providing you a quality learning experience as well as worker’s compensation coverage.
Yes. Your Internship Advisor is available to assist you in making these types of decisions. Simply schedule an appointment with your advisor by calling 303-556-6656.
A faculty sponsor must be a faculty member within your major and must be a tenure track faculty or have been approved by the department to sponsor interns.
You can find a list of approved faculty sponsors by college and department in the Resource Library section of your InternLink homepage or at the Experiential Learning Center.
Contact the faculty member via phone or email in order to set up an appointment to discuss your internship.
No. Some departments have assigned internship faculty sponsors, while other departments allow students to choose a faculty sponsor based on matching research interests. If you are given an option, choose a faculty member whose research matches with your internship learning objectives.
Internship Credit Approval Forms (or ADD Slips) are only available from your Internship Advisor after you’ve completed the Learning Agreement and BEFORE you begin working at your internship site. Bring your completed Learning Agreement to your Internship Advisor. Your advisor will fill out an Internship Credit Approval Form and you will sign the form. The Experiential Learning Center will take the form to the Registrar at the UC-Denver Building Annex, 100.
Your Internship Advisor will provide you with a time log to track your hours when register your Internship with the Experiential Learning Center. You can also access and print an Internship Time Log on the Experiential Learning Center Website under Forms or your InternLink account under the Resource Library.
Turn in your completed time log in to your faculty sponsor at the end of the semester along with any other required assignments.
Eligibility and Policies - Related Questions:
Students may be allowed to participate in more than one internship or co-op per semester depending on the College or School the student is enrolled in and what that College or School allows.
Meet with your Academic Advisor or Department Chair to identify alternatives to the internship.
We encourage students to find internships and co-ops on their own. While all internships and co-ops require ELC approval, the process for gaining approval of internships and co-ops not listed on InternLink is a simple process. Please call or meet with your Internship Advisor to see if your internship or co-op qualifies.
Meet with your Academic Advisor or Department Chair to identify alternatives to the internship.
Each department has different requirements for the maximum number of internships that you can do. Please see your Academic Advisor to help you determine how many internships you would be able to do and if you have enough credit available to do so. There is not a limit on the number of co-ops that you can do.
An internship or co-op needs to be a learning experience related to your field of study. For that reason, it is critical that your internship is within your major.
All international students are able to do internships. Eligibility for a co-op depends on your visa status. There are additional steps you will need to take to qualify for a co-op. Please review the orientation for international students to familiarize yourself with those additional steps. If you have any questions, please contact your Internship Advisor or the Office of International Affairs.
Transfer students must still meet the requirements to do an internship or co-op. This includes credit hours completed at UC Denver and UC Denver GPA requirements. If you are in your first semester at UC Denver, you will not be able to do an internship or co-op.
InternLink - Related Questions:
The Experiential Learning Center offers several online resources besides InternLink that may help you find what you’re interested in. Meet with your Internship Advisor for additional options. Please remember to keep checking InternLink while you’re looking at other sources, as new internships and co-ops are added each day.
When searching on InternLink, make sure that you are doing multiple searches. This will increase the number of internships and co-ops that you can view. There are over 500 internships and co-ops posted at any one time on InternLink. To view the internship and co-op opportunities, you must have gone through an the Online Internship Orientation, and registered on InternLink. Within 24 hours, the Experiential Learning Center reception staff will approve your profile. If you still have trouble viewing positions please call 303-556-6656 so the front desk staff can assist you directly. You will only be able to view internships and co-ops on InternLink after your profile has been approved. Please remember to check InternLink on an ongoing basis, as new internships and co-ops are added each day. The one you want may be one of them!
We recommend that you conduct a search by major or keyword. In addition, setting up a saved search and an email agent will make searching for internships and/or co-ops even easier. If you have questions about searching, please talk to an ELC Peer Assistant or make an appointment with your Internship Advisor.
All internships and co-ops on InternLink are up-to-date and active. Many employers are constantly hiring interns, so they will post their internship or co-op every semester. The Experiential Learning Center staff updates InternLink each semester to make sure that contact information is correct.
Application - Related Questions:
Some employers will take a while to get back to intern/co-op applicants. It is appropriate to follow up with the organization after a week to inquire where they are in their hiring process.
Some employers have requested that their contact information not be viewable to students. If you do not see contact information on InternLink, do not contact the organization. Before you contact employers, you may want to check with your Internship Advisor to discuss strategies for phone calls and emails to employers.
Most employers understand that students applying for internships and co-ops usually don’t have relevant experience. Your coursework, academic projects, and knowledge is often your most valuable asset. What will make you stand out as a candidate is a strong resume and cover letter. Your Internship Advisor can help you with this.
The Career Center (Tivoli 259) offers drop-in resume critiques Mondays-Fridays from 11am-3pm. You may also have your Internship Advisor review your resume.
Read each internship and/or co-op posting on InternLink carefully. Some employers require that you submit a cover letter and will not consider applicants that do not include one. Most employers will not ask for a cover letter, however we recommend that you include a cover letter if you email or snail mail your resume. For assistance, go to the Career Center or view the samples in the “Apply for an Internship” section of the Experiential Learning Center website.
Further Assistance:
Visit the Career Center to learn about their career planning services or make an appointment with a Career Counselor 303-556-2250.
Each Internship Advisor works with students from specific majors. Please call 303-556- 6656 to determine who your Internship Advisor is or check out the “About Us” section of our website.
Learning Agreements are located in the Resource Library section of your InternLink homepage. You can also stop in to the Experiential Learning Center to pick up a copy. You will have access to your homepage after you’ve completed the Online Internship Orientation and registered on InternLink.