Career Services and Internships
The Office of Career Services & Internships is available to assist students, alumni, faculty, and staff in meeting their career development needs. Professional, experienced personnel will help individuals explore their career interests, choose a major, find career information, create a resume, develop interview skills, and search for internships and employment. Assistance is provided through workshops, networking events, and one-on-one meetings. All services are free of charge.
We recommend that students speak to a career advisor no later than the end of their sophomore year to ensure they are building a strong resume and articulating their developing career-readiness skills, to give them an edge in finding an internship or job.
To receive information on any of these free services, please contact Career Services at (careerservices@bac.edu) or visit us in the Center for Student Success Office Suite on the first floor of St. Michael's Hall, across from the baseball fields, at 526 Abbot Walter Commons Dr. on the Belmont Abbey College campus.
Internships
The Office of Career Services & Internships manages both required and optional internship programs for all majors on campus. The office will assist students in connecting with employers and using job search tools effectively to find an internship. We can also help students discern if an internship is legitimate and/or the right experience for them.
Many of the best internship opportunities are offered and filled a full year (or more) ahead of the actual internship. Students should plan accordingly and begin their internship search a semester to one year prior to the semester they intend to complete their internship.
To ensure sufficient time for the approval process, students should finalize their internships and complete the required paperwork 4 to 8 weeks before their internships begin.
Internship Policies:
Internships are experiential learning opportunities that connect the classroom to the professional world. Internships provide interns with new skills, practical and technical training, and prospects. Internships may be paid or unpaid. The intern must be appropriately supervised and receive regular counseling, feedback, and evaluation. An intern may not replace a regular company employee.
The following states have different requirements for internships: California, Colorado, and South Carolina
- California regulations prevent Belmont Abbey students from completing internships in California
- Students completing internships in Colorado or South Carolina may be required to purchase workers’ compensation insurance at their own expense. Students should work with their host site to obtain this insurance if required. Belmont Abbey is not permitted under North Carolina law to provide or pay for a student’s workers' compensation insurance.
International Students must also meet additional requirements and should contact the Director of Career Services and the Dean of Student Life as they begin their internship search.
To receive credit for an internship:
- The student should share the internship job description with Career Services and their department's faculty internship advisor to ensure the position qualifies for credit before accepting the internship position.
- A completed and signed internship agreement is required for all internships. Career Services will share the Internship Agreement form with the student once their job description has been approved.
- Students are enrolled in an internship class that coincides with their internship. Registration for the internship class is handled through the approval process. Students do not register themselves for the class.
- Students receive a Pass/Fail grade for the internship class and must successfully complete their internship with the company, meet all Career Services requirements, and complete the internship class to receive a passing grade.
- Students will only be registered for an internship during the same semester they will be working the internship hours. Hours may not be accumulated until the student is approved and registered for the internship.
- A typical internship is 3 credits and requires 120 hours of work. A minimum of 40 hours of work experience is required for each (1) hour of academic credit. With special permission from Career Services and the student’s major department, students may earn more than 3 internship credits.
- Students may earn a maximum of 12 internship credits. In general, no more than 6 credits may be earned during a single internship.
- Students engaged in summer internships will be charged summer tuition fees.
- Any student engaged in a fall or spring semester internship will be charged for additional credits if he or she is taking more than 18 credit hours.
The following will not be considered for internship credit:
- Past work experience is not eligible to receive academic credit.
- Current work experience is not eligible for academic credit. Exception: if an intern takes on added or new responsibilities in their current position that meet the requirements of a new learning experience
- Internship credit will not be given retroactively. No exceptions.
- Any position with a company that operates through door-to-door sales
- Any position with a multi-level marketing (MLM) business (Click here for information on MLMs from the Federal Trade Commission)
- Experiences supervised by family members