Recruiting Interns

Berklee defines an internship as an opportunity for students to apply classroom learning in a professional environment under the supervision of a dedicated supervisor. Students seeking internship experiences must enroll in an internship course for academic credit and will receive a final grade at the end of the semester. Internships are limited to situations approved by the Career Center.

During the internship semester, a Berklee intern will:

• spend at least 10 weeks at the internship site during the academic semester;
• intern for a minimum number of hours (70 or 140 hours over the duration of the semester, depending on the academic course requirements);
• complete academic assignments, and receive a final grade at the end of the semester; and
• synthesize academic theories and hands-on experience.

At the start of the internship, interns will bring the learning contract or action plan to discuss and sign with the supervisor. Internship supervisors can also expect mid-semester and final evaluations, which will be facilitated by a member of the Career Center staff. We encourage supervisors to provide regular feedback to interns. If you have any questions or concerns about your intern, we are available to address those at any point during the semester.

Need assistance? Contact careercenter@berklee.edu. We are happy to help.

• Internships may be done remotely under the regular supervision of a professional staff person. Remote internships should include weekly check-in meetings and clear guidelines for tasks and assignments.
• Employers must verify that international students have valid internship authorization for the duration of their internship.
• Your internship posting should be for a future semester, not a semester that is already underway.
• It is the responsibility of the employer to interview any and all qualified internship seekers, just as you would recruit for full-time hires. The Career Center does not place students directly at internship sites.

Berklee attracts students from around the world. Many highly qualified international students seek internships to gain valuable professional skills and learn about working in the United States. We work regularly with employers to host international students as interns.

Eligible international students are able to intern during any academic semester throughout the school year as long as they have valid work authorization on page 2 of their Certificate of F1 Student Eligibility, known as a Form I-20, prior to their first day working as an intern.

Most international students who seek internships will be authorized for curricular practical training (CPT). CPT authorization is site-specific and requires the internship supervisor to provide basic information via a webform, which is sent directly from the Career Center.

Any international student who is a recent graduate and is registering for an internship course for credit will be eligible to intern under their optional practical training (OPT). OPT does not require supervisor verification ahead of time, but an intern must not begin prior to the start date listed on the Employment Authorization Document (EAD) issued by U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services.

International students on CPT or OPT are eligible for payment as long as they have a social security number or an individual taxpayer identification number (ITIN). It is the employer’s responsibility to ensure the intern has authorization prior to beginning an internship/employment.

Internships take place within the confines of the academic semester. It is ideal to post your internship at least two or three months before the start of the semester during which you plan to host an intern. If you want to seek an intern for a semester that is already underway, contact the Career Center for guidance.

• Fall semester: early September through mid-December
• Spring semester: mid-January through early May
• Summer semester: late May through mid-August