Econ 298 Internship Course

ECON 298: Internship Course

Students completing an economics/business related internship who would like or require a course to accompany their internship may enroll in ECON 298: Internships. This course accompanies a full-time internship experience, ensuring students get the most out of the professional opportunity. Professional Internships are highly recommended for all undergraduate students as they enhance the curriculum and academic experience of the program. Economics/Business is a broad discipline and may lead to many careers within the public and private sector, so internships may vary, but should have some component of economics. Internships are an integral part of the educational experience and essential for future careers as they provide practical work experience, references, and a better understanding of the field of economics/business and how education may be utilized.

This course is not required for economics students completing an internship, but is an option for students who may want:

  • more structure for an internship
  • ensure they get the most out of their internship before, during, and after
  • need to receive course credit by the internship site
  • would like to earn credit hours for an internship
  • who need to be enrolled in a course for visa requirements

Information on the Course:

This class is entirely online using Canvas (canvas.illinois.edu) so please make sure you have access to a computer and internet throughout the internship. There may be on scheduled meeting prior to the course beginning (either in-person or online), but otherwise the course is 'asynchronyous,' meaning there is not a specified meeting time~ instead, students will complete the work on their own throughout the semester based on a timeline set by the instructor. Detailed information and assignments will be provided to you prior to the course beginning.

The course has two different credit-hour options:

  • Undergraduate Economics students may take for 0-credit or 3-credit option
  • All other Undergraduate Students may take the 3-hour option
  • Graduate Students (MSPE and Econ PHD Only) may only take the 0-hour option.

The 3-credit option will have more coursework involved. Please note that 0-credit hours has tuition/fees associated with the course. 
Find Tuition and Fee Information on the Registrar's Website: https://registrar.illinois.edu/tuition-fee-rates 

The course is graded on a Satisfactory/Not-Satisfactory basis so it will not count in your GPA, and hours do not count towards hours in economics, but may count towards your overall hours (they fall within the Independent Study credit). Graduate students will have the course listed on their transcript, but it will not count towards graduate requirements. Course may be repeated (but there may be limits on the number of credit hours going towards graduation).

Past Syllabi:
These syllabi are from past semesters~ assignments, dates, and structure of the course may change each semester, but this provides students with an idea of what to expect in the course. The instructor(s) will provide registered students with the updated syllabus when the course begins.
ECON 199: Internship (0 credit hour)
ECON 199: Internship (3 credit hour)

Requirements:

  1. Must be a current student;
  2. Must enroll in the correct credit option (see above);
  3. Internship must be a professional experience related to the field of economics, business, and/or an internship experience adding to the degree;
  4. Student must have secured the internship prior to applying for the course;
  5. Student agrees to any tuition costs and additional fees associated with the course.

Application:

To apply for the ECON 298: Internship Course, please fill out the form below. Once your materials have been reviewed, you will receive an email with information on registering for the course, and additional course information.

Internship Form

  • Be sure to have copies of  your internship position description as well as your offer letter to upload in the application form

Curricular Practical Training (CPT) for International Students:

Students who are on an international visa may be required to apply for a CPT in order to complete an internship within the U.S. (please discuss with the ISSS office about your individual situation~ ISSS offers numerous CPT & OPT workshops).

You must submit the CPT to your current Department Office- only Economics Students should submit to the Economics Undergraduate Office. Please check with your Departmental Office first, before submitting for CPT as you need to confirm they will approve your request with this course.

Economics Students: ECON 298: Internships is an approved course to accompany internships so students are able to apply for CPT approval. Students should complete the ECON 298 course application FIRST (see below), then once they receive approval from the Economics Office, they may submit the CPT form. Undergraduate students submit CPT to Katie Kennealy, MSPE students submit CPT to Ali Toossi, and PhD students submit CPT to Carol Banks.

Students must enroll and complete the course successfully (Satisfactory) in order to keep visa eligibility as required by the government.

More information regarding CPT, please visit the link below.