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International
Education

Academic Training

An internship is a paid or unpaid work experience that complements a student's course of study, or academic major. J-1 exchange students are eligible to undertake an internship either during their exchange program for academic credit or following the completion of their exchange program using academic training. The length of the internship cannot exceed the length of the student's exchange program at Richmond (14 weeks for 1 semester, 28 weeks for 2 semesters). Internships taken for UR credit must be completed during the fall or spring semesters. In this case, exchange students must work with a UR faculty member to determine the course, number of credits, and assignments that will be given for internship credit. This course will appear on the student's Bannerweb registration and UR transcript.

For internship approval, an application must be submitted to the Responsible Officer for the J-1 Exchange Visitor Program. The internship must be related to the student's academic major and approved by a UR faculty member. Internships during the semester must be approved at least 1 week in advance of the internship start date. Internships after completion of the exchange program must be approved by the program end date on the DS-2019. Go to the J-1 Visa Holders section on the Immigration page for more information about academic training.

Finding an Internship

Exchange students must have a confirmed internship in order to receive approval for academic training. To begin the process of setting up an internship, please follow these steps:

1. Notify your academic advisor that you need to undertake an internship. If you wish to receive credit for the internship during the semester, discuss the course number, credits, and assignments required for credit with your academic advisor.

2. Contact the Career Development Center (CDC) for assistance in finding job openings and preparing cover letters and resumes. This can be done by email with a CDC Career Counselor in advance of an exchange student's arrival to Richmond.

3. Complete the Academic Training Forms and submit to the Responsible Officer by the deadline.

It is important during this process to have realistic expectations and anticipate that there may be challenges in finding these opportunities. Depending on the industry and qualifications needed, opportunities will vary.

Office of International Education | University of Richmond VA 23173 | Phone 804-289-8836 | Fax 804-289-8904