GSBA 598 Internship Course
Applied learning experience working for a business, government, or nonprofit organization. Students undertake an individual project or employer-designated internship program. Grading is Pass/Fail. Approval of placement by instructor. Repeatable up to 6 units. principles.
- MBA Internship Professor '25-'26 School Year
- Eligibility Requirements
Important Dates
|
Academic Period |
Official Course Dates |
Last Day to Add/Drop without a W |
|
Intersession 2026 |
January 5 - 23, 2026 |
|
|
Spring 2026 |
January 26 - May 11, 2026 |
February 4, 2026 |
|
Summer 2026 |
June 1 - August 21, 2026 |
Course Guidelines
Secure the Internship
Secure an internship during the academic period in which you plan on enrolling for the course. Confirm that you will meet the number of hours required for each period.
Submit an Internship Proposal
Submit an internship proposal here before the start of your academic period. If you repeat the internship course, you should submit a proposal for each academic term in which you do an internship.
Await Confirmation
Await confirmation by e-mail from your internship professor that your internship has been approved. When approved, your professor will email your academic advisor, who will then register you for the GSBA 598 course.
International Students
If you are an international student, you will also need to contact Melissa Nou at The Office of International Student Services (OISS) at: mnou@sandiego.edu to apply for Curricular Practical Training (CPT). International students may not begin an internship without receiving the official authorization (CPT) from OISS. You will need your internship offer letter. You will submit the CPT form in Itorero. You will receive a new I-20 with CPT authorization.
Internship Guidelines
Hours of Work Required
- The internship requires 120 hours of work during the fall, spring, or intersession academic periods.
- The internship requires 300 hours of work during the summer academic period.
What Qualifies as an Internship?
- Only internships that meet NACE guidelines will be approved for enrollment in the course. For more information please see the NACE website.
- Clerical, administrative, and repetitive duties are allowed but must be limited. Telemarketing or solicitation calls cannot exceed 10 hours of the required hours. Training programs cannot exceed 2.5 hours of the hourly requirement.A student’s regular part-time or full-time job cannot typically be used for internship credit. The internship may be at a non-profit or for profit organization or a government entity. It may be unpaid or paid. It may be in person/hybrid or remote format. Internships at a family business will not be approved.
Internship Requirements
Internships will be authorized for students whose internship clearly reflects:
- A learning experience with a real-world opportunity to apply the knowledge gained in the business classroom. It must not be simply to advance the operations of the employer or replace the work that a regular employee would routinely perform.
- Learned skills and knowledge that are transferable to other employment settings. A defined beginning and end that is mutually agreed upon and is consistent with institutional sponsor guidelines and schedules.
- A position description with clear responsibilities and required/desired qualifications.
- Clearly defined learning objectives/goals supportive of the student’s academic program goals and institutional requirements.
- Direct supervision by a professional(s) with relevant expertise and educational and/or professional experience who provides productive feedback, guidance, and the resources and equipment necessary to successfully complete the assignment
Concurrent with Internship Course
The student must perform the internship and enroll in the Knauss Internship course during the same semester. The internship must take place during the same official course dates when the student is registered for the course.
Secure Internship Early
Students interested in enrolling in the internship course should start their internship search process early. They are encouraged to meet with the graduate business career services managers from the Knauss Student Success team to review internship search strategies. Their contact info can be found here.
Repeating the Internship Course
If a student repeats an internship at the same work site for a second academic period, the nature of work and competencies developed should be substantially different in order to be considered eligible for enrollment in this internship course for a second academic period. This is particularly important for international students since interning at the same site for multiple academic periods may raise concerns for future work or visa applications (OPT, H1B, etc).