School of Accountancy

SOA Accounting Internship Program

An internship provides the opportunity to apply concepts and theories learned in the classroom to practical situations and problems under the supervision and guidance of a practicing professional. Internships are a great way for you to better prepare yourself for your upcoming career. Although internship are allowed any semester after you complete two upper division accounting courses, the spring semester of your senior year is the ideal time for internships in public accounting. Click on the following link for a suggested plan of study you can follow to prepare for an internship during the spring semester of your senior year: Suggested Internship Plan of Study.

Internships may be full or part time, paid or unpaid, and for-credit or not-for-credit. Academic credit may be awarded for successful completion of an internship provided the guidelines specified by the College of Business Administration (COBA) and the School of Accountancy (SOA) and the academic requirements stated in the university catalog have been met. Click on the following link to download a brochure that outlines the COBA and SOA internship requirements: How to Earn Academic Credit for an Internship.

If you do not need academic credit simply take the semester off (i.e., do not register for any classes) and work whatever schedule you and the firm agree is appropriate. Most internships will pay well enough to cover your living expenses. On the other hand, if you need academic credit for whatever reason (e.g., you will be able to graduate a semester earlier, or you need to be enrolled for insurance purposes, or your scholarship agreement requires that you remain in school, etc.) then follow the procedures described below.

Definition of an Internship
An internship is defined as a fixed term work experience with clear learning objectives. Specifically, an internship provides you the opportunity to apply concepts and theories learned in the classroom to practical situations and problems under the supervision and guidance of a practicing professional. The internship may be full or part time, paid or unpaid. Academic credit may be awarded for successful completion of an internship provided the guidelines specified in this policy and the academic requirements stated in the university catalog have been met.

Internships vary from co-ops in the following ways:
• Academic credit may be awarded for internships, but not for co-op experiences.
• Work performed during an internship must be applicable to your program of study.
• Internships require an evaluation beyond the evaluation you will receive from your internship employer. For academic credit to be awarded, a faculty member who teaches in your discipline must evaluate the value added by the internship to your program of study.

Internship Locations
Although the School of Accountancy actively recruits firms to participate in its internship program, ultimately you are the one who will have to find your own internship opportunity. Internships are developed by getting to know the firms during on-campus recruiting events, by interacting with them in professional meetings, by submitting applications through firm websites, and by leveraging the contacts of your professors, friends, family members, and others.

Internships may be completed virtually anywhere. You are not limited to companies in the Statesboro/Savannah area, or to companies only in the state of Georgia. You should keep in mind, however, that where you complete an internship may depend on your ability to meet your living expenses at the internship location. Remember, that while interning you may continue to incur living expenses in Statesboro (such as rent on a 12-month apartment lease), and you will also be paying tuition and fees to Georgia Southern.

Internships with a current employer are permitted only when the internship is in a different area (i.e. department, division) of the business than the employee’s current job and the internship duties are significantly different from the duties of the current job.

Internships in a family-owned business, where the student is a member of the family, are permitted only when the student is not active in the management of the business. A family-owned business is defined as one owned/operated by an immediate family member (parent, grandparent, sibling, or spouse).

Getting Ready for Your Internship
Remember the value an organization receives from sponsoring an internship depends on what you know the day you begin the job! Most of the training you receive will be on-the-job training so you will need to be prepared to hit the ground running. In the weeks or months leading up to your internship, you should read up on current practice-related issues, polish up your relevant computer skills, and work on any other skills you might expect to use on the job!

Documentation
A written agreement outlining the responsibilities and expectations of all parties should be completed prior to the start of the internship. The agreement must be signed by the student, the on-site supervisor, and the appropriate departmental representative(s). Documentation of all COBA internships is the responsibility of the departmental internship coordinator.

Minimum Requirements
To participate in the college’s internship program, you must meet the following requirements:

Undergraduate Students
• have completed at least eighty (80) semester hours;
• be admitted to the BBA program;
• have completed at least two courses in the major; and
• have an overall GPA of 2.5 or higher.

Graduate Students
• Good graduate standing (overall graduate GPA of 3.0 or higher); and
• Permission of school director

Credit Hours and Registration
Undergraduates may earn a maximum of six semester hours of internship credit but only three hours may be applied to their major. Any additional hours of credit earned must be used as a free elective. Graduate students may earn only three semester hours of internship credit.

You are required to work a minimum of:
• 135 hours to receive three (3) semester hours of course credit.
• 270 hours to receive six (6) semester hours of course credit.

The internship hours must be worked during the semester in which credit is awarded. You will be allowed to register for a maximum of fifteen (15) semester hours (including internship hours) during the semester of your internship.

Grading
Internships will be graded on an “S/U” basis and therefore will not affect your GPA. A significant academic assignment will be a major part of every COBA internship experience. This assignment may be a specific project or project report, a paper, and/or a presentation that will require the student to extend his or her knowledge of a specific content area appropriate to his or her major. The departmental faculty will determine what constitutes a significant academic assignment for a given content area and the specific assignment should be documented and approved by the Faculty Sponsor and the Departmental Internship Coordinator. The assignment will serve as a major component for evaluation and awarding of academic credit for the internship.

Required Forms and Procedures
If you believe you meet the requirements for obtaining academic credit outlined above, download the seven required internship forms by clicking on the following link: All Forms.

1. The first step is to obtain authorization to complete an internship for academic credit from the College of Business Administration (COBA). Complete the COBA Internship Authorization Form and submit it to the Student Services Center in Room 1101 if you are an undergraduate student or to the COBA Graduate Studies Office in Room 1133 if you are a graduate student. Once your authorization form has been approved you may continue with the next step.

2. Complete the Student Internship Consent Form to certify your eligibility and understanding of the terms and conditions of the internship. An internship with your current employer will be permitted provided both of the following conditions are satisfied: i) the internship is in a different area (i.e. department or division) of the company from your current job and ii) your internship duties will be significantly different than the duties of your current job. An internship in your family-owned business will be permitted provided you are not active in the management of the company.

3. Have a firm representative: a) complete the Sponsoring Company Internship Registration Form; and b) read and sign the Internship Agreement Form. You may e-mail these two forms to your internship employer; however, the forms will need to be signed manually so make sure your employer has your mailing address.

4. Bring all of your paperwork to your department internship coordinator who will serve as your faculty sponsor. The coordinator will review the various specifics of your planned internship. A complete package contains the following forms:
(1) COBA Internship Authorization Form
(2) Student Internship Consent Form
(3) Sponsoring Company Internship Registration Form
(4) Internship Agreement Form

5. The faculty sponsor will complete the Internship Course Registration Form which you will take to the appropriate administrative office where you will be registered for the appropriate internship course(s). Note that you must pay tuition for the internship credit hours just as you would for any other academic credit hours.

6. As you are working, document your internship experience as specified in the Student Internship Consent Form. Three weeks prior to the week of final exams (or earlier provided you have worked the minimum number of hours needed to earn your academic credit - 135 hours for three semester hours or 270 for six semester hours) you should submit your Final Report to your faculty sponsor according to the instructions provided in the Internship Consent Form. Complete the Student Internship Feedback Form and ask your work supervisor to complete the Firm Evaluation of Intern Performance Form. Attach both forms to your final report and submit the entire report to your faculty sponsor.

7. Your faculty sponsor will evaluate your Final Report and submit your internship grade via WINGS during the week of final exams.

Revised 8/07