Our department encourages students to explore diverse learning opportunities to enrich classroom study of language, literature and culture in Spanish and Portuguese. It is important and valuable for students to benefit from diverse learning opportunities that provide perspective outside of the classroom. Participation in student organizations, honor societies, study abroad programs and internships allow students to gain valuable skills and experiences in the professional world, as well as to apply in-classroom knowledge to real-world settings. Completion of at least one internship experience can increase students' marketability when searching for a full-time position, or to strengthen one’s academic portfolio for application to graduate study programs. Thus, students are encouraged to explore internship opportunities that will help augment their studies and provide valuable personal and professional experience.
Students can earn academic credit for Spanish or Portuguese related experiences, and they may be paid or unpaid appointments. Students may intern at a wide variety of businesses and organizations, including media outlets (news stations, radio, magazines, newspapers, etc.); sports organizations; healthcare establishments; non-profit organizations; PR and/or marketing firms; political groups/organizations; or local businesses. The private, public and nonprofit sectors have warmly embraced OSU interns and have helped to provide valuable language experience, as well as professional guidance and expertise.
Application Process
Students wishing to receive Spanish or Portuguese (3191 or 5191) internship credit must submit the completed Internship Enrollment Request and Supervisor Agreement by the following deadlines:
- Autumn Semester: August 1st
- Spring Semester: December 1st
- Summer Term: April 1st
If your proposed internship is approved by the Undergraduate or Graduate Studies Committee, then all signatures must be received by the first Friday of the semester in which you are completing the internship. No applications will be accepted or considered after the deadline.
The Ohio State University does not permit deferred internship credit. Students must enroll in Spanish or Portuguese 3191 or 5191 while interning. Credit is not available for internships that are already complete. There are no exceptions to this University policy.
Students can apply for 1-6 credits per internship experience. Spanish or Portuguese 3191 is repeatable up to 12 credits total (maximum of 6 credit hours per internship). Spanish or Portuguese 5191 is repeatable up to 12 credits total, with a maximum of 3 credits counting toward the undergraduate Spanish or Portuguese Major or Minor programs. Each credit requires 40 hours of on-site work during the semester:
Credit hours and work expectations: This is a variable credit hour course:
- 1cr = 40 total clock hours at the internship (~ 3 on-site hours/week)
- 2cr = 80 total clock hours at the internship (~5-6 on-site hours/week)
- 3cr = 120 total clock hours at the internship (a~8-9 on-site hours/week)
- 4cr = 160 total clock hours at the internship (~10-11 on-site hours/week)
- 5cr = 200 total clock hours at the internship (~13-14 on-site hours/week)
- 6cr = 240 total clock hours at the internship (~16 on-site hours/week)
To maintain academic integrity, all students seeking Spanish or Portuguese (3191 or 5191) internship credit must meet or exceed the following criteria:
- Intern must be in good academic standing with the University;
- Intern must be a regularly enrolled, degree-seeking student at The Ohio State University;
- The internship work will occur during the semester in which you are applying for credit. Credit is NOT given to internships that are already finished. Deferred credit is NOT available, as the practice is against OSU policy;
- Enrollment in 3191 or 5191 will not exceed the intern's registration limit of 18 credit hours. Students will be required to reduce desired internship credits, drop a class, or petition to increase your semester credit allowance prior to applying for credit for your internship;
- The internship job responsibilities are related to the study of language, literature and culture in Spanish or Portuguese and reflect work at the corresponding academic level;
- Involvement in student organization activities or part-time jobs (e.g. retails sales, amusement park work, etc.) cannot count as internships, as they are not internships;
- The intern will have a supervisor who is a professional staff member of the work organization. The supervisor cannot be an undergraduate student at OSU or another university. The supervisor cannot be related to you;
- Internships where the student serves as an independent contractor or in similar capacities are not eligible for credit.
Approval/denial of any internship application is at the discretion of the Undergraduate or Graduate Studies Committee in the Department of Spanish & Portuguese.
Determine if you are eligible by reading the "Minimum Eligibility Requirements" above. Consider the number of credits you would like to earn through internship. You will only receive the number of credits if you work the required hours and complete all learning and activity objectives. Termination or modification of the internship agreement may adversely credits awarded. Please see Credit to Hours Worked Ratio (above) for more information on required hours per credit.
Apply for credit using the online SPPO Internship Enrollment Application & Supervisor Agreement during an open application window. Complete applications are always due by the posted deadline. The SPPO Internship Enrollment Application & Supervisor Agreement will require you to submit information about your internship, including company name and address, supervisor’s name, email, phone and job description. The application will be approved/denied for Spanish or Portuguese credit, using the minimum eligibility requirements listed and the proposed learning and activities objectives listed in the application. Approval/denial of any internship application for any reason is at the discretion of the Undergraduate or Graduate Studies Committee.
Once you submit the application and it is approved by the Undergraduate or Graduate Studies Committee, the Advisor for Spanish & Portuguese and the on-site supervisor will be prompted to verify their portion of the application process. They will be emailed for signature approval at the email address that you provide. It is necessary to enter an accurate email address for your internship supervisor and advisor. It is your responsibility to follow-up with your on-site supervisor to ensure that they received the verification email. Once the on-site supervisor has signed, you (the student intern) will then be prompted to sign the agreement via e-signature (DocuSign). Please contact Rachel Sanabria (sanabria.3@osu.edu) if your supervisor did not receive the verification email. All signature verifications must be complete via DocuSign by the 1st Friday of the semester to allow ample time for scheduling your Internship credit hours before University scheduling deadlines. Applications outstanding after the 1st Friday will be deleted and are ineligible for credit at that point.
Once all signatures are received, Spanish or Portuguese internship credit will be registered to your schedule for 1-6 credits (based on your application) within 5 business days. Internship credits (3191 / 5191) must be successfully registered to your academic record by the 2nd Friday of the corresponding semester. You cannot self-register for this course. Enrolling in Internship credit is like enrolling in any other OSU class: You will be responsible for meeting learning objectives, as well as meeting all of the financial responsibilities related to enrollment at The Ohio State University.
By OSU policy, the Department of Spanish and Portuguese is unable to sign any forms from employers, including but not limited to internship application forms, “hold harmless” agreements, etc. In lieu of signature, a letter can be drafted by the Advisor for Spanish & Portuguese, to attempt to provide the requested information.
One of two letters can be provided: an eligibility letter and/or a credit confirmation letter.
- The eligibility letter can be presented to the employer prior to applying for Internship credit.
- Once applied, approved, and registered, a credit confirmation letter can be provided to show that you are registered for the credit for the internship.
To request a letter, please send an email to the Advisor for Spanish & Portuguese, stating which letter you need and the name of your employer, and the contact person (email or mail) to whom the letter should be addressed. At least 48 hours is required to produce a letter.
