Internships

Internships are an ideal way for students from liberal arts institutions to gain experience in the business world. 

Student a computer

Internships provide work experience in industries specific to one’s career goals. The Center for Career Development posts hundreds of internship opportunities to all students through Handshake. You’ll find a variety of internship opportunities in a multitude of fields, including advertising, sales, finance, medicine, law, publishing research, and social services, among others.  In addition to the Center for Career Development, explore the Holy Cross alumni network as well as your own personal network for connections. 

Upon completion of the internship, students must submit an applied reflection of how the five pillars outlined in the Art of Principled Entrepreneurship did, or did not, relate to their internship experience. Details below.

Internship Fast Facts

  • An internship must be for a minimum of 20 hours/week for 8 weeks for a minimum of 160 hours, a standard set by the Center for Career Development.  
  • Summer internships usually are 8-10 weeks in duration at 30-40 hours/week.
  • Internship roles must be in a business function (finance, marketing, operations, etc.)
  • Academic internships in a business role associated with the J.D. Power Center are accepted. 

Depending on the Certificate Program and the internship experience required, please consider the following: 

  • General business interns are typically in an office setting handling various forms of communication, organization, reporting, data, outreach, marketing, and sales. Interns gain professional insights to the various functions of business.
  • Finance is a broad career field ranging from back office work (such as data analysis, budgeting, and processing transactions) to client-facing roles (such as insurance sales, financial advising, and banking). This function is an integral part of all businesses, from nonprofits to hospitals and banks. 
  • Interns within an early-stage business are typically on smaller teams where each member has a broad spectrum of responsibilities to develop plans to capitalize on high-potential ideas that directly support the company goals. These startups generally have a tested prototype or service model and have developed a business plan. The company may be generating early-stage revenue but might not be profitable yet. 

Applied Reflection

Our endower, Art Ciocca '59, was a successful businessman and entrepreneur.  His guiding principles are showcased in the book The Art of Principled Entrepreneurship, written by Andreas Widmer, director of the Ciocca Center at The Catholic University of America. Upon completion of the internship, students are required to reflect on how the five pillars outlined in the book were, or were not, practiced at their place of work. 

Please stop by Stein 129E to pick up your copy of The Art of Principled Entrepreneurship. One per student.

Find an unpaid internship? Funding is available.

The Crusader Internship Fund is available through a number of specific funding sources. Students need not apply for individual funding sources. If awarded, staff will determine the most relevant source.

Transcript Notation

Holy Cross recognizes that students learn from a variety of experiences that take place outside of the classroom and offers students the opportunity to share the full breadth of their educational experience on the transcript.  Request Experiential Learning Partial Credit (ELPC) before your internship to have it listed. Please see the website for requirement details and timeline.

What Students Are Saying

“I wanted an internship in insurance to see what the industry was like. After this summer, I definitely want to look for a career in insurance. Acadia allowed me to see pretty much everything that goes on in the insurance world. This internship has allowed me to narrow down my choices to either actuarial sciences or underwriting.”

—Michael Gumbley ’12, Acadia Insurance

What Employers Are Saying

“Recruiting at the entry level is one of our company’s most formidable challenges, but, without exception, every Holy Cross intern we’ve had hit the ground running and immediately took on considerable responsibility. Having participated in the Holy Cross Summer Internship Program for nearly a decade, we can say with considerable authority that the school’s students are extremely well-rounded and are of the highest professional caliber.”

—Eric Starkman, Starkman, New York, NY

Completed an internship? Let us know!