The Academic Internship Program (AIP) is a full credit, one-semester course, comprised of both an analytical component (an internship seminar focused on fields such as law, medicine, sports leadership, and public policy) and an experiential component (fieldwork at an internship site in Worcester or the greater Boston area). Open only to juniors and seniors.
The internship course provides students with a unique opportunity for learning about particular fields through a combination of direct hands-on experience and formal study and is designed to complement the more traditional curriculum. While the main intent of the program is to provide students with an experiential learning opportunity in their chosen fields, it also provides an opportunity for career exploration.
If a seminar topic is not appropriate to the internship, tutorial work with an individual faculty sponsor may be arranged. Each student is expected to spend eight hours per week on the job and another three or four hours on the academic component. Admission is open to third- and fourth-year students by application; nearly a quarter of all Holy Cross students participate in the program.
Students find that the internship component provides them with an opportunity to learn directly from professionals working in the field, gain valuable hands-on experience, and to apply the theoretical training, analytical capabilities and research and writing skills that they have developed at the College.
Internship
Each student is required to spend eight hours per week at a selected internship site. Since our program is designed to serve the needs of all disciplines at the College internship opportunities cover a wide range of public, private and independent sector organizations concerned with health care, law, business, education, social service, government, and communications. Students are responsible for securing an internship themselves and are not placed in an internship site. This is to ensure the internship experience closely aligns with student interest and to provide the opportunity to practice searching for a professional opportunity. The College has extensive resources to help students search for their internship including individual advising through our Center for Career Development, access to internship listings on Handshake, access to an alumni mentor database, and a list of prior AIP internship sites. Students are welcome to stop by the J.D. Power Center (Smith 327) to seek further guidance on how to utilize available resources.
Seminar
Academic Internship Program students must register for a designated internship seminar as the analytical complement to their fieldwork. Internship seminar offerings vary from semester to semester depending upon need and interest but generally cover such areas as: legal issues, sports management/leadership, professional wellness, health care, and public policy.
In the fall/spring semesters, each seminar meets for two and a half hours per week and provides, through selected readings and student presentations, an opportunity to critically analyze their fieldwork and issues facing their agencies. Students whose internship falls outside of the purview of the offered seminars may apply to work individually in a directed study with a faculty sponsor. This generally entails weekly meetings to discuss a series of selected readings related to the student's fieldwork and a major research project critically analyzing that work.
Application Process
We encourage students to apply as soon as possible to secure a spot in their first-choice seminar. Please note you do not need to have a secured internship by the time you apply, however, we do expect you to know how you plan on securing one.
Additionally, the academic year AIP application requires students to upload a resume that has been approved by the Center for Career Development (CCD) to ensure students have a resume ready to send to potential internship sites. Make an appointment with the CCD by logging into Handshake. Once you log in, navigate to Career Center / Appointments. You can also email careers@holycross.edu or call 508-793-3880 for more information. Your application will not be reviewed without a CCD-approved resume.
Dates/Deadlines for Spring 2025 AIP courses are as follows:
October 11th at 8:00am: Application Opens
October 30th at 11:59pm: First Priority Deadline
November 25th at 11:59pm: Second Priority Deadline
January 3rd at 11:59pm: Final AIP Deadline
After January 3rd, applications will only be considered if a student has already secured an internship for the semester.
College-Agency Relationships
Students are expected to take the initiative in securing an internship, but the Academic Internship Program provides assistance by maintaining relationships with nearly 300 internship sites in the Worcester, Providence and Boston areas. These sites are regularly reviewed and evaluated. The Center for Career Development and the J.D. Power Center for Liberal Arts in the World collect information about available internships. Whenever a student interns at an agency, the J.D. Power Center maintains contact with the agency throughout the semester informing them of the College's expectations, securing evaluations of the student’s work and interceding if any problems arise.
Requesting an AIP Experience on Handshake
Once you are accepted to the Academic Internship Program and have secured an internship, you must Request an Experience on Handshake. Please follow the instructions attached below. If you have any questions, please email Mia Beviglia at mbeviglia@holycross.edu or visit us in Smith 334.
Handbook
For more information, download the Sample Academic Internship Program Handbook (an updated version is sent to students after they enroll).