Internship Experience Credits
The Wisconsin School of Business offers business students two options for receiving credit for an internship:
Gen Bus 450
General Business 450 provides internship credit for summer or part-time semester internships.
General Business 451
General Business 451 provides internship credit for extended internships.
To receive credit for an internship, a student must obtain administrator approval. Contact your career advisor or email the career engagement team at bbacareers@wsb.wisc.edu for questions about these courses.
Credit for Internship Experience (Gen Bus 450)
To receive credit for an internship, a student must have been admitted to the Wisconsin School of Business before or the same semester in which the internship takes place.
A business student wishing to receive credit for an internship must complete the following steps. Please note that this is a general overview of the process. Students are responsible for reading and understanding all of the policies and procedures related to internships on the Wisconsin School of Business website.
Find and accept an internship
- Obtain an internship offer letter on company letterhead (the letter must contain the specific information outlined on the “Authorization” tab below)
- Complete the internship credit authorization form
- Report internship acceptance to the career engagement team.
- Submit the authorization form and offer letter to the undergraduate program office, 3290 Grainger Hall. Please note that international students must also submit a completed CPT advisor authorization form (students complete page one; employers page three; BCC completes page two)
- Once approved, an email notification is sent with enrollment instructions
- Enroll in the course online
- Submit final project
Concurrent Enrollment
A student must enroll for Gen Bus 450 in the same semester in which the internship is offered, or enrollment will not be granted.
For example, if a student has an internship from June to August, then the student may only request authorization to enroll for Gen Bus 450 during the summer. Enrollment would not be granted if the student requested to enroll for Gen Bus 450 upon returning to campus in September (fall semester).
Planned offering
- A student may enroll for Gen Bus 450 during the fall, spring, or summer semesters.
- However, a business student planning to graduate in summer (August) is not eligible to enroll in Gen Bus 450 for the summer semester in which they are graduating.
Credit
- Enrollment in Gen Bus 450 does not guarantee credit for the course.
- A student may receive one credit upon successfully completing the requirements set forth in Gen Bus 450.
Academic load (full/part-time status)
Enrollment in Gen Bus 450 does not give a student full-time status. Gen Bus 450 counts as one credit toward the minimum 12 credits needed for full-time status.
Tuition & fees
A student is responsible for payment of tuition and related fees for one credit during the term in which they are enrolled. This includes summer sessions. Check with the Office of the Registrar for information about tuition based on the number of credits enrolled.
Transfer Credit
A student may not receive credit for an internship completed through another university.
Repeating
A student may repeat Gen Bus 450 twice to receive a maximum of three credits that may count toward the 120 degree credits required for the BBA degree. However, a student may not enroll for Gen Bus 450 more than one time per semester, and a student may not enroll for Gen Bus 450 more than three times total.
Dropping
A student is responsible for knowing and adhering to drop deadlines for the semester in which they are enrolled for Gen Bus 450. Students may be assessed partial tuition for a late drop of Gen Bus 450. Drop deadlines are available through the Office of the Registrar.
Internships spanning two consecutive semesters
A student may use the same internship to receive three credits of Gen Bus 450; however new and separate documents must be completed and submitted to request authorization to enroll for Gen Bus 450 for each semester.
Grading
Gen Bus 450 is a credit/no credit course and therefore no grade is given. To receive credit for the course, a student must submit the required assignment by the given deadline. See the “Essay Assignment” section for more information about essay requirements and deadlines.
If a student receives credit for this course, a grade of “CR” is notated on the student’s record. A student not receiving credit will receive a grade of “N.”
Because a letter grade is not associated with credit/no credit courses, there will be no impact upon a student’s GPA.
A business student must submit the documents listed below to the undergraduate advising center for approval to enroll in Gen Bus 450. A student requesting approval to enroll for Gen Bus 450 another semester must submit new and separate documents to the undergraduate advising center.
Approval and notification to enroll may take up to 1-2 business days after a student submits all required documentation.
Fall and spring deadlines
The deadline for fall and spring semesters is the fourth Friday of classes by 4:30 p.m.
Summer deadlines
During the summer, Gen Bus 450 is offered during the 8-week (DHH) session, and the deadline is the second Friday of classes by 4:30 p.m. Check with Bursar’s office for tuition late fee deadlines.
Enrollment notification
Once all documents have been submitted and authorization has been approved, students will receive notification via email that they have been authorized to enroll for Gen Bus 450.
Approval and notification to enroll may take up to 1-2 business days after a student submits all required documentation.
Required documents |
Domestic Students | International Students |
| Report internship acceptance to the career engagement team | Yes | Yes |
| Gen Bus 450 Authorization Form | Yes | Yes |
Internship offer letter on company letterhead. The letter must include the following information:
|
Yes | Yes |
| Submit the CPT Application and advisor authorization form. International students are required to meet with an ISS advisor and students cannot begin an internship until notified by the ISS. Submit the CPT authorization form (students complete page 1; employers page 3; BCC completes page 2) and the offer letter on company letterhead to the undergraduate advising center. | No | Yes |
Some employers may request verification of enrollment in Gen Bus 450. A student should check with the employer to find out what type of verification is required and/or will be accepted. The chart below outlines options for enrollment verification.
Credits
Credits received for Gen Bus 450 can be verified when an official grade has been posted to a student’s record. This usually occurs 1-3 weeks after the end of the semester.
Enrollment
After a student enrolls in Gen Bus 450, enrollment can be verified the following ways:
| Record type | Requested by | Sent by | Processing time |
| Letter | Student | Gen Bus 450 Administrator | 1-3 business days |
| Course Grid or List of Enrolled Courses from My UW | Employer | Student | Within 24 hours |
| Transcript | Student | Office of the Registrar | 3-5 business days |
Aside from completing the internship, a student must also complete a final assignment to the course administrator to be eligible to receive Gen Bus 450 credit.
Submission
Once a student has completed the essay, the student must email the essay to Gen Bus 450 administrator. The essay must be an attached Microsoft Word document.
Deadline
Essays must be received in a timely manner, meaning on or before the assignment deadline. Essays are due on the last day of classes by 4:30 p.m. for the semester in which a student is enrolled for Gen Bus 450. The first day of classes can be found through the Office of Registrar. (For summer sessions, Gen Bus 450 is offered during the 8-week DHH session.)
Requirements
There is not a minimum or maximum length required for the essay; however the essay must be in Microsoft Word. Additionally, the essay should detail the following information:
- A brief description of the company (industry, product lines, vision/mission statements, etc.)
- A brief description of the employing department
- An overview of the projects/duties you were assigned
- A step-by-step description of what analytical and information systems tools were used
- What conclusions, recommendations and/or services you provided to management
- Whether you received, or expect to receive permanent employment from the employer
- If you would recommend that other students pursue the internship with this employer and why or why not
- If you gained the skills/knowledge that you expected
- Provide the name and telephone number of the person to whom you reported
If enrolling in the course for a second or third semester, contact course administrators to receive different essay assignment criteria.
An authorization form is required.
| Student type | Eligible | |
| Business student (sophomore or junior) | Yes | Must be eligible to enroll for courses at UW–Madison. |
| Graduating business student | No | A business student planning to graduate in summer (August) is not eligible to enroll in Gen Bus 450 for the summer semester in which they are graduating. |
| Pre-business and non-business | No | A pre-business or nonbusiness student enrolled in other school/college (i.e. Engineering, Human Ecology, etc) at UW–Madison is not eligible to enroll for Gen Bus 450. Generally, a pre-business student will be enrolled in the College of Letters and Science. |
| School of Business applicant | No | A student who has applied to the School of Business is not eligible for Gen Bus 450. Additionally, for a student who applied in the spring and is admitted to the School of Business the following fall, admission is effective at the start of the fall semester. Therefore, a student admitted for a fall semester is not eligible to enroll for Gen Bus 450 during the summer prior to admission. |
Credit for Extended Internship Experience (Gen Bus 451)
To receive credit for an internship, a student must have been admitted to the Wisconsin School of Business before or the same semester in which the internship takes place.
A business student wishing to receive credit for an internship must complete the steps listed below. Please note that this is a general overview of the process to receive credit. A student is responsible for meeting with the course administrator for the policies and procedures.
- Find or have been offered an internship
- Report accepted internship offer to undergraduate the career engagement team.
- Obtain an internship offer letter on company letterhead (the letter must contain the specific information outlined on the “Authorization” section).
- Complete the internship credit authorization form
- International students must also submit a CPT advisor authorization form
- Meet with course administrator and provide the authorization form, offer letter on company letterhead and CPT Form (if necessary)
- Once approved, email notification is sent with enrollment instructions
- Web enroll for course
- Submit mid-semester and final project
Concurrent Enrollment
A student must enroll for Gen Bus 451 in the same semester in which the internship is offered, or enrollment will not be granted.
For example, if a student has an internship from January to August or June to December, the course is then taken in the semester that the student is working in the job (not the summer term).
Planned offering
A student may enroll for Gen Bus 451 during the fall or spring semesters.
Credit
- Enrollment in Gen Bus 451 does not guarantee credit for the course.
- A student may receive one credit upon successfully completing the requirements set forth in Gen Bus 451.
Academic load (full/part-time status)
Enrollment in Gen Bus 451 does give a student full-time status and counts as one credit.
Tuition & fees
A student is responsible for payment of tuition and related fees for one credit during the term in which they are enrolled. Check with the Office of the Registrar for information about tuition.
Transfer Credit
A student may not receive credit for an internship completed through another university.
Repeating
A student may not repeat Gen Bus 451.
Dropping
A student is responsible for knowing and adhering to drop deadlines for the semester in which they are enrolled for Gen Bus 451. Students may be assessed partial tuition for a late drop of Gen Bus 451. Drop deadlines are available through the Office of the Registrar.
Grading
Gen Bus 451 is a credit/no credit course and therefore no grade is given. To receive credit for the course, a student must submit the required assignments by the given deadline. See the “course assignment” section for more information about essay requirements and deadlines.
If a student receives credit for this course, a grade of “CR” is notated on the student’s record. A student not receiving credit will receive a grade of “N.”
Because a letter grade is not associated with credit/no credit courses, there will be no impact upon a student’s GPA.
A business student must submit the following documents to the undergraduate advising center for approval to enroll in Gen Bus 451.
Approval and notification to enroll will be given upon meeting with the course administrators.
Deadlines
Contact course administrators for semester deadlines.
Enrollment notification
Once all documents have been submitted and authorization has been approved, students will receive notification via email that they have been authorized to enroll for Gen Bus 451.
Approval and notification to enroll may take up to 10 business days after a student submits all required documentation.
Required documents |
Domestic Students | International Students |
| Report internship acceptance to the career engagement team. | Yes | Yes |
| Gen Bus 451 Authorization Form | Yes | Yes |
Internship offer letter on company letterhead. The letter must include the following information:
|
Yes | Yes |
| Submit the CPT Application and advisor authorization form. International students are required to meet with an ISS advisor and students cannot begin an internship until notified by the ISS. Submit the CPT authorization form (students complete page 1; employers page 3; BCC completes page 2) and the offer letter on company letterhead to the undergraduate advising center. | No | Yes |
Some employers may request verification of enrollment in Gen Bus 451. A student should check with the employer to find out what type of verification is required and/or will be accepted. The chart below outlines options for enrollment verification.
Credits
Credits received for Gen Bus 451 cannot be verified until an official grade has been posted to a student’s record. This usually occurs 2-4 weeks after the end of the semester.
Enrollment
After a student enrolls in Gen Bus 451, enrollment can be verified the following ways:
| Record type | Requested by | Sent by | Processing time |
| Letter | Student | Gen Bus 451 Administrator | 1-3 business days |
| Course Grid or List of Enrolled Courses from My UW | Employer | Student | Within 24 hours |
| Transcript | Student | Office of the Registrar | 3-5 business days |
Aside from completing the internship, a student must also complete a mid-term and final assignment to be eligible to receive Gen Bus 451 credit.
Submission
The student must submit their assignments at their designated deadlines to the course administrator. The attachments must be sent in Microsoft Word.
Deadline
Assignment deadlines are determined each semester.
Requirements
See course administrator for these requirements.
An authorization form is required.