Academic Credit for Internships

The Graham Office encourages all students to consider completing at least one internship during their time at Gatton. Gatton College of Business & Economics allows students to earn academic credit for their internship experience. Students have the option to choose from 2 courses led by a Graham staff member: B&E 396 or B&E 397.  Click below to learn more about these courses.

  • These courses are pass/fail, reflection-based, and encourage you to think about what you’re learning in your internship. They are asynchronous, online courses on Canvas.
  • 396 is for students who are working their internship while they are still enrolled in classes at UK. 
  • 397 is for students whose internship or co-op experience is taking them off campus for either the fall or spring semester, and they will not be enrolled in other classes during the duration of the experience. This course allows those students to still maintain full-time enrollment status for reasons pertaining to financial aid, scholarship, insurance, etc.
  • Note: If you are an Accounting student with a full-time internship, you are eligible for ACC 399. Contact Dr. Myrtle Clark (mclar1@uky.edu) for your next steps.

To be eligible to enroll in these courses, a student must satisfy the following requirements:

  • Must have a major or minor in the Gatton College of Business & Economics.
  • Must have accepted an internship offer (paid or unpaid).
  • Internship must be career-based, which differs from the common, part-time work experience that college students may have.
  • Course must coincide with internship. Credit can not be awarded retroactively.

Students enrolled in either course are responsible for payment of the course. A student will be assessed tuition and fees at the appropriate rate.

To be eligible for enrollment, a student must be enrolled at the same time as the internship. Students can enroll in the course up to the mid-point of the semester. Credit cannot be awarded retroactively.

  • To request enrollment, complete the Handshake form following these steps:
    • Login to Handshake using your LinkBlue username and password
    • Select the “Career Center” tab on the left-hand side
    • Select “Experience” and then “Submit an Experience” on the following page
    • Select B&E 396 or B&E 397 Internship under Experience Type
    • Complete the entire form for approval
    • Your enrollment request will be reviewed for approval in 1-2 business days
  • If approved, Graham Office staff will enroll you in the course.

  • Each course has different credit hours associated with it. 
  • B&E 396: Students can earn 1-3 credit hours, which is based on the number of hours worked during the term.  Only work hours accrued during the duration of the semester (first day of classes to last day of classes) can count toward a student’s credit hour goal.
    • 1 credit hour = at least 48 work hours
    • 2 credit hours = at least 96 work hours
    • 3 credit hours = at least 144 work hours
  • B&E 397: Students will earn 1 credit hour for their experience.
  • Students can earn up to 6 credit hours of internship experience during their time in Gatton.

If you are an Accounting student with a full-time internship for the fall or spring semester, you are eligible to register for ACC 399, rather than B&E 397.  ACC 399 is a pass/fail, 1 credit hour course that counts as full-time.  Contact Dr. Myrtle Clark (mclar1@uky.edu) to learn more about your next steps, as the Graham Office does not oversee this course.

Refer to our Internship Course Guide for a more in-depth look of the course options. If you have specific questions, please email Graham’s Employer Relations Manager, Hayley Hollenberg (hayley.hollenberg@uky.edu) or schedule a time to chat through Handshake.