Careers & Internships

Internships

It's highly recommended that you plan for an internship because it can be an invaluable part of your individualized major or minor.

The knowledge, skills, and connections that you acquire through an internship are a key asset as you seek employment.


How to Get an Internship

If you want to pursue an the Individualized Studies internship, your Individualized Studies advisor will give you more information and help you start the process.

You should start the process several months in advance because it can take time to secure an internship site.

WSU Career Services also offers support for students seeking internships. Additionally, some WSU academic departments all students in Individualized Studies to take internships through their department.

In the past, students have interned at:

  • Big Brothers Big Sisters of Winona
  • Mayo Clinic
  • YMCA of Winona
  • Interstate Sound
  • Signatures
  • OERC at WSU
  • Sal's Tile
  • La Crosse Area Veterans Mentor Program
  • JL Schwieters
  • Fastenal
  • WSU Advising Services
  • Women's Resource Center
  • WSU Football
  • Student Success Center
  • 4H After School Care Program
  • Gunderson Health Systems
  • HBCI
  • WSU Trio Program

Course Credit for Internships

You must complete at least 60 credits--with at least 21 credits of upper-division coursework-- before you can register for an INDS internship course:

  • INDS 398: take up to 3 credits for a letter grade
  • INDS 399: take up to 9 credits as pass/no credit

You can combine these two courses for a maximum of 12 credits for majors and 6 credits for minors.


Internship Forms


Careers

Because it is a customized program, Individualized Studies degrees are as unique as the students who design them.

Career and future educational goals will help shape the individualized program you create. You should have a career goal in mind before declaring a major or minor in the Individualized Studies program.

In today’s job market, employers are interested in the knowledge, skills and competencies that a student has acquired through a degree program and related work and volunteer experience.

With an Individualized Studies major and minor, you can build on your own interests, past experience, intellectual strengths and career goals to design a program which encompasses many of the areas of competence that employers are seeking such as:

  • critical thinking
  • problem solving
  • communication skills
  • technology skills
  • the ability to work well with others

Get Career Ready

As you work through the Individualized Studies program, you should connect with WSU Career Services for support.

They offer a variety of services to help you achieve your employment goals or entrance into a graduate or professional program, including: 

  • Handshake is WSU’s #1 job and internship search tool for students and alumni
  • InterviewStream, which is an online interview practice tool for students and alumni

Schedule an appointment with a career advisor and check out these additional job search tools.