Hosting Interns - Important Information

Internship Guidelines

For companies considering hosting an intern, please note that the following criteria established by the National Association of Colleges and Employers (NACE) must be met for the experience to be considered an internship*. These expectations apply to both paid and unpaid internships:

  1. The experience must be an extension of the classroom: a learning experience that provides for applying the knowledge gained in the classroom. It must not be simply to advance the operations of the employer or be the work that a regular employee would routinely perform.
  2. The skills or knowledge learned must be transferable to other employment settings.
  3. The experience has a defined beginning and end, and a job description with desired qualifications.
  4. There are clearly defined learning objectives/goals related to the professional goals of the student's academic coursework.
  5. There is supervision by a professional with expertise and educational and/or professional background in the field of the experience.
  6. There is routine feedback by the experienced supervisor.
  7. There are resources, equipment, and facilities provided by the host employer that support learning objectives/goals.

* UNG reserves the right to deny internships that do not meet all the criteria. Unpaid, virtual internships will not be posted unless equipment and software are provided to the intern and clearly indicated in the job description.

For information on starting an internship program in general or other questions, please call 706-864-1951 or email Lisa Geddings (Dahlonega Campus), or call 678-717-3964 or email Tanya Hargrove (Gainesville Campus).

Internship Programs under the Fair Labor Standards Act

Wage and Hour Fact Sheet #71 provides general information to help determine whether interns must be paid the minimum wage and overtime under the Fair Labor Standards Act for the services that they provide to "for-profit" private sector employers. 

For additional information, visit the Wage and Hour Division website and/or call the toll-free information and helpline, available 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., 1-866-4USWAGE (1-866-487-9243).

"Primary Beneficiary" Test

On July 2, 2015, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit announced a "primary beneficiary" test stemming from two court cases, Glatt v. Fox Searchlight Pictures, Inc. and Wang v. Hearst Corp. Employers can use this ruling as another useful resource in determining the requirements of unpaid internships.