Internship & Cooperative Education: Experiential Learning

Internships are primarily intended as an advanced work experience for students. They are training-oriented and may be pre-professional, pre-managerial, supervisory, or technical. Internships can be a paid or non-paid work experience that varies across organizations, at their discretion.

• To receive academic credit for an internship, you must have open elective credits within your degree plan that may be applied toward the internship. Check with your academic or faculty advisor.
• An internship MUST be related to what you are studying while attending HPU. Students can register for 1, 2, or 3 internship/co-op credits at a time.
• Undergraduates may apply up to 12 internship/co-op credits toward their degree plan.
• Graduate students may apply up to 3 credits toward their degree plan.

• You must be a degree-seeking student at HPU with an established HPU GPA.

• Undergraduates must maintain a 2.0 cumulative GPA for co-ops and 2.7 for internships.

• Graduate students must maintain a 3.0 cumulative GPA for internships.

• The work experience must be directly related to the student’s major and must offer a valid learning opportunity.

Internships allow eligible students to earn academic credit for work experience related to their degree and/or major. International students must obtain work authorization (I-20) from the Office of International Students & Scholars (OISS) in order to participate in any paid or unpaid internship off campus. Along with the Career Development center’s Internship forms, students must complete a Curricular Practical Training (CPT) Request form available at: www.hpu.edu/oiss/employment. Click on “forms” from the left navigation panel to locate the CPT Request.

Upon reviewing your internship registration forms (from our office), the Office of International Students & Scholars (OISS) will determine your eligibility to work off campus and approve or deny your request.

Below are just a few of the organizations that offer HPU students outstanding internship opportunities:

• ANA Airlines
• DKI Asian Pacific Center for Security Studies
• Booz Allen Hamilton
• Hawaii State Legislature
• Kamehameha Schools
• Kupu
• Pacific Internship Program for Exploring Sciences
• Pueo Business Solutions
• Servco Pacific
• YMCA of Honolulu

While not all employers offer employment after an internship, data from the National Association of Colleges and Employers (NACE), 2019 Internship & Co-op Survey Report shows that 70.4% of interns are offered a position after graduation (https://www.naceweb.org/store/2019/internship-and-co-op-report/).

• Use these experiences as a tool for discovery into your interests, aptitudes, and abilities in various work settings.
• Receive valuable training and mentoring and increase your marketability.
• Create a more robust and viable résumé.
• Gain a first-hand glimpse into the corporate or organizational culture beforehand to make a more informed decision on company and career choices.
• Since employers use co-ops and internships to recruit employees, you can position yourself for an employment opportunity BEFORE graduation.