Department of International BusinessInternational Business Internship Course

We work diligently to ensure that you receive valuable, career-related, internship opportunities and assist you in obtaining course credit for the your learning experience. Read more.

Benefits

• Allows students to experience real work situations while earning college credit towards their degrees. Students have three courses to choose from that will give them credit for having an internship in any semester.
• Provides opportunities to apply classroom knowledge to real work situations. Internships allow students to test what students have learned and develop a better understanding of what they are learning at Florida International University.
• Grants students real world experience and helps in their career decision-making. An internship may help students decide what they would want to do in the future and it and gives them a better understanding of what is expected.
• Internships enhance students’ resumes and provide experience and know-how on what it takes to succeed in the workplace. Employers look to hire students with real world work experience, and internships provide just that!
• Internship programs strengthen and enhance students’ skills. An internship provides an opportunity for students to develop their interpersonal, communication, problem-solving, and other work related skills.
• Increases job opportunities after graduation by providing students the opportunity to interact with possible future employers.

For questions regarding Management and International Business Internships contact:

Rosa Cellucci
Assistant Director
305.348.2794
rcellucc@fiu.edu

For questions regarding Career Services contact:

College of Business - Career Management Services
Florida International University
11200 SW 8th Street
Modesto A. Maidique Campus, CBC 121 
Miami, Florida 33199 
305.348.7396

We work hand-in-hand with you to recruit qualified students that exceed your specifications into your internship programs. Read more.

Federal wage and hour law

Federal wage and hour law states that internships should be paid –Exceptions to this law are described below:

Internships in the “for-profit” private sector will most often be viewed as employment, unless the test described below relating to trainees is met.  Interns in the “for-profit” private sector who qualify as employees rather than trainees typically must be paid at least the minimum wage and overtime compensation for hours worked over forty in a workweek.

The Test For Unpaid Interns

There are some circumstances under which individuals who participate in “for-profit” private sector internships or training programs may do so without compensation.This may apply to interns who receive training for their own educational benefit if the training meets certain criteria.The determination of whether an internship or training program meets this exclusion depends upon all of the facts and circumstances of each such program.

The following six criteria must be applied when making this determination:

1. The internship, even though it includes actual operation of the facilities of the employer, is similar to training which would be given in an educational environment;
2. The internship experience is for the benefit of the intern;
3. The intern does not displace regular employees, but works under close supervision of existing staff;
4. The employer that provides the training derives no immediate advantage from the activities of the intern; and on occasion its operations may actually be impeded;
5. The intern is not necessarily entitled to a job at the conclusion of the internship; and
6. The employer and the intern understand that the intern is not entitled to wages for the time spent in the internship.

If all of the factors listed above are met, an employment relationship does not exist under the FLSA, and the Act’s minimum wage and overtime provisions do not apply to the intern.  This exclusion from the definition of employment is necessarily quite narrow because the FLSA’s definition of “employ” is very broad.  Some of the most commonly discussed factors for “for-profit” private sector internship programs are considered below.

Benefits

• Our students are well equipped to work in a professional environment.
• Our internship program allows your company to select specifically the student you believe will meet your requirements.
• Our internship program consists on offering students with a wide variety of skills necessary to work in a professional environment. Our program supplies students that innovative knowledge to their work assignments.
• Internship programs offer an opportunity to evaluate possible future employees.
• Students with internship experience tend to perform better than those without experience. They are more flexible and can easily adapt to a professional environment.
• Interns increase time efficiency and productivity by assisting permanent employees.