Undergraduate internships

GEB 4941 is designed to enhance the student internship experience and facilitate a student’s professional development.

The assignments for GEB 4941:

• Complement the student’s experience.
• Provide students with the opportunity to set specific and individualized goals and identify growth areas in an internship relevant to their potential career field.
• Help students answer these questions:
  • Did this internship confirm or redirect my desire to work for this company, industry, or something similar after graduation?
  • What is required of me to become successful in this industry and this type of workplace?
  • What leadership, education, or work experience do I still need to acquire or improve?

Internship criteria

To ensure that an experience — whether it is a traditional internship or one conducted remotely or virtually — is educational, and thus eligible to be considered a legitimate internship by the N.A.C.E. definition, all criteria must be met:

1. The experience must be an extension of the classroom: a learning experience that allows a student to apply the knowledge gained in the classroom. The experience should be mutually beneficial for both the intern by providing a positive learning experience and for the employer by advancing their operations.
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 from the experienced supervisor.
7. There are resources and equipment and/or facilities provided by the host employer that support learning objectives/goals.

Learning experiences approved by Warrington

Experiences meeting Warrington’s internship requirements include:

• Traditional internships
• Externships
• Ongoing volunteer work
• International Internships sponsored by the Heavener School of Business
• Apprenticeships/job shadowing

Other learning experiences are accepted on a case-by-case basis. Please reach out to the course administrator to determine if your experience meets the internship site requirements.

Download and review additional University of Florida internship program requirements.

Course credit hours

Course credits are variable. You may earn between one and four credit hours for GEB 4941. All students must enroll in at least one (1) credit hour but can earn up to four (4) credit hours. The more credits you request, the more internship hours you must work.

We list the minimum number of hours you must work at your internship to earn credit. You may work more hours but cannot work fewer than the corresponding credit hours. Remember, you only need one credit hour to meet the internship requirement. Please review the tuition and fees for the cost of this course.

• 1 Credit Hour: work 150 hours or more
• 2 Credit Hours: work 260 hours or more
• 3 Credit Hours: work 370 hours or more
• 4 Credit Hours: work 480 hours or more

Are you an international student? If so, please verify how many credits you should take with the University of Florida International Center.

If you are uncertain how many credits you need, meet with a Heavener advisor in 333 Heavener Hall or email a Heavener advisor.

Please note: Credit hours cannot be changed after the drop/add period. You must work the minimum required work hours that correspond to the credit hours for which you enroll. If you fail to meet the hours that correspond with the credit hours for which you enroll, you will receive an “Unsatisfactory” grade for the course.

Reasons to request more than one credit for the internship course:

• You need more than one hour of Summer credit to meet the nine (9) hours of Summer requirement.
• You need elective hours to reach the 120 credit hours required to graduate.

Dual-enrolling at another institution while interning

Although it is not permitted for students to dual enroll at UF and a non-UF institution at the same time (e.g., enrolling in any UF course while simultaneously enrolling at a community or state college), there is one exception: Students can take GEB 4941 internship credit concurrently while enrolling at a non-UF institution.

Example: Mark can enroll in GEB 4941 (one to four credits) and take ACG 2021 at Brevard Community College at the same time.

Course grading 

GEB 4941 is graded pass/fail (S/U); students will not earn a traditional letter grade (e.g., “A,” “B,” “C,” etc.) or earn any grade points contributing toward their UF GPA. Please review UF grading policies for more information on the S/U grading.

To earn a Satisfactory (S) grade, students must:

• Submit all assignments.
• Earn a passing grade (“C” or higher) on course assignments.
• Work the minimum number of internship hours to earn the corresponding number of credit hours.

Semester	Regular application deadline	Late application deadline*	Internship completion period/date range	GEB 4941 course dates
Fall 2025	Monday, August 18*	Monday, August 25	Monday, August 18 – Friday, December 12	Thursday, August 21 – Wednesday, December 3
Fall Mod 2 2025	Wednesday, October 8*	Wednesday, October 15	Monday, August 18th – Friday, December 12	Monday, October 13 – Friday, December 5
Spring 2026**	Wednesday, January 7*	Wednesday, January 14	Monday, January 12 – Friday, May 1	Monday, January 12 – Wednesday, April 22
Spring Mod 4 2026	Wednesday, February 25*	Wednesday, March 4	Monday, January 12 – Friday, May 1	Monday, March 2 – Friday, April 24
Summer C 2026	Wednesday, May 6th*	Sunday, May 10th	Monday, May 11th – Friday, August 7th	Monday, May 12th – Friday, August 8th
Summer B 2026	Wednesday, June 24th*	Sunday, June 28th	Monday, May 11th – Friday, August 7th	Monday, June 29th – Friday, August 7th

*Per UF regulations, any student who fails to register (i.e., no courses on schedule) prior to the late registration date published in the academic calendar will be subject to the late registration fee. Applications received after the posted Regular Application deadline may not be processed prior to this date.

**Applications for Spring 2026 will open on October 27, 2025, coinciding with Advanced Registration.

Overview

Registering for GEB 4941 is easy. Simply reference the steps provided here after you complete your internship application.

• Secure an internship.
• Obtain an Employer Verification Letter. The letter must confirm certain internship details, listed in the next section.
• Select your GEB 4941 term. You must be enrolled in GEB 4941 while concurrently completing your internship.
• Identify the number of GEB 4941 Enrollment Credit(s). Students are only required to complete one credit hour to satisfy degree requirements. Review the Earning Academic Credit section for more information.
• Please remember to avoid delays and review the GEB 4941 reminders to ensure your successful registration.
• Apply by submitting your application for GEB 4941 class registration.

Employer Verification Letter

Congratulations! After accepting an internship offer, Warrington must confirm important details through an Employer Verification Letter. 

Please note that a verification letter is not the same as an offer letter. A verification letter verifies key internship components, which may not be contained in your offer letter. If your offer letter does not contain all the info listed here, you must obtain a separate verification letter from your employer (on their company letterhead) confirming these details:

1. Dates of internship employment. Identify both a start date and an end date.
2. Work hours expected. Your employer must confirm that you are working the minimum number of hours corresponding to the academic credit you requested. Request that your employer state how many hours per week you’ll work on your internship. Preferably, they will also include the minimum hours they project you to work over the entire internship.
   1. Example: If you request two (2) GEB 4941 credits, your employer must explicitly write in the letter that you will work a minimum of 260 hours on the job by working X amount of hours per week, OR that you will work 260 hours minimum over the course of the internship.
3. Anticipated responsibilities. What work responsibilities does your employer anticipate you will have? Provide a general overview of key responsibilities.
4. Supervisor/HR representative contact info. Who is your primary contact, and what is their contact information (email, phone number, and office address)?
5. Request company letterhead. The information requested here should be on company letterhead.

Enrollment dates

Please reference the table with all semester registration dates. Your GEB 4941 registration term is determined solely by your internship start date. Your internship end date does not matter.

Important reminders

Avoid GEB 4941 enrollment delays and late registration fees. Ensure each of the action items here is fully thought through and completed before continuing:

• Internship or part-time job? Are you completing a legitimate internship or actually just working a part-time job? Working as a lifeguard, store clerk, secretary, or attendant is work experience, but chances are that this type of work won’t maximize your potential to obtain full-time employment. The bottom line is that your internship is a three-month job interview. If you aren’t (1) working in an industry/particular company of interest or (2) obtaining skills directly transferable to post-college plans, then you also accept the consequences and challenges that come with not obtaining an internship directly relevant to your career. In short, this internship is not meant to be an academic exercise or another “thing” for graduation; it’s meant to help you get a real job in an area of your interest, so you should take it seriously.
• Clear all holds. Check and clear your holds now! The GEB 4941 manager cannot register you until all your holds are cleared. Failing to clear holds (especially Summer holds) is the #1 cause of GEB 4941 registration delays. If you receive a late fee because of failing to clear a hold, it is not the GEB 4941 administrator’s fault. Open ONE.UF, check and clear your holds now.
• GEB 4941 course repeats. Students may only earn credit for one semester of GEB 4941. If you have extenuating circumstances that you feel should qualify you to enroll more than once, email the course administrator to discuss your options.
• GEB 4941 credits requested. Are you applying for the correct number of credits? Only one (1) credit of GEB 4941 is required. Remember, generally speaking, business majors should only apply for >1 credit to (a) complete Summer hours (if your internship is over the Summer), (b) acquire 120 credit hours to graduate if graduating next term, or (c) require additional hours to meet international or scholarship requirements. Email a Heavener advisor if you are unsure.
• Internship dates vs. GEB 4941 academic dates. Is your last day as an intern after the last day of UF classes? If so, you must submit GEB 4941 coursework before your last day as an intern, ensuring all assignments are submitted before 11:59 p.m. on the last day of regular UF classes. Review all assignments and make plans soon with your supervisor.
• Tuition, fees, and grades. GEB 4941 is an academic course; regular UF tuition and fees are applied. Letter grades (e.g., “A,” “B,” etc.) are not assigned in this course; it is a pass/fail (S/U) course. If your assignments are sloppy, lack content, are submitted late, and/or do not reflect collegiate scholarship, you could earn a “U” grade and must retake the course before you graduate. In short, GEB 4941 is a real course, so apply yourself.
• Retail-related internships and the Retail Minor. Warrington strongly encourages any student who either (a) has a retail-related internship or (b) plans to pursue the Retail Minor to sign up for the MAR 4945 Retail Internship course instead of GEB 4941 Internship credit. MAR 4945 can replace GEB 4941 and is considered an equal course substitute for the GEB 4941 internship requirement. MAR 4945 is a better course for retail-oriented students, as all assignments are customized to the retailing industry. Additionally, MAR 4945 is required for the Retail Minor (e.g., GEB 4941 will not count as a substitute for the MAR 4945 Retail Internship requirement). For questions on MAR 4945, please email Margaret Jones directly.
• International internships. Students wishing to complete an international internship should contact the Warrington International Programs Office and complete an academic advising form. The International Programs office also works with a host of providers, who can help students get placed with an international company and work onsite or remotely.

Before completing the GEB 4941 application, please review and complete any action items in the Registration Overview, Employer Verification, Enrollment Dates, and Important Reminders. 

After you review this information and complete the action items, it’s time to apply. To avoid frustrations and application web page timeouts, make sure you have these items readily available before selecting your term to apply.

1. Employer Verification Letter (with all required components)
2. Internship info: Company address of internship location, phone number, and supervisor contact info (name and email)
3. Résumé
4. Complete the internship survey. Log in to HIREWarrington to complete these steps: Profile > Outcome > Internship > Accepted Internship
5. For international internships only: Prior approval is required. 

GEB 4941 applications:

Please review the tuition and fees for the cost of this course.

Can I earn credit for GEB 4941 more than once?

No. Students are only allowed to earn credit for GEB 4941 for one semester. Previous attempts that did not earn a grade of “S” will not prevent registration. Email the course administrator if there are extenuating circumstances that require additional semester(s) of enrollment.

Can combination degree or graduate students register for GEB 4941?

Yes. Warrington combination degree students are allowed to enroll in GEB 4941. In contrast, graduate students who hold a bachelor’s degree are not permitted to take GEB 4941. GEB 4941 is designed for undergraduates only (not full-time graduate students).

What date is the latest I can enroll in GEB 4941?

Students who receive late confirmation of an acquired internship can still enroll in GEB 4941 up until the date posted for the semester, listed in the Important Dates chart. After the “Late Application Deadline” has passed, students cannot add or retroactively add GEB 4941 to that term or any previous term.

How do I add GEB 4941 to my schedule?

Students cannot register for GEB 4941 on their own. The GEB 4941 course administrator will add the course to your schedule once your internship application and employment verification letter have been approved. It is the student’s responsibility to submit the application and the verification letter in a timely manner in order to avoid late registration fees (Academic Deadlines and Calendars). Students are responsible for clearing all registration holds before application submission. To apply, simply read the Application tab before selecting the application for the semester you intend to intern.

If you are an international student, please review these resources:

Ideal internship sponsoring companies

The ideal sponsoring company for our Internship program should meet all or a large portion of our criteria:

• An established company with more than three years of successful operations.
• A workforce consisting of at least 50 employees and a dedicated sales organization.
• A salesforce focused on outbound sales rather than one utilizing inbound sales requests, online-only sales initiation, or walk-in business.
• A dedicated sales management function with established training and development programs for both interns and newly hired sales professionals.
• A clear focus on quality human resource management techniques, specifically excluding a “churn and burn” style of using interns as temporary labor.

Acceptable internship experiences

To satisfy the Sales Internship requirements of the UF Professional Sales Minor, the student must have spent a minimum of 150 hours in an outbound sales functional area across (ideally) eight weeks. The student must have been exposed to the full range of tasks associated with the operation of a successful sales organization and immersed in a major functional sales area. 

This would include all or a major portion of these functions:

• Creating sales strategies as a part of a sales team.
• Assisting with the generation of sales leads.
• Researching potential prospective customers.
• Assisting with the preparation of sales presentations or supporting documentation.
• Supporting and actively assisting experienced sales professionals with the completion of their daily tasks.
• Attending sales meetings or sales calls with experienced sales staff.
• Preparing sales reports, sales forecasts, or competitive sales analysis.
• Attending continuing sales education classes with experienced sales staff.
• Anything else that provides total immersion in a face-to-face or B2B sales role.

Unacceptable internship experiences

Our list provides examples of internships that do not satisfy the requirement:

• Purely administrative or clerical sales support.
• Online, call-in, or click-and-buy sales processes.
• Working in a call center primarily designed to answer questions or respond to inbound requests.
• Personal consumer goods selling, such as retail “walk-in” business or door-to-door sales.
• Any sales activity that involves high quotas of cold-calling using a memorized phone script, standardized email, or social media campaign as the main sales process.

Ideally, students should register for an internship course. Students who may be using this experience for two requirements (e.g., an Advertising Major with a Sales Minor) may register for the other internship course. In that case, use the “Sales Internship Completion” document once the internship is complete. 

All students should complete the proposal form to ensure the internship meets requirements and so we have documentation. Students who submit an acceptable completion form post-internship will receive an email with an approval, rejection, or requisition for more information. The approval email can be forwarded to the appropriate advisor or university official to demonstrate completion of the requirement.

For students choosing the sales-specific internship course, please review the guidelines for GEB 4941 for credits, hours, and tuition and fees. 

To avoid a late-registration fee, students who wish to register for internship credit must complete the proposal form, allowing sufficient time for us to complete the registration before the end of the drop/add period. 

As we manually add students, this means giving 48 hours before 4:00 p.m. of the last day of drop/add. This will help avoid holds or technical problems from delaying your registration beyond the drop/add period. The list of deadlines is maintained by the registrar, and students are responsible for knowing these dates.

Documentation

Prior to accepting an internship position, the student should submit the Sales Internship Proposal to ensure compliance with our criteria. Dr. Dennis DiPasquale will become the Supervising Faculty Member for that student’s internship. The proposal should include the company name, location, sales supervisor, human resources contact, and relevant phone numbers and email addresses, along with a two- to three-paragraph description of the internship assignment. Include a job description provided by the company.

At the midpoint of the internship, a brief email should be submitted to the Supervising Faculty Member, providing an update on progress.

Upon completing the internship, the student should submit the Sales Internship Completion form, outlining specific duties performed, key activities, project completion, team participation, and other sales immersion of any kind. Also include the names and contact information of the supervisors if they have changed during the internship.

The Supervising Faculty Member will review the documentation, confirm all information, and approve or disapprove the internship’s qualification for satisfying the criteria. The faculty member may request additional information or to meet with the student, especially if the firm is not a whitelisted partner or a listed sponsor:

• Altria
• AXA Advisors / Equitable (Jacksonville, FL)
• Bank of England
• Carrier
• Citrix
• Cox Business Services
• E&J Gallo
• Gartner
• Hershey
• Keller Williams
• Kellogg’s
• Oracle
• Pepsico Family of Brands
• Procter & Gamble
• Signature Consultants

1. Attend the Career Showcase at the O’Connell Center in September and January. Dress in professional attire, and remember to bring copies of your résumé. You’ll talk to a number of recruiters from an array of companies, so plan on staying for the entire day. After the Showcase, go through all the corporate literature and business cards you gathered, and decide which companies most interest you. Send “thank you” emails!
2. After the Career Showcase, you may be contacted with “Preselect” offers. Preselects are the students companies specifically request to interview when their recruiters come back to UF later in the semester. If you don’t get a preselect offer, you can watch for open schedules and stay in contact with the Miller Center for more information.
3. Research the companies: Find out all you can about their history, culture, and business. Check out the company website, and get more information from the UF Business Library. Learn all you can about the art of interviewing. The Miller Center offers workshops on interviewing throughout the year to help you prepare. 
4. Go to the interviews if you signed up for them. Be prompt and dress in professional attire. Don’t forget to write thank-you letters to your interviewer.
5. Sit back, relax, and wait for the offers to come in. Make your decision, and let the Miller Center know which offer you accepted by the beginning of April. If you didn’t get an offer, stop by the Miller Center for help finding an internship as soon as possible. The more you communicate, the more you can get help.
6. Register for the Summer internship for either one, two, or three credits. Retail internships are part of an academic program and must be taken for credit. You cannot earn the Minor in Retailing Leadership without this internship credit.
7. Enjoy your internship, and remember to contact the Miller Center at any time if you have any questions or problems. We are here to help you!

During your internship, you will be responsible to the company as if you had a “real job.” The average salary for interns is over $10.00/hour, so earn it! Arrive on time, and stay late if necessary. You will have regular day-to-day duties at work, and you’ll also be responsible for completing weekly assignments that relate your experience back to the Miller Center.

The internship will show you all sides of retailing — many of which you may not have been aware of previously. You’ll observe the buying process, selling, security, visual merchandising, management, distribution and information systems, and customer service in action and start to understand how they all relate to each other.

Students will be guided through interviews with supervisors to create a network of support throughout the learning experience.

All students participating in the course will be invited free of charge to participate in the Annual Retailing Smarter Symposium, scheduled in June. The interns will be supervised throughout the Summer by the associate director, who is available for career counseling, assignment questions, and support for students making the transition from classroom to career.

As the internship progresses, students are challenged to research topics of their choice. The students are encouraged to work with their retailer in resolving company issues as part of their research. Many students present their findings to upper management, district, regional, and even corporate audiences.

Not only will you observe retail in action, you’ll also be an active participant in retail. You’ll learn ways to handle customer and associate complaints and conflicts, how to read sales managers’ reports, and even learn about the systems they use for scheduling and payroll. 

It’s possible your manager will go on vacation at some point during your internship and leave you in charge of everything — the floor, the customers, the works! Though this may sound intimidating now, you’ll be ready when the time comes. Every day in retail is exciting and different, and by the end of the Summer, you will definitely know if retailing is the career choice for your future.

After the Summer is over and you’ve finished your internship, there are still more opportunities for you in the retail industry and with the Miller Center. Some students receive permanent job offers at the end of their internship!

Each Fall, thousands of dollars in scholarships are awarded to outstanding interns in recognition of a “job well done.” There are also opportunities to get involved at the Miller Center and spread the word about exciting retail internships.

After the internship, students are invited to apply for the Student Advisory Board. These students are chosen to support and represent their company. Student Advisory Board members frequently assist in recruiting activities at the Career Showcase, speak in information sessions, classrooms, workshops, and student organizations. The Student Advisory Board advises the Center on recruiting and outreach strategies for involving UF students in retail opportunities.

You have the option of completing the Retail Management Internship virtually. To optimize this experience:

1. Establish your method(s) of communication: Communicating is arguably the most important aspect of any internship, but that’s especially true of virtual internships. Establish which method(s) of communication your supervisor prefers, and get experience using those methods if you’re unfamiliar with them. If your supervisor or manager prefers face-to-face communication, try setting up a weekly meeting on Zoom or Microsoft Teams. If they prefer email, try sending weekly reports or updates every week. If they prefer phone calls, establish a weekly call schedule.
2. Create an agenda for your meetings before the meeting! Creating an agenda of the topics you’d like to discuss in your meeting with your supervisor ahead of time ensures that you’ll get answers to questions you have. Sending this agenda to the supervisor or manager before the meeting gives them time to think about the topics you’d like to discuss, formulate answers to questions you might have, and makes the meeting flow smoother. Be sure to prioritize any time-sensitive topics you have by putting them at the top of the agenda.
3. Reach out to your supervisor or manager before the internship to establish what projects, assignments, and goals you’ll be assigned. You want to talk with your supervisor about what you hope to gain from this internship experience, as well as what their expectations are for you.
4. Stay active and remember to have fun! It’s easy to feel alienated during a virtual internship because you’re missing the face-to-face interactions, the in-person team meetings, and the daily inclusivity you’d usually get from an in-person internship. Find ways to stay active with your supervisor, manager, or peers within the company outside of the necessary communication channels. You could reach out to those people to schedule a virtual movie night, a game of Among Us, or maybe just a virtual trivia night. These interactions are fun, keep you active and invested in your internship, and give you the chance to get to know the people within the organization. These activities also demonstrate your organizational, leadership, communication, creativity, and time-management skills.

• UF in London, England
• UF in Dublin, Ireland
• UF in Sydney, Australia
• UF in Osnabrück, Germany
• UF in South Korea
• UF in Madrid, Spain

All credit associated with international travel must be approved by the University of Florida International Center (UFIC). 

Other tips:

• Paid international internships abroad are rare.
• Companies usually require interns to speak the language of the host country.
• A visa and/or work permit is a typical requirement.
• Volunteer positions can be as valuable as an internship.
• Volunteer opportunities are more common in nonprofit and government organizations.

All credit associated with international travel must be approved by the University of Florida International Center (UFIC).

As you will be completing an internship internationally, you have a specific process to follow to get the internship approved.

Follow this process to earn credit for your international internship:

1. Obtain an “Employer Verification Letter” from the prospective company with the dates of the internship, expected work hours, anticipated responsibilities, and supervisor contact info (email, phone, office address) on the company letterhead.
2. Send your UFID, desired number of internship credits, courses you will be taking in the specified semester, and Employment Verification Letter to the International Programs Office. The office will reply with the approved Academic Advising Form you will need for your application.
3. Sign/date your Academic Advising Form and send it to the UF International Center Advisor for your region. The UF International Center Advisor will set up your online application for international study.
4. Complete the UF International Center online application and pay the UF application fee.
5. Apply for the GEB 4941 Internship Course after your UFIC application is approved.

Contact information

International Programs
Heavener Hall 301
8:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m. (M-F)
352.273.0151
Email us

Activate your full scope of business skills and master key professional development competencies, like communication and problem-solving.

This experience is currently offered as an on-campus course during the Spring semester only.

GEB 3942 is a 1-credit course that fulfills the internship requirement for business students.

Students register on their own during advance registration.
Prerequisites: BA or AC major and sophomore standing.