Intern:
Definition, Types & Comparison

An intern is a student or recent graduate who works for an organization for a limited period of time to gain practical experience, develop skills, and explore career fields in a particular industry or profession. Internships represent a form of experiential learning that integrates knowledge and theory learned in the classroom with practical application and skills development in a professional workplace setting, whether in-person, remote, or hybrid.

Interns typically perform tasks such as conducting research, assisting with projects, attending meetings, and collaborating with team members while receiving guidance and supervision from experienced professionals. The positions are temporary, usually lasting between one and four months, and provide hands-on training, mentorship, and exposure to real-world work environments.

Related terms: internship, work experience, experiential learning, co-op

The National Association of Colleges and Employers (NACE) defines 6 key components that a quality internship should include:

• A learning experience with real-world opportunity to apply classroom knowledge, not simply advancing employer operations or replacing regular employee work
• Skills and knowledge that are transferable to other employment settings
• A defined beginning and end mutually agreed upon and consistent with institutional sponsor guidelines and schedules
• A position description with clear responsibilities and required/desired qualifications
• Clearly defined learning objectives and goals supportive of the student's academic program goals and institutional requirements
• Direct supervision by professionals with relevant expertise who provide productive feedback, guidance, and necessary resources

A quality internship should consist of a part-time or full-time work schedule that includes no more than 25% clerical or administrative duties, ensuring the intern gains meaningful professional experience rather than performing routine tasks.

Internships serve as critical bridges between education and employment for both job seekers and organizations. For students, NACE research demonstrates that work-based experiences provide avenues to increased skills, expanded professional networks, and enhanced social capital. Internships, particularly paid internships, are direct pathways to job offers.

According to the NACE 2022 Student Survey for four-year college students, paid interns averaged 1.61 job offers compared to 0.94 offers for unpaid interns and 0.77 offers for non-interns. For employers, internships represent one of the main recruiting tools used to recruit entry-level college graduates. According to a recent NACE quick poll, eight out of ten responding employers said that internships provided the best return on investment as a recruiting strategy.

Employers benefit from internships because they often recruit employees from their best interns who have known capabilities, thus saving time and money in the long run. Interns who become employees are retained at higher rates: 75.5% are still with the organization after their first year on the job compared to 51.5% of non-intern employees.

Internships exist in 7 main types based on compensation structure, format, and purpose:

• Paid internships: Common in professional fields including medicine, architecture, science, engineering, law, business (especially accounting and finance), technology, and advertising where interns receive monetary compensation
• Unpaid internships: Typically through non-profit charities and think tanks which often have unpaid or volunteer positions, though these must meet specific legal criteria under the Primary Beneficiary Test
• Partially-paid internships: Students receive stipends, which are fixed amounts of money paid out on a regular basis
• Work experience internships: Usually occur during the second or third year of schooling to expand an intern's knowledge both in their studies and at the company
• Work research or dissertation internships: Mostly done by students in their final year of school who conduct research for a particular company
• Virtual internships: Done remotely via email, phone, and web communication, offering flexibility as physical presence isn't required
• International internships: Completed in a country other than the country of residence, either in person or remotely

Additionally, insights programs serve as pre-internship events offered by large corporations, particularly investment banks, numbering a day to a week either in person or virtually.

NACE takes the position that all internships should be paid for 3 primary reasons:

1. Requiring internships to be paid promotes equity and access by removing barriers that limit who can participate
2. Interns perform work, and all work should be compensated
3. Paid internships support diversifying the workforce by creating an inclusive pool of entry-level candidates who have the experience and competencies employers seek

NACE research found that students who participate in paid internships receive more job offers and ultimately garner higher starting salaries than those who participate in unpaid internships. According to the NACE 2022 Student Survey, paid interns earned a median starting salary of $62,500 compared to unpaid interns who reported earning a median starting salary of $42,500.

This salary disparity between those who have served paid internships and those in unpaid internships is present at the beginning of the career and likely to grow over time. NACE research also found that female, Black, Hispanic, and first-generation students are overrepresented in unpaid internships and underrepresented in paid internships, creating inequity that compounds over time.

Yes, currently unpaid internships are legal in certain situations. Based on a test developed by a federal court, the U.S. Department of Labor has released a fact sheet that outlines the Primary Beneficiary Test (PBT), which should be used to determine who benefits primarily from the internship.

In general, if the student or intern is the primary beneficiary, then the unpaid internship is legal. If the for-profit company is the primary beneficiary, the intern must be paid. Not-for-profit organizations and government agencies are exempt from this regulation under the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA).

However, unpaid interns are not considered "employees" of the organization under the FLSA, which means they are not legally protected against harassment and discrimination, making unpaid internships problematic from both equity and legal protection standpoints.

A typical internship lasts between one and four months, but the duration can be shorter or longer depending on the organization involved and the type of internship. Quality internships require a minimum of 120 hours, typically at least 10 hours per week during the fall and spring semesters and either part-time or full-time during the summer.

Internships may be part-time or full-time and are usually flexible with students' schedules. The internship should have a defined beginning and end that is mutually agreed upon and consistent with institutional sponsor guidelines and schedules.

Interns typically perform a variety of tasks including conducting research, assisting with projects, attending meetings, collaborating with other team members, and learning to use professional software and tools relevant to their field. They may also have the opportunity to network with professionals in their field and learn about career paths and job opportunities.

However, a quality internship should not consist primarily of clerical or administrative duties. NACE standards specify that an internship should include no more than 25% clerical or administrative duties, ensuring the intern gains meaningful professional experience. The work should not simply advance the operations of the employer or replace the work that a regular employee would routinely perform.

Cooperative education programs, or co-ops, provide students with multiple periods of work in which the work is related to the student's major or career goal. The typical program plan is for students to alternate terms of full-time classroom study with terms of full-time, discipline-related employment.

Because co-op participation involves multiple work terms, the typical participant will work three or four work terms, thus gaining a year or more of career-related work experience before graduation. Virtually all co-op positions are paid, and the vast majority involve some form of academic credit. Students are often, but not always, offered full-time employment with the organization upon graduation.

In contrast, internships are typically shorter, single-period experiences that last between one and four months and can be paid, unpaid, or partially paid through stipends.

An intern is often compared to 4 related roles in professional and educational settings:

Intern vs. Co-op Student

An intern typically completes one work experience period lasting one to four months, while a co-op student alternates multiple terms of full-time classroom study with terms of full-time, discipline-related employment. Co-op participants typically work three or four work terms, gaining a year or more of career-related work experience before graduation, and virtually all co-op positions are paid.

Intern vs. Apprentice

An intern is a student or recent graduate gaining professional experience in fields like business, technology, healthcare, or media, while an apprentice combines paid on-the-job training with classroom instruction to prepare for highly skilled careers in trades. Apprenticeships are typically registered programs supported by the U.S. Department of Labor and focus on skilled trades rather than professional office environments.

Intern vs. Medical Resident

An intern in the general sense is a student or recent graduate gaining pre-career experience, while a medical resident is a licensed physician who has completed medical school and the intern year and is pursuing specialty training. Medical residents have earned their M.D. degrees and may practice independently as general practitioners but choose to pursue further training in a specialty that can last from 2 to 7 years.

Intern vs. Medical Intern

A general intern is a student or recent graduate gaining work experience before entering the full-time workforce, while a medical intern is a doctor in the first year of post-medical school training who practices medicine only with guidance and supervision. Medical interns have graduated from medical school with their M.D. degree and traditionally wear short white coats to signify their status, whereas general interns may still be completing their undergraduate or graduate education.