Undergraduate Internship Credit
An economics internship bridges the gap between academic theory and professional practice. Students enrolled at Texas A&M as Economics majors may apply for course credit (ECON 484).
What to Expect:
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Real-World Application: Apply economic concepts, ideas and skills to practical workplace challenges.
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Skill Development: Learn new, career-relevant skills while gaining hands-on experience.
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Professional Networking: Work alongside industry professionals in an organization aligned with your career interests.
Note: Because this internship counts as an academic course for credit, standard tuition fees apply.
Eligibility for ECON 484 Credit
- completed a minimum of 12 hours of Economics courses with a minimum grade of C
- ECON 202
- ECON 203
- ECON 323
- at least one upper-level (300-499) Economics (ECON) or Econometrics (ECMT) course
- Cumulative GPA: 2.5 minimum
- Economics GPA: 3.0 minimum
- secured an internship that meets the standards to earn credit
Application Process
Submitting an application does not guarantee approval, there is a possibility of denial.To apply, you must complete both steps below by the deadline:
- Complete the ECON 484 Application (requires use of Texas A&M account.)
- Submit an official internship offer letter with all required information
Only completed applications with official internship offer letters will be evaluated for credit. Applications missing any component are automatically denied.
Semester Deadlines
- Spring Enrollment: December 1
- Summer Enrollment: May 14
- Fall Enrollment: August 1
- *Late applications will not be accepted and retroactive credit will not be given
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Internship Qualifications
The job duties in an internship must be primarily composed of activities which relate to:
- Direct and practical application of economic theory
- Skill-building in research and data analysis
They must also include:
- Professional development
- Skill-building in writing, interpersonal communication, and teamwork
- Ongoing guidance from a supervisor (cannot be a direct relative)
- A minimum of 10 weeks with at least 150 total hours of work
- Start and end dates must be within the semester of ECON 484 credit
- Retroactive internship credit will not be given for completed internships
They cannot include:
- More than 20% clerical, physical, or other labor not typical of jobs requiring a college degree
- Any initial monetary outlay by the student
- Self-employment or a continuation of the student’s current employment
- Supervision or reporting to a relative
Review the Internship Guidelines Document for more details
Many worthwhile internships may not qualify for ECON 484 credit. Internships that are primarily related to sales and office support rarely qualify. Qualifying is based on the duties of the position, not the industry in which it takes place.
See two examples of letters outlining job duties for approved internships:
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What's Next?
If you received an approval email, you must follow these steps:
1. Registration Readiness
- Clear all Registration Readiness tasks
- Clear all registration holds
If your account is not clear of holds, you will not be enrolled in ECON 484
2. ECON 484
ECON Advising will enroll you in ECON 484
- ECON 484 Credit: students may earn a maximum of 3 hours for one internship
- Repetition: ECON 484 may be completed a maximum of two times for at total of 6 hours
- Each approved internship must be a distinct experience or outline expanded responsibilities
3. Texas A&M Email
Monitor your TAMU email for additional instructions and the syllabus
4. Tuition & Fees
Because you will be enrolled in an upper-level ECON class, you are required to pay Texas A&M tuition and fees for ECON 484
- Use the tuition calculator from Student Business Services for an estimate of ECON 484 costs
5. Course Assignments
This course is graded on a satisfactory/unsatisfactory (S/U) scale. To receive a grade you must complete the internship and all course assignments.