The Toppel Internship Program is a 1-credit transcript notation that allows University of Miami students the opportunity to gain experience while working in a field related to their major, career path or possible career path/interest. Students eligible for this program will meet criteria set by the Toppel Career Center (e.g. GPA, good academic and financial standing, etc.) and employers will be expected to offer a true experiential learning experience and hold students accountable to agreed upon responsibilities and time commitments.

• To provide University of Miami students with high quality career-related work experience prior to graduation
• To add academic and vocational value and authenticity to an internship experience (to legitimize the internship experience)
• To streamline the internship process to better serve UM students

Students can either participate in a Part-Time Internship (160 hours) or a Full-Time Internship (320 hours). A 1-credit transcript notation will be assigned to the student based on internship and the student's year in school. 

If you are offering an internship for Academic Credit only, it is important that you follow up with the student AND receive a letter from the University of Miami stating that the student has been registered for an internship course. This must be done prior to the start date of the internship. If your intern is going through the Toppel Internship Program, they must attend a Toppel Internship Program (TIP) orientation PRIOR to their internship start date. In order to measure and evaluate a meaningful learning experience, employers will be responsible for the following in order for their student to receive a 1-credit transcript notation:

• Review the Toppel Internship Program Contract with learning objectives with the intern
• Complete an End of Internship Employer Evaluation

*If a student is pursuing an approved academic credit internship, additional requirements may be requested by the faculty intern supervisor. The faculty intern supervisor will receive copies of all completed documentation.

The Toppel Career Center will be responsible for registering students for the Toppel Internship Program and coordinating the Toppel Internship Program Orientation. The Toppel Career Center will approve all internship requests from students and will review all documented material submitted by both the students and employers. If requested by an academic department, the Toppel Career Center will collaborate with faculty intern supervisors to assist the process of an academic credit internship for selected students. The Toppel Career Center will house all pertinent internship documentation. 

Once again, a student should not begin their internship until you receive a letter indicating they are eligible to participate in TIP. If you meet with a student that may be an ideal candidate for the Toppel Internship Program, please have the student contact Frits Bigham at 305-284-1809 or toppel-internships@miami.edu for further assistance.