Work U Frequently Asked Questions

Undergraduate students of all majors are welcome to apply. There are no restrictions regarding GPA or class year for applicants.

Yes! We welcome international student applications. International students can be placed in any on-campus opportunity without seeking additional work authorizations. To be successfully be placed in an off-campus Work U opportunity, international students will need to be approved for CPT authorization. We can help with this process, but international students should be mindful that any off-campus opportunity they apply for must be related to their major in order to obtain CPT authorization. Students should begin the process of obtaining CPT authorization once they have successfully been placed into an opportunity. International Student Services staff will help with this process.

The classroom component is designed to help you unpack your onsite experiences and connect your placement to your long-term goals. In the classroom, we discuss, important career development topics  such as interviewing, resumes, cover letters, LinkedIn, how to articulate your experiences to future employers, etc) as well as The National Association of Colleges and Employers Career Readiness Competencies. We also host guest speakers from partner employers to discuss their own professional development. The learning outcomes for the classroom component are:

• Identify a post-graduation goal and outline the steps required to achieve it
• Design and create a targeted resume that can be used in pursuit of a better life after graduation
• Identify and articulate your value via three professional strengths in a way that is compelling to future employers
• Understand how to appropriately solicit meaningful feedback from a supervisor
• Reflect on Work U experiences in order to think critically about your professional values, competencies and goals
• Demonstrate increased confidence in ability to contribute meaningful work in a professional setting

No. The 10 hours a week are only required for weeks when class is in session, so you’re not responsible for those during Spring or Thanksgiving Breaks and during finals week.

Work U was designed as an innovative approach to experiential learning and incubated in the College of Innovation and Design in 2016. By the fall of 2017, Work U was deemed to be a priority long-term program and graduated into the Career Center for ongoing management. Work U is now fully managed by the Boise State University Career Center.

Work U credit is offered through a variety of partner departments. The course number for all Work U classes is 493U. Once placed, students can select the prefix to enroll that best suits their academic path from those available.

The following prefixes for enrollment in 493U are available:

• ANTH
• ART
• BIOL
• BUS
• CS
• COID
• COMM
• ECON
• ENTREP
• FINAN
• HEP
• HLTH
• HRM
• INTBUS
• IPS
• ME
• MEDIA
• MKTG
• NONPROF
• PSYC
• SPS
• THEA
• WRITE

**COBE – All College of Business and Economics prefixes necessitate another layer of approval that reviews whether or not your placement is related to that COBE department before granting you permission numbers for enrollment. We will facilitate that process.

We always recommend students meet with their academic advisor to discuss their Work U placement and determine the best choice for enrollment based on their program requirements. Boise State policy states that students may apply no more than 12 credits of 493 (internship) and 493U (Work U) credits towards university graduation requirements. Some departments have stricter requirements on the amount of 493 and 493U credits that can be applied. It’s important to work with your academic advisor to ensure you’re on track.

• Students are expected to be able to complete their 10 hours a week at their placements with minimal absences. Repeated absenteeism will affect your final grade for the class. Please don’t apply for an opportunity if you don’t think you can commit those hours.
• Enrollment in the three-credit class is required, and attendance at the weekly 75-minute class meetings is required.

• Fees and tuition corresponding to enrollment in a three-credit class are required.

We’re so glad you had a great experience and want to do Work U again. Unfortunately the answer is no – you can only do Work U once. We know that Work U is a transformative experience and we want to be able to offer it to other students that have not taken it before. Additionally, we do not offer a different curriculum to support a second time student.

As an alternative to Work U, we would encourage you to pursue a traditional internship. Make a Career Services appointment for help identifying internship options that fit your goals. We also encourage you to take the elements of your Work U internship that made it valuable and apply those in your traditional internship, such as setting specific goals for the experience, requesting regular meetings with your supervisor, and doing informational interviews with other professionals at the organization.

And of course, tell your friends about your experience and encourage them to apply to Work U!

Work U has a variety of internship opportunities that range in payment. Some are unpaid, some are paid an hourly wage, and some provide a scholarship to offset course costs. Payment information is indicated in each Work U opportunity description. Also, each semester Work U offers a limited number of scholarships you can apply for at the same time you apply to Work U.