If you are a current student (graduate or undergraduate) your school’s study abroad office should be the absolute first place you look. Not only are there people working there who are paid to search for great internships for you, if you go through a program sponsored by your own school you can guarantee that your credits will transfer, and ideally count towards your major.
There will be many students for whom the school-sponsored offerings are simply not a good fit. But the Study Abroad office can still help. In many cases, universities and colleges have official relationships and partnerships with other schools, and students have access to their abroad programs as well. New York’s SUNY system, for example, gives students the opportunity to choose from any program in their 64 campus system. Staying within the SUNY system, you get guarantee credit transfer, and pay state tuition.
Similarly, some schools post all of their study abroad information on their website, like Boston University’s International Programs Office. BU is a leader in international study, and has programs available to all students, not only those attending BU.
Even if you choose to find the perfect program on your own, spending a little time with the study abroad advisor will be beneficial, as she will no doubt be able to guide you toward the right placement. She’ll also work with you to determine credit transfer issues and timelines.
Tip: DON’T apply to a for-credit internship program (especially one with a fee) before you check with your school to make sure that the credits will transfer!