Short Internship Projects (SHIPs)

Short Internship Projects
(SHIPs)

60-80 hour virtual summer internship projects for first years.

Wellesley Career Education partners with employers across all career communities to offer dozens of Short Internship Projects (SHIPs) each summer. All SHIPs are paid, virtual, and designed exclusively for first-year students.

Apply!

April 1 – April 15, 2025 by 5 pm EST

*Note: Students can apply for up to two SHIPs, but must submit two separate applications. Students who receive multiple offers can only accept one project.

Search the Summer 2025 Short Internship Project list

Link Opens April 1!

Submit SHIP Applications HERE!

Destiny M. Barletta

Director, Alumnae Connections

Rebecca Place Miller

Assistant Director, Internships

Ann Ross

External Relations Coordinator

Ingrid Belete Núñez '90

Assistant Director, Employer Engagement

Eligibility

All first-year Wellesley students, including international students, are eligible to apply for SHIPs. Student must be enrolled in the College for spring term in order to apply.

Students can apply for up to two SHIPs maximum but may only accept one project if they receive multiple offers.

Students must be able to meet any synchronous time requirements set by the employer so please review the project description and only apply if you can fully commit to the project as stated in the project description.

Compensation

All SHIPs are paid at least $1,000 (for 60-80 hours of work) by the employer or by the College. Students also have the opportunity to earn one ELR unit, build skills and gain industry knowledge, and develop a mentorship relationship with a Wellesley alum, parent, or employer partner.

Students paid by the College will receive their funds in two installments via Workday. The first stipend for $800 will be paid in June and the final stipend for $200 will be paid in early August once the SHIP and online Pathway have been completed. Students who do not complete their project or the online Pathway in full forfeit their final stipend and internship credit.

*All students paid by the College will be required to have a U.S. Bank account and be asked to set up an account in Workday to be paid. International students will be taxed at 14% and be contacted by Student Financial Services to submit additional FNIS tax-related paperwork.

Summer Commitment

All SHIPs run for 60-80 hours between June 1 – July 31. Please check the project list for specifics about the start/end dates, estimated # hours per week, and time zone restrictions before applying. The work schedule for each SHIP depends on the employer’s needs during the SHIPs program cycle so only apply if you can fully commit to the project as stated in the project description, including any synchronous time restrictions.

Students in the SHIPs program are also required to:

Complete Career Education’s online Pathway which is designed to help students reflect and grow during the SHIP. The Pathway work should take about 1 hour in total and includes pre-internship paperwork, goal setting, reflection questions, and a student survey.
Regularly monitor Wellesley email from May – July and respond to employer and Career Education emails in a timely, professional manner—ideally within 24 to 48 hours.
Act professionally in accordance with the Wellesley honor code. All students accepted into the SHIPs program are expected to fully commit to the program and act in a professional manner. This includes communicating to the employer and Career Ed in a timely manner, submitting high-quality work, and meeting deadlines.

Any unprofessional conduct (e.g., ghosting an employer or the College) and not completing Career Education’s online Pathway requirements is unacceptable and may impact a student’s eligibility to participate in future Career Education internships.

Experiential Learning Requirement (ELR)

Students who complete a SHIP are automatically pre-approved for one unit toward the College's Experiential Learning Requirement (ELR). Students in the SHIPs program do not need to apply for ELR separately.

The ELR unit will appear on a student's transcript to document the completion of an experiential learning opportunity. Students who do not complete their SHIP or Career Education’s online Pathway in full forfeit their eligibility for the ELR unit.

Summer Pathway

All students in the SHIPs program are required to complete Career Education’s online Pathway in addition to their project.

The Pathway includes three modules: 1. Orientation & Pre-internship paperwork; 2. Goal setting; 3. Final Reflection Questions & Student Survey. The estimated time to complete the Pathway is 1 hour in total.

Pathway deadlines will be provided to students after they are accepted into the SHIPs program. Students who do not complete the online Pathway or their project are ineligible to receive the internship credit or their final stipend.

Application Instructions

The Summer 2025 SHIPs application is open from April 1 to April 15 (5 pm EST).

Students can apply for up to two SHIPS but must submit two separate applications. Check back on April 1, 2025 for the Summer 2025 SHIPs project list!

For each application, students must submit a resume and responses to two short-answer questions. A few select employers require additional materials (e.g., writing sample) so please review the SHIP project details carefully and tailor your materials accordingly.

Why are you interested in this project and what do you hope to learn?
What skills and strengths could you bring to this work.

Before submitting the required application materials, please save your resume and short-answer responses as a single PDF file named in this format: EmployerName_ProjectName_YourFirstNameLastName.

SHIP Applications Can Be Submitted HERE (link coming soon).

Any SHIPs not filled during the first application period will be reposted during a second application period in late May. Details will be advertised on this website and in Career Education emails.

Timeline & Selection Process

Soon after the SHIP application period closes, Career Education will send all the applicant materials to the employer partners. Below is a general timeline of the process but dates may vary depending on the employer.

April 22: SHIP application materials are sent to the employer partners

April 22 – May 15: Employers review applications and contact interested students. Students should monitor the email and phone # listed on their resume and promptly respond to employers and Career Education. Students have 48 hours to accept or decline any employer offers and may only accept one summer SHIP.

May 29: Any unfilled SHIPs are reopened for a second round.

Still have questions? Contact us at ships@wellesley.edu or attend the events below.

Application Working Party

Revise your resume and short-answer questions with your Wellesley sibs and advisors to help! No question is too small, no draft too rough—bring them all!

Stay tuned for a SHIPs 2025 working party in April 2025!

*Light desserts/refreshments will be provided*

Resume Guidance

Schedule an appointment in Handshake to meet with one of our Advisors who can help you strengthen your resume. Also check out our Resume Guidelines for tips and sample resumes.

Peer Career Mentor Drop-Ins

Want to quickly chat about your resume or your SHIP short answer questions? Come to Quick Questions! No need to make an appointment or reserve a time, just pop in! Quick Questions is hosted by Career Education’s team of peer career mentors–a team of students who are passionate about supporting their fellow students as they prepare resumes and other application materials.

No appointment needed! Virtual Drop in Zoom link HERE

For Employers

Are you interested in offering a Short Internship Project for Wellesley students this summer? Visit our Project Sponsor Page for details, or contact us at SHIPs@wellesley.edu for more information.

No need to be a Wellesley alum, parent, or faculty/staff.