Students can now receive credit for paid internships, according to Elaine Wong, associate dean of curriculum and academic programs. The changes were approved by the Undergraduate Curriculum Committee last month.Wong said other revisions to the guidelines create a new distinction between internships that require students to enroll in a semester-long class, and "independent" internships, for which students must meet weekly with an adviser in order to receive credit. Both categories had previously been listed as "92" courses by the registrar, but the new guidelines stipulate that independent internships be listed as "89."

Wong said the changes are intended to clarify current policy and to inform students about their internship options.

"We see these academic internships as complementing the liberal arts education at Brandeis," Wong said. "These opportunities have always existed, and we just want to make more people aware of them."

Meredith DiMola, the former assistant director of academic internships, assembled the guideline changes last fall with the help of a committee comprised of students, faculty and staff, Wong said. The committee developed the revisions after sending a survey to other schools asking about various aspects of their internship policies. DiMola sent the revisions to the UCC before she left Brandeis in March.

Prof. Trenery Dolbear (ECON), a faculty adviser to the UCC, said many students don't know they can receive credit for their internships.

"I teach [an internship course] called Business 92a," he said," and a lot of students don't seem to know you're supposed to sign up for it."

He said the guidelines specify internship requirements for students in every academic department.

"We wanted to more or less regularize the system," he said.

Student Union Director of Academic Affairs Jason Brodsky '07 said the Union wanted the University to streamline the guidelines and considers the recent changes a step in the right direction.

"There were a lot of structural problems with the program," Brodsky said. "It was very confusing as to what to do and what the exact process was."

Lianna Levine '06, a student representative to the UCC, said many students understand the significance of internships in building their resumes and searching for jobs but do not fully realize how the internship system works.

"We try to get students aware of what their options are academically, and that they don't just have to be sitting in the classroom for credit," she said.