The Innovation Internship is a high-impact, academic experiential learning opportunity for current Lehigh students seeking to develop their entrepreneurial mindset. It provides an integrated, real-world experience in the startup, innovation, or social impact ecosystem.
Offered through Lehigh’s College of Business, students in the Innovation Internship participate in a remote internship with an early-stage startup or innovation-focused company. In addition to the 10 to 15-hour-per-week internship, the experience is facilitated through a 3-credit course (BUS 176 // BUS 476). Students will participate in the mandatory weekly class sessions, designed to enhance career readiness through professional development and entrepreneurial leadership exercises in small-group breakout sessions and live discussions. Classes will also regularly feature business leaders from Silicon Valley. Students will receive tools and guidance to enhance their personal and professional development.
Importantly, this program is not designed to provide an exact match to a student’s major. Instead, students are matched with startups and innovation-focused companies based on available opportunities, skill alignment, and entrepreneurial interest. While a perfect match cannot be guaranteed, the central goal of the program is to foster entrepreneurial mindset development by engaging students in meaningful, hands-on work.
The course is designed for sophomores and above, including graduate students, across all disciplines at Lehigh. Permission is required and is granted through the application process. Participation in the program is contingent upon securing an internship match. Students may only participate once; credits are non-repeatable.
Innovation Internship FAQs
We will review your application to ensure you meet the program criteria. If selected, you will be invited to a group interview, where you and other candidates will work together to solve a real-world problem. This collaborative format allows us to see how you approach challenges, interact with peers, and demonstrate the entrepreneurial mindset. Final selections are based on both the strength of your application and your performance in the interview.
That’s okay — and actually part of the design! The Innovation Internship is not meant to provide a perfect match with your major. Instead, it’s designed to help you develop an entrepreneurial mindset by working in dynamic, real-world innovation environments. You’ll learn to navigate ambiguity, solve problems creatively, and add value in unstructured settings — skills that transfer to any career.
* For students requiring CPT authorization, we will work to aling your placement with your major to ensure that you are meeting the criteria.
We have a pipeline of host companies who are eager to work with Lehigh students. They provide descriptions of the opportunities available and students identify their preferences. We carefully consider student profiles, skills, and interests, and then match students with host company opportunities. While we cannot guarantee an exact fit to your background or career aspirations, every placement is chosen to give you a meaningful opportunity to learn, contribute, and grow.
* For students requiring CPT authorization, we will work to aling your placement with your major to ensure that you are meeting the criteria.
Early stage and innovation organizations require team members to wear many hats, think across disciplines, and step into new challenges. An internship outside your major can push you out of your comfort zone and help you:
Build transferable skills like communication, time management, adaptability, and problem-solving.
Gain exposure to industries, tools, and ways of thinking you may not encounter in your coursework.
Strengthen your entrepreneurial mindset — a critical asset whether you launch your own venture, join a company, or pursue graduate school.
* For students requiring CPT authorization, we will work to aling your placement with your major to ensure that you are meeting the criteria.
You won’t be doing this alone! The program includes a 3-credit academic course where you’ll:
Participate in weekly class sessions with professional development, leadership exercises, and guest speakers from Silicon Valley.
Connect with peers in small group breakout sessions to problem-solve and share experiences.
Receive tools, guidance, and mentoring to help you navigate your internship successfully.
Absolutely. Regardless of whether the internship aligns exactly with your major, you’ll gain hands-on professional experience in an innovation ecosystem. Employers value the ability to adapt, learn quickly, and contribute in fast-paced environments — all of which this program emphasizes. For students requiring CPT authorization, we will work to aling your placement with your major to ensure that you are meeting the criteria.
Candidate Criteria
Open to students from any major or college
Sophomore level and above, including graduate students (F-1 visa students must have been at Lehigh for one academic year to qualify for CPT; J-1 visa holders are ineligible)
ENTP 101 or relevant entrepreneurial experience preferred
Previous relevant work, internship, or entrepreneurial experience preferred
Our companies are selected such that they offer a unique work environment in which to develop the entrepreneurial mindset—therefore candidates must be:
Comfortable with ambiguity and unstructured settings
Ready to take initiative and work through challenges in fast-paced environments
Passionate about making an impact and willing to roll up sleeves to help entrepreneurs build early-stage companies
Self-motivated, curious, creative, and eager to learn and grow
Interested in developing entrepreneurial mindset and skills
Advisor approval before enrolling
CPT for F-1 visa holders required (J-1 visa holders are ineligible)
Strong time-management skills and the ability to balance coursework, exams, student life, and 10–15 hours/week internship
Ability to meet deadlines
Final Deliverables:
Reflection Paper
Student Presentation
Internship Manager Evaluation
BUS 176 (undergraduate students)/ BUS 476 (graduate students) Course Structure
Course Dates: January 19 – May 1, 2026 (14 weeks)
Meeting Times: Remote (via Zoom), Mondays and Wednesdays, 12:10–1:25 pm ET
Internship Requirement: At least 10 hours/week // 140 hours/semester with host companies (failure to meet the minimum will be reflected in the grade).