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Internship Agreement template

An internship agreement sets out the terms of an internship, including dates, hours, compensation, learning objectives, supervision, and the intern's confidentiality and conduct obligations.

An internship agreement is a contract setting out the dates, hours, pay, learning goals and supervision for an internship. You need one whenever you host an intern, paid or not, because it clarifies expectations and helps show whether the arrangement is a genuine learning placement or employment under another name.

Use this template — sign onlineOpens as a ready-to-send document with signature fields placed.
Replace everything in [BRACKETS], export to PDF, then send it for signature.

1. Parties

This Internship Agreement (the "Agreement") is made on [DATE] between [COMPANY NAME], located at [COMPANY ADDRESS] (the "Company"), and [INTERN NAME], residing at [INTERN ADDRESS] (the "Intern"). [OPTIONAL: The internship is arranged in cooperation with EDUCATIONAL INSTITUTION NAME (the "Institution").]

2. Internship Position and Term

The Intern will serve as [INTERNSHIP TITLE] in the [DEPARTMENT] department from [START DATE] to [END DATE]. The internship is a temporary, fixed-term arrangement and does not create an obligation of future employment.

3. Learning Objectives and Duties

The internship is designed to give the Intern practical experience in [FIELD]. Learning objectives include: [OBJECTIVES, e.g. learning the product development process, contributing to a research project, building presentation skills]. The Intern's activities will include [ACTIVITIES]. The Company will ensure the Intern's work is primarily educational and supervised.

4. Supervision and Feedback

The Intern will be supervised by [SUPERVISOR NAME, TITLE], who will provide guidance and regular feedback, and [OPTIONAL: complete any evaluations required by the Institution by EVALUATION DATE].

5. Hours and Location

The Intern will work approximately [HOURS] hours per week, [SCHEDULE], at [LOCATION / REMOTE / HYBRID]. Hours will be arranged to accommodate the Intern's academic commitments where applicable.

6. Compensation and Expenses

[CHOOSE ONE: The Intern will be paid AMOUNT per HOUR / MONTH, payable PAY FREQUENCY, less required deductions. / The Intern will receive a stipend of AMOUNT. / The internship is unpaid and is undertaken for academic credit through the Institution.] The Company will reimburse pre-approved, reasonable business expenses. The parties acknowledge that rules on unpaid internships vary by jurisdiction and the Company is responsible for ensuring compliance.

7. Confidentiality

The Intern shall keep confidential all non-public information of the Company and its clients learned during the internship and shall not use it for any purpose other than the internship, both during and after the internship. [OPTIONAL: The Intern may describe the general nature of the work in academic reports, subject to the Supervisor's prior review.]

8. Intellectual Property

To the extent permitted by law, work product the Intern creates in the course of the internship belongs to the Company. [OPTIONAL: The Intern may include agreed, non-confidential samples in a portfolio.]

9. Conduct and Termination

The Intern shall follow the Company's workplace policies, including those on safety, anti-harassment, and IT use. Either party may end the internship early with [NOTICE PERIOD] written notice, or immediately for serious misconduct, subject to applicable law.

10. Governing Law and General Terms

This Agreement is governed by the laws of [GOVERNING LAW JURISDICTION]. It is the entire agreement between the parties on the internship and may only be changed in writing signed by both parties. If the Intern is under the age of majority, a parent or guardian must also sign.

11. Signatures

The Parties agree that this Agreement may be signed electronically and in counterparts, and that electronic signatures have the same effect as handwritten signatures. COMPANY: [COMPANY NAME] Signature: ____________________ Name: [SIGNATORY NAME] Title: [SIGNATORY TITLE] Date: [DATE] INTERN: [INTERN NAME] Signature: ____________________ Date: [DATE] [OPTIONAL] INSTITUTION REPRESENTATIVE / PARENT OR GUARDIAN: [NAME] Signature: ____________________ Date: [DATE]

Our take: Our take: the risky assumption is that interns can be unpaid by default. In many places an unpaid intern who does real productive work is legally an employee, so write learning objectives that are genuine and name a supervisor who actually teaches. If the intern is a minor, a parent or guardian may need to sign too. Schools often want to be a party for credit-bearing placements, which is easy to handle with a signing order. If the role is really a job, use an employment contract or offer letter and skip the pretense.

When should you use a internship agreement?

  • When hiring a paid or unpaid intern for a fixed period
  • When a school or university requires a written agreement for academic credit
  • When you want to define learning goals and supervision for a student placement
  • When an intern will access confidential information or create work product

How do you fill in this template?

  1. Enter the company, intern, and any educational institution details.
  2. Fill in the internship title, dates, learning objectives, duties, and supervisor. Make the objectives specific; they are what distinguishes an internship from an employment contract.
  3. Set the weekly hours and location, and choose paid, stipend, or academic-credit compensation.
  4. Check local rules on intern pay and working hours, then fill in the governing law.
  5. Upload the agreement to eSignSimple and send it to the intern, your signatory, and any school or guardian for e-signature.

How do you get it signed online?

  1. Save it as Word or PDF. Paste the filled-in text into Word or Google Docs and keep it as a .docx file, or export it as a PDF. eSignSimple accepts both, plus DOC, ODT and RTF, up to 25 MB; Word files are converted to PDF on upload.
  2. Upload and place the fields. Sign up with Google, upload the file and drag signature, initials, date and text fields onto the page for each signer. Set a signing order if one party must sign first.
  3. Send it for signature. Each signer gets a private link and signs in the browser without creating an account. Automatic email reminders go out every three days (up to three) until everyone has signed.
  4. Keep the signed copy. When the last person signs, everyone can download the final PDF with a certificate of completion, an audit trail and a SHA-256 fingerprint you can verify later.

Signing on your own device only? The guide to signing a PDF covers the free built-in options, and the security page explains how signed files are stored and verified.

This template is general information, not legal advice. Laws differ by country and state; have a lawyer review contracts with high stakes.

Written by Buğra Sözeri, founder and editor, eSignSimple · Last reviewed

Buğra builds eSignSimple and writes and maintains its guides. He researches each legal page against the official texts linked on it and updates pages when the law or the product changes. He is not a lawyer, and nothing here is legal advice. About eSignSimple

Frequently asked questions

Do interns have to be paid?

It depends on the jurisdiction. Many places require interns to be paid at least minimum wage unless strict conditions for unpaid or academic internships are met. Check local labor rules before offering an unpaid internship.

Is an internship agreement the same as an employment contract?

Not exactly. An internship agreement focuses on learning objectives and supervision for a fixed period, but a paid intern may still be treated as an employee under local law.

Does a school need to sign the internship agreement?

If the internship is for academic credit, many institutions require their own form or signature. This template includes an optional signature block for that purpose.

Can interns sign the agreement online?

Yes. With eSignSimple, interns, supervisors, and school representatives can sign from any device without creating an account.

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