Employment opportunities for international students
Detroit: The epicenter of the automotive industry
Located in The District Detroit, the Mike Ilitch School of Business at Wayne State University (WSU) enjoys close proximity and professional ties to Ford, Fiat Chrysler and GM, as well as numerous Tier One suppliers. Our city is a hub for automotive production and the perfect learning environment for business students. Qualified international students enrolled in either our graduate or undergraduate degree programs are eligible to interview for internships, while those graduating from either program are eligible to interview for optional professional training (OPT) positions with automotive manufacturers and Tier One suppliers.
U.S. internship and optional professional training (OPT) opportunities
Because of our curriculum and our ongoing corporate relationships, we are aware of the growing need to develop talent for global employment. In response, we are developing opportunities for full-time students enrolled at the Mike Ilitch School of Business to intern in the U.S. at automotive and supplier headquarters. Hired students will learn the company's operations, processes and culture, returning home with valuable real-world corporate experience. In order to provide for a smooth transition to our program, interviews for upcoming internship and OPT positions will be conducted at the employer's headquarters in the applicant's home country, when possible. However, it should be clearly understood that internships and OPT positions are offered at the sole discretion of the interviewing employer and are not guaranteed by Wayne State University.
Internships
Open to both graduate and undergraduate business students, internships are unpaid opportunities for international students to work in a position for a U.S. employer related to their degree objective. Internships are jointly supervised by both the employer and faculty member. Once an employer has been secured, the student will register for the three-credit hour internship in order to begin the semester long experience, with the work schedule agreed upon by both the employer and student. Candidate selection for an internship is the responsibility and decision of the prospective employer.
Optional Professional Training (OPT)
Eligible international student graduates may have the opportunity to interview to work in their field of study in a paid OPT program for up to one-year following graduation. Students can apply for 12 months of OPT at each education level: A student may have 12 months of OPT at the bachelor's level and another 12 months of OPT at the master's level.
Employers include automotive manufacturers and Tier One suppliers. As the global economy grows, so do the opportunities for qualified business school graduates, and WSU business school graduates hired into an OPT position can look forward to up to a year-long professional work experience in the U.S.
Hiring decisions are at the discretion of the employer and not guaranteed by Wayne State University (WSU).
