Last year, Matthew Hanzelka did an internship with a financial planner while finishing coursework at Texas Tech University in Lubbock. But his wasn't a traditional type of internship, complete with a workstation in an otherwise unused corner of an office. All the work -- including helping to develop a monthly email newsletter -- was done from home. And Mr. Hanzelka mainly communicated with his boss through email and telephone. Students are increasingly taking on internships that don't require regular appearances in the office. These virtual arrangements play into some of the noted strengths of this generation of college students: technological know-how, an entrepreneurial spirit and flexibility, says Peg Hendershot, director of Career Vision, a career consulting service based in Glen Ellyn, Ill.... The trend also parallels the rise in distance learning through online college classes, she adds. And like online coursework, Ms. Hendershot says, there's a tendency for greater accountability in off-site internships -- where meeting goals is often more important than logging hours.

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