The Academic Internship Program is the centralized college office that coordinates and supervises experiential learning opportunities for students. These experiences allow students to work directly in a professional setting, enabling them to apply the theoretical learning of the classroom to practical situations, activities, and challenges. It allows students to “learn by doing” while being guided both academically and professionally. Students greatly benefit from our Internship Program, honing their skills, networking in their field, and exploring options that will help clarify personal and professional goals.
Students can complete an academic internship during the fall, spring, and summer sessions and internships can be paid or unpaid. Internships exist in all sectors of the economy, within organizations that are large and small, for-profit and non-profit, public and private. Types of employers include social service organizations, government agencies, health care facilities, financial institutions, schools, retailers, law firms, and major corporations.
A student may complete more than one internship, and credits may be applied to the major, minor, or elective program as determined by each major department. For more information on the Internship Program and how credit is awarded, please review the Overview of Internship Requirements.
APPLICATION PROCEDURES
Students interested in exploring the Internship Program begin the application process by meeting with the Office of Career Planning to discuss career interests, qualifications, eligibility requirements, and possible opportunities. This should take place at least one semester prior to the desired internship session. The student is counseled in the job search process, assisted with resume development and interview skills preparation, and encouraged to take an active role in the identification of potential opportunities. Once the student accepts an internship offer, the Office of Career Planning formally registers the student for the appropriate amount of internship credits and identifies a faculty coordinator.
Students will be given access to the internship online platform where the student obtains the guidance, tips, materials, and instructions needed to successfully complete the internship. Once the internship begins, an experiential learning contract outlining learning objectives and academic requirements is developed and approved by all involved parties. The student then completes the required number of hours at the site while also completing academic requirements including weekly reflection logs, weekly time sheets, regular contact with the faculty coordinator, and an assigned final paper/project. Upon completion of the internship, the student will receive a grade for the work completed.