Securing an Internship

Timeline

As Early As Sophomore Year

  • Meet with advisor and Professional and Career Development to make plans for an internship.
  • Plan for how many credits and plan electives so internship will fit into program.
  • Start to explore what functional areas are of interest and what organizations to target.
  • Seek out people who have done internships or currently doing internships.
  • Prepare a preliminary draft of learning objectives. Think about five major things you’d like to gain from an internship experience.

Early Junior Year

  • Complete any of the necessary steps outlined above.
  • Work with advisor, Professional and Career Development and on your own to seek internship opportunities
  • Make sure you meet all the eligibility requirements and follow the Student Internship Guidelines and Requirements.

While Applying for Internships

  • As you apply for internships, keep your advisor and Professional and Career Development informed. Get preliminary approval from them to ensure you’re on the right track.
  • Internship needs to be a new learning experience that ties in with your major; no credit for current jobs.
  • Get all the necessary information from the employer (job description, duration, number of hours per week).

Upon Acceptance

  • Finalize the 5 learning objectives in consultation with the internship site mentor (supervisor) and academic advisor and complete the learning contract, attaching the job description if available.
  • Submit the completed “Learning Contract” to the Professional and Career Development department using Handshake by requesting an “Experience”.
  • Work with your advisor to get registered for internship course and make sure you understand the academic requirements for grading, which will be completed by division chair.