Internship Guidelines and Documentation

Some departments offer internships for credit. See the department chair in your major or minor concentration for availability.

Internships are centered on practical experiences. These courses provide students the opportunity to apply previous classroom theory to practical situations. The action component is generally at least as important as the reading and writing components. Since internships are designed to meet genuine needs in both public and private sectors of society, the projects must first earn the support of the sponsoring agency or individual. An intern must have an on-site supervisor in addition to a faculty supervisor.

The student will file with the Registrar an approved Internship form prior to the end of the drop/add period in which the student registers for the internship course.

General Guidelines or Requirements

1. Internships are assigned a varied number of credits, 1 to 6. More than one internship may be taken, but no more than 6 credits of internship within a specific discipline may apply toward the 120 credit hours required for graduation without the approval of the dean.
2. Students must have sophomore standing (completed 30 or more hours).
3. Student must be in good academic standing (not on academic probation) or have permission of the dean. (Departments/Schools may designate higher academic standards.)
4. A minimum of 40 hours of field experience for each credit hour earned is standard, although the final number of hours will be established with the Faculty Supervisor.
5. The student and faculty supervisor are responsible for the academic soundness of the proposal.
6. Internships will be graded in accordance with standard letter grade policy, unless otherwise designated.
7. Internships may begin and end at any time during the academic year or summer. The student must register for the term during which the majority of the work will be completed.
8. Individual internships will have an established amount of credit, a description of the experience, a statement of the educational objectives, and a means of evaluation. (See department chair for details.)
9. A student may register for an internship prior to completing the Internship form, but the form must be completed and submitted to the registrar’s office by the drop/add deadline for the term in which the student has registered for the internship course. The faculty member assigned to the internship course will have the student removed from the course if the form is not submitted by this deadline.

Evaluation and Grading of Internships

• The department in which the internship will be taken is responsible for maintaining information and evaluation on internships.
• Internships require a minimum of two conferences with the faculty supervisor. The faculty supervisor must visit the internship site at least once (preferably twice) during the internship and make an evaluation. (An alternative means of communication must be made if site is over 90 miles away.)
• Internships may include a reading assignment that bears upon the internship experience undertaken.
• Internships will include a writing assignment that records the learning process (journal, log, observation report, etc.) as well as a summary paper that helps the intern reflect on the total internship experience in terms of anticipated and unanticipated learning outcomes.
• Grading for internships should be based on a written evaluative report from the site supervisor, faculty observations and/or conference with the interns, and the quality of the written work submitted by the intern. The following is provided as a guideline:
  
  Supervisor evaluation 35%
  Faculty observations/conference with intern 25%
  Written reflective paper(s) 40%