Internships

What Is an Internship?

An internship is pre-professional work experience that provides students, recent graduates, and career changers with opportunities to explore various career fields and interests. Internships can be part-time (most common) or full-time, paid or unpaid, and are offered by a wide variety of businesses and organizations. The duration or length of an internship can run anywhere between 120 to 240 hours depending on the Academic program.  A typical intern usually works between 10-20 hours per week, although this varies depending on the company.

What are the Student Benefits of doing an Internship?

• The first benefit is meeting the requirement of your Academic program (if applicable).
• An Internship can help you narrow your career choices and focus your career goals. You can learn more about where you might like to work, or gain insight about a specific industry or career field.
• Internships can make you more competitive and marketable for full-time jobs and graduate and/or professional schools.
• Internships help you to apply what you learn in the classroom to the workplace.
• An Internship is a great way to build your professional network and “get your foot in the door” at a particular industry or company. You will meet people in the industry and gain professional contacts.
• An Internship provides you with the opportunity to gain valuable transferable skills.

According to the National Association of College Employers (NACE), “70% of employers say that they hire their interns for full-time positions after graduation before looking elsewhere.”

When Should I Begin to Look for Internships?

NOTE: STUDENTS MUST MEET WITH THEIR ADVISOR BEFORE THEY BEGIN THEIR INTERNSHIP TO MAKE SURE THEY ARE PROPERLY ENROLLED AND HAVE THE NECESSARY PAPERWORK COMPLETED!

Students should first check with their advisor before they look for an internship to make sure they understand the process and expectations. Some Academic programs have specific timeframes and semesters when students need to enroll and complete their internship.  Some programs also place their students at specific locations so students do not need to find an internship site.

NOTE:  Some programs place their students at specific businesses so students do not need to find their internship site. Students should first check with their advisor to know if they are responsible to find their internship site.

NOTE: It is important to know that not all internship sites may be listed so students should also research companies in their area that they would prefer to complete their internship.