Internship Information
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Internship Information | Equal Opportunity
These suggestions are general guidelines for department and faculty who would like to develop for-credit internship opportunities for undergraduate students or for organizations that want to offer academic internships. These guidelines were derived by compiling information from several existing internship models and several Seattle University policies of long standing. It is understood that departments determine their own requirements according to what they deem appropriate.
Definition
An internship is a work experience in a professional setting requiring students to use college level skills in job activities. It is a learning opportunity which affords students the context to obtain major-specific knowledge that is relevant and transferable to the classroom, enriching the students' academic studies. An academic internship is characterized by required academic components, such as a paper and/or journal that help the intern focus and process his or her experience. Much of the learning is to be guided by a work supervisor who is a professional already seasoned in the field, in addition to a faculty supervisor.
Goals
Students' goals in an internship should include the following:
- to apply concepts and theories learned in classes to actual work settings
- to bring "real world" experience back into the classroom to enrich the learning environment
- to practice professional skills and competencies
- to operate effectively in an organizational environment
- to focus professional interests
- to increase marketability and readiness in the field of choice
Student Time Required
The minimum contact hours per week, required in SU policy 79-2 are:
5 credits = 15 hours
4 credits = 12 hours
3 credits = 9 hours
2 credits = 6 hours
1 credits = 3 hours
Range of Credits to be Applied
A range of 1 - 5 credits at the undergraduate level are common, based upon the number of contact hours involved. (see SU Policy 79-2) A few departments allow up to 10 credits to be applied to the degree.
Suggested Supporting Activities and Academic Components
- Orientation to the work site by the organization supervisor
- Supervision within the organization by a specified person
- Evaluation of the student provided by the site supervisor
- Evaluation of the work site provided by the student
- Work journal kept by the student
- Time sheet signed by the work site supervisor
- On-site call or visit by S.U. coordinator or faculty
- Final paper by the student of 5-10 pages
- Mutual agreement signed by the faculty, student and supervisor
- Meetings with faculty, to set up the opportunity, at the midpoint and at the end, to check on progress and at the end to establish grade and evaluation
- Assigned readings and discussion group session(s)
To qualify for graduation with honors, SU policy states that a minimum of 90 credits must be completed at Seattle University graded A through D-. Credits from mandatory CE/F will not count toward the 90 minimum unless the course is a required component of the major, in which case the minimum graded credits requirement is reduced to 80 credits.
(Note: See SU Policy 76-1, page 2 on Mandatory Credit/Fail (CR/E)
Compensation
Students can intern for pay or not for pay.
Procedure
Faculty advisor. This allows the faculty or coordinator an opportunity to educate students about their responsibilities and options. Some departments allow registration by phone. See the individual departmental listings in the quarterly schedule of classes for details.
Locating Internships
Practices vary markedly. Some departments maintain a resource file and students are asked to pursue and obtain internships on their own. All internship opportunities submitted to the Career Development Center are posted on Seattle University's e-recruiting website. Once internships are obtained, students get approval from their internship coordinator or faculty member.
Other departments have faculty members place students into specific opportunities. This is more often the case when students apply clinical skills at their sites.
