Internships

Before the Internship Begins

• Secure the internship and discuss your plans with your faculty internship coordinator
• Inform the site supervisor of the start and end dates of the internship and of any academic requirements that might require absence from work
• Complete the online internship application process to ensure proper academic registration of the internship
• Verify registration by checking class schedule via Self-Service and Canvas (as applicable)

During the Internship

• Report to the work site as scheduled and on time
• Meet all assignments with accuracy and diligence
• Maintain good communication with the site supervisor
• Complete 42 hours for each semester hour registered with the school and report hours worked through the online internship portal
• Immediately inform your faculty coordinator and the Career Center if your site supervisor changes or if you run into any problems
• Complete and submit all course assignments to the faculty coordinator by the assigned due date(s) (Business students will complete the online Canvas course)

Upon Internship Completion

• Complete the Student Evaluation of Internship Form through the online internship portal

• Determine if the student intern meets qualifications for an internship
• Assist the student in developing specific learning objectives
• Visit the internship work site during the semester to meet with the supervisor and the intern
• Read, evaluate, and grade the intern’s assignments and final paper and submit the internship grade to the Registrar’s Office by the required date

• Be available to help the student develop the internship, provide networking ideas, assist in creating resumes and cover letters, and provide instruction on interviewing
• Review and approve submit the student’s online internship application for credit

• Help in the creation of and then approve the student’s learning objectives
• Supervise and be responsible for the student during the internship
• Assign challenging tasks and projects that will promote the achievement of the student’s learning objectives
• Provide constructive feedback, positive and negative, to the intern on a regular basis
• Complete the final online evaluation of the intern (instructions will be provided in an email sent near the end of the semester)
• Allow time for a ½ hour work site visit, in which you (the site supervisor), the intern, and the faculty coordinator will assess the internship

 

The Westminster University Career Center is committed to engaging students in a professional and safe working environment. The Career Center will not tolerate any form of harassment or discrimination based on race, color, national origin, ethnicity, sex, gender, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, age, disability, religion, veteran status, or genetic information, as well as retaliation for good faith reporting of prohibited conduct or participation in any investigation or related proceedings. This applies to the behavior of internship site supervisors/co-workers toward students as well as students’ behavior toward their supervisors/co-workers. The Career Center encourages students to inform themselves of the discrimination and harassment policy of the internship site and to follow it, should one exist. The Career Center asks students to report any incident as soon as possible, allowing both the College and the internship site the opportunity to promptly respond. You have the right to expect professional conduct from everyone at work, including supervisors, peers, and subordinates.

Harassment is any unwelcome conduct based on any of the protected categories above when either of the conditions outlined in (a) or (b) below are present:

1. Quid pro quo harassment – Submission to or rejection of such conduct is made, either explicitly or implicitly, a term or condition of a person’s employment or internship experience; or
2. Hostile environment – Such conduct is severe, persistent, or pervasive enough to create an intimidating, hostile, or offensive work or educational environment.

Behaviors that may constitute sexual harassment include (but are not limited to) the following:

• Pressure for sexual activity
• Unnecessary brushes or touching
• Disparaging remarks about one’s gender
• Sexual innuendos or persistent use of sexually suggestive or offensive language
• Verbal abuse disguised as humor
• Obscene gestures
• Offensive remarks about clothing, body parts, or activities
• Making an educational or employment decision/benefit based on submission to sexual conduct

If you experience any harassment or discrimination during the internship you must report the incident or concern to your supervisor, the Career Center, or the College’s Title IX Coordinator and Equal Opportunity Officer. When doing so, please document all facts such as date, time, persons involved, and the situation as you observed it.

• During this internship, you are representing not only yourself but also Westminster University, its students, faculty, staff and alumni. Your performance and attitude will have implications beyond you and beyond this internship.
• You are governed by the internship site’s employment policies, procedures, dress code, privacy or confidentiality agreements, and standards of conduct. It is recommended that you obtain clear guidelines from your employer before you begin your internship.
• Your commitment to on-site work for the internship is important. You are responsible for notifying your internship site of absences according to their policies and procedures. Any changes in your internship status (layoff, cutback of hours, or dismissal) must be reported immediately to the Career Center at 801.832.2590.
• Due to the nature of an internship arrangement, you may not withdraw from an internship without prior authorization from the Career Center except in severe and justifiable circumstances as determined by the Career Center and in consultation with the site.

During the course of your internship there may be risks related to the experience and uncertainty of future events.

There are 4 basic steps in assessing and managing risk:

• Identify potential hazards, risks, or concerns.
• Understand guidelines and expectations of the internship site and supervisor.
• Consider solutions to potential problems.
• Inform the Westminster Career Center of any incident or concern.

Following are some potential areas that may serve as a starting point for you to reflectively examine your internship environment and circumstances and consider potential hazards or risks:

Physical Hazards

• Outdoor exposure to weather, pollution, noise, or other hazards
• Indoor exposure to machinery, extreme temperatures, or other structural hazards

Biological Hazards

• Dangerous, infected, or contagious animals, plants or other hazards

Chemical Hazards

• Office or laboratory equipment and chemicals (toner, chemicals, cleaning products)

Travel

• Dangerous intersections or roadways
• Remote, poorly lit, or unsecured parking areas
• Using your personal vehicle or traveling for official business

If you have any concerns regarding the internship environment and circumstances, you should report the concern to your supervisor and/or the Career Center. When doing so, please document all facts such as date, time, persons involved, and the situation or concern as you observed it.

All School of Business, Communication, Arts Administration, and Outdoor Education and Leadership (OEL) majors must complete at least one internship for credit (minimum number of credits required varies by major, but 2 credits is a standard minimum). Other majors in the Westminster College of Arts and Sciences programs, education, and public health may choose to do an internship for credit. Contact the Career Center or your faculty advisor for additional information. Students are encouraged to complete at least 1 internship; 2 is even better. Your faculty advisor can help you understand how internship credits can fit into your academic plans.

You must have junior standing to do an internship for credit. More importantly, you must be ready to take on the work required to succeed in the internship. For example, you should take a PR course before applying to an internship at a PR agency. You should complete a design course before heading out to be a graphic design intern. For this reason, students must be at least a junior to qualify to complete an internship for credit. It is completely appropriate to plan your internships for your senior year. That may be the best time to leverage the internship into a post-graduation job.

Federal law requires that interns be compensated for their time in some way. The Department of Labor requires that students receive wages and/or college credit. You may get both.

You cannot work for a for-profit company for free. If someone asks you to work for free and will not work with you to get academic credit, they are in violation of federal law, and you really don’t want to work there.

You can, however, legally volunteer with a non-profit organization. You may still call it an internship on your resume, but you can do it without getting college credit. It is best to talk with your advisor to see how internship credit can fit into your schedule.   
 

Department of Labor rules state that the internship must be a true learning experience. So, while you might take your turn getting coffee for your team, you should be learning and doing. If your internship is nothing more than being a gopher, you should speak to your faculty advisor and the Career Center. The university will remove a student from a site that does not live up to the internship agreement.

Some internships are paid. Some aren’t. It all depends on the norms in the particular field. Only you can decide if an experience is worth it to you without wages. A future employer will value the work you did more than whether you got paid.

You must pay for internship credits just like any course. During the regular school year, these credits are usually covered in the 12-16 hours of regular course load. As a result, most students never pay additional money for internships.

Summer tuition rates exclude internship courses. So, for your summer internship, no tuition is charged, instead there is an administrative fee of $100 per credit. Review the summer tuition rates and rules for the most up to date information.  

Absolutely. You can do an internship anywhere in the world.

You can, although we want you to spread your wings as much as possible. Aim for the stars and save that experience as a backup position.

Yes, you can repeat at an internship location. However, we expect that in the second semester you will take on more or different responsibilities.

There are advantages and disadvantages to staying at the same place. On the one hand, it shows a future employer that someone sampled your work and invited you back. On the other hand, you get less diversity of experience to help you figure out what you want to do after graduation.

So, it really depends on your individual experience. You should discuss it with your faculty advisor and let them help you make the best decision.

Yes, you can do an internship with an office or department at the university. On-campus internships are posted to the student job board. You can also approach someone on campus you wish to work with and ask if an internship is an option.

The best place to start is a conversation with your faculty advisor. They can help you figure out what kind of internship will best serve your needs.

Handshake also has internships. Bookmark that site and review it frequently.

You can also search specific companies or non-profit organizations for internship information. If you know that you want to work for Organization X, keep an eye on their Human Resources page and their social media. If they do not have any internship information listed, don’t be afraid to reach out to someone at the company about the possibility of doing an internship. Some places don’t have anything on their website because they have never had an intern before. You could be the first.

That depends on the internship. Competitive internships that draw nationwide or statewide can have application dates up to a year in advance. If your fantasy is to get an internship with Stephen Colbert, you had best start researching that a year in advance of when you plan on interning.

Most internships, however, do not have such long lead times. You should begin searching about the middle of the semester before you want to intern. Make notes of any deadlines and application requirements. Reach out to the organization and ask about requirements.

First you need to find your internship location, then speak to your faculty advisor and fill out the required online forms in Handshake. Once you have all the necessary materials submitted and all parties have approved your experience, the Registrar’s office will register you for the class.

No, internships take many forms. Some will have a set schedule. Some will be built around working at events. Some will be done at home with periodic check-ins. Some students have internships that are concentrated in a shorter span of time than the regular semester, doing all the required hours in, say, a month.

As long as you keep a log of your hours, any schedule is fine. 

Take your cue from your coworkers. Dress as most people in the workplace dress. Some workplaces are formal, some are informal.

That said, adding formality to your dress can give you confidence. Dressing up, even a little, can have advantages. Treat the internship as something more than just another class. It’s really a three-month audition. Even if that location doesn’t have a job available when you graduate, the people there might be instrumental in helping you get your foot in the door elsewhere.