Internships

An internship is a form of experiential learning that integrates knowledge and theory learned in the classroom with practical application and skills development in a professional or community setting. Internships provide resources, equipment, and facilities that enable students to gain experience in a professional work environment, and provide students with skills or knowledge that are transferable to other settings. Internships with defined learning objectives, professional supervision, and opportunities for reflection offer valuable enriched learning experiences.  

Internships at Edgewood College are founded in the Dominican tradition, and focus on our COR questions:

• Who am I and who could I become? Internships help students explore environments that parallel with their personal identity, values and interests.
• What are the needs and opportunities of the world? Internships allow students the opportunity to apply and develop their knowledge, skills and abilities to real-world experiences.
• What is my role in building a just and compassionate world? Students will explore career options that fit who they are and match their skills to the needs of the world – either clarifying or opening their minds to pathways to pursue after graduation.

Criteria for an Experience to be Defined as an Internship (National Association of Colleges and Employers, NACE) 

1. The experience must be an extension of the classroom: a learning experience that provides for applying the knowledge gained in the classroom. It must not be simply to advance the operations of the employer or be the work that a regular employee would routinely perform. 
2. The skills or knowledge learned must be transferable to other employment settings. 
3. The experience has a defined beginning and end, and a job description with desired qualifications. 
4. There are clearly defined learning objectives/goals related to the professional goals of the student’s academic coursework. 
5. There is supervision by a professional with expertise and educational and/or professional background in the field of the experience. 
6. There is routine feedback by the experienced supervisor. 
7. There are resources, equipment, and facilities provided by the host employer that support learning objectives/goals. 

Additionally, any for-profit organization looking to offer an unpaid internship should review the U.S. Department of Labor Wage and Hour Division Fact Sheet #71: Internship Programs Under The Fair Labor Standards Act. 

Policy for Enrolling in Internship Courses: 

• Students must have a minimum 2.0 cumulative GPA. 
• Students are limited to one internship experience per term. 
• Students must be enrolled in an internship course concurrently with their internship experience. 
• Students may have subsequent internships at the same employer provided the learning outcomes are progressive and/or developmental and not a duplication of previous goals. 
• General Education requirements may not be fulfilled through internships. 
• A syllabus which includes parameters to identify agreed upon learning outcomes and supports a student in their reflection and assessment during their internship experience is required. 
• An internship may include a mix of traditional lecture (with associated preparatory time) and the experiential work.

Many majors require an internship for their area of study. If not required, internships are highly recommended and supported for all students on campus. In addition, students are choosing to experience multiple internships throughout their time at Edgewood College to further deepen their knowledge and skill base.

Edgewood College remains committed to offering support to students pursuing an engaged learning experience through an internship. An internship preparation course (IC 220) is available to all students on campus currently seeking or planning to seek an internship in the future. Students will research potential internships, develop a plan for obtaining an internship, and build career readiness skills.

In addition, Institutional Course (IC) for-credit and not-for-credit classes are in place to provide further opportunities for students to engage in their learning through internships. These courses are designed to provide all students with the opportunity to examine the practical implications of their studies and to gain skills to enable them to be successful professionals.

Career Development has developed many tools to support all students in their internship experience. Our online career management system, Handshake, allows students to create a profile for employers to view their information, upload a resume to be reviewed and approved by a professional staff member, sign up for career development events and fairs on campus, and search for internship opportunities. In addition, students have a relationship with a Student Success Advisor throughout their time at Edgewood College, where they can make a 1:1 appointment or come to drop-in hours to assist them at any point in their internship preparation, reflection, or search process.

Edgewood College, with support from the Center for Global Education and Career Development, is also proud to offer international internship opportunities for our students. An international internship is a hybrid study abroad program which offers students an independent professional development opportunity. Students participate in an internship program during the summer term, or in addition to other coursework over a fall or spring semester abroad. Student internship placements are personalized for each student’s major and area of focus, and are offered in a variety of locations worldwide. Participants enroll in an internship course while abroad, which may count toward their major specific internship course requirement.

Students wishing to learn more about internship opportunities and support are encouraged to consult with their advisor, and/or refer to the Career Development resources: https://edgewood.joinhandshake.com/, https://careers.edgewood.edu/ or success@edgewood.edu.

Institutional Course Internship Courses Structure and Guidelines

IC Internship Course Contracts can be found through Handshake, https://careers.edgewood.edu/Internships, or via https://registrar.edgewood.edu/.

Goal:  To create a structure that accomplishes the following…

• Provides additional opportunities for students to engage in their learning through internships
• Allows for improved campus wide tracking/assessment
• Allows students to document internship opportunities that are not required or not for credit on their Edgewood College transcript
• Provides the college and its departments with the ability to give unified structure to their internship requirements
• Provides consistent student expectations and evaluation processes
• Provides internship opportunities for students during the summer session without additional cost
• Provides an avenue for students to have multiple internships

How departments can use the IC format:

• Create summer ‘not for credit’ experiences
• Assist in identifying internship experiences for institutional tracking
• Equip areas that do not currently have internship courses with structure

Internship Guidelines:

The responsibilities of the student intern, the internship instructor, and the site supervisor are as follows:

Intern:

The student has primary responsibility for deciding what they want to learn during the internship and where the internship is based. Specifically, the student is responsible for:

1. Identifying and interviewing for an internship position.
2. Students work under the guidance of an internship instructor at Edgewood College and a site supervisor from the organization where the internship will take place.
3. Registering for the correct internship class.
4. Requesting an Internship Experience through Handshake and developing learning objectives in partnership with their site supervisor and Internship Instructor and ensuring that they meet all evaluation requirements.

Internship Instructor:

Faculty led courses are meant to focus on ways the internship impacts student academic trajectories. 0-credit courses guide students through setting goals for the internship and reflecting on their experience and learning objectives. The internship instructor is specifically responsible for:

1. Assisting the student with the internship search process, in partnership with Career Development.
2. Assisting in the development and approving of the Internship Agreement Form—the student submits an Internship Experience request through Handshake and an Internship Agreement Form developed in consultation with the site supervisor and the Internship Instructor. The instructor, student, and site supervisor each approve the agreement to ensure that:

• the internship is an acceptable learning experience and appropriate to the environment
• the credit hours are appropriate
• the learning objectives are suitable and measurable, and the work expectations and reporting relationships are clear with the criteria for evaluation having been well defined

3. Monitoring the student’s progress by keeping in regular contact in order to determine whether or not the student is meeting their learning objectives and to provide guidance to the student regarding their learning. The instructor also may contact the site supervisor by e-mail, phone, mail, or in person. The instructor will provide individual attention to each intern under their supervision.
4. Reviewing all evaluation requirements and assigning the final grade at the end of the term.

Site Supervisor:

Although the student is ultimately responsible for their own learning, the site supervisor has the major responsibility for ensuring that a professional work experience is provided for the student. The worksite replaces the classroom and the supervisor acts as the coordinator of learning.

The specific responsibilities of the site supervisor include:

1. Assisting in the development and approving of learning objectives.
2. Familiarizing the intern with the work environment—the site supervisor should introduce the intern to the general functions of the organization, the rules and guidelines that should be followed, the method the student should follow in asking questions, and any other information a new hire would be provided with in order to be set up for success.
3. Setting the student’s schedule—the supervisor should provide the intern with a regular schedule in order to provide the intern with a “real world” appreciation of time management. The work schedule needs to accommodate the student’s classes.
4. Providing assignments—the supervisor is responsible for assigning projects or tasks for the intern that are consistent with the intern’s capabilities. Requiring tasks within the realm of an intern’s expertise will provide the intern with a feeling of importance in the workplace and can stimulate a desire to do more.
5. Providing guidance and interpretation—the supervisor should have regular conferences with the intern to assess progress and to provide help in understanding the work site and their role in it.