Faculty Internship Guidelines

Internships combine classroom learning with paid or volunteer practical work experience. Additionally, they provide the opportunity to clarify career goals and establish contacts for jobs after graduation. Interns are required to take at least one academic credit in an x98 (198, 298, 398, ...) course number. Registering for internship credit is extremely important, as this is the only way in which interns are covered by the Montana University System's (MUS) intern liability insurance policy.

Helping Students Get Started

• Encourage students to search for internships on Griz eRecruiting. You can also search for internships; please contact us for a username and password. Additionally, if you would like to receive e-mail flyers advertising internships, please contact us.
• Students can apply for advertised internships, or develop their own with assistance from the employer, faculty and Internship Services staff.
• Encourage students to set up an appointment with an internship coordinator in our office. We assist with internship searches, resumes, cover letters, and job applications.
• Check with your department chair to see if a faculty internship advisor has been designated for your department, or if any faculty in your department can act in this capacity.
• Announce internship opportunities in class.
• Internship Services staff offer presentations to students and faculty regarding internships and program procedures, and classroom workshops on resume writing.

Internship Credit

• Internship course numbers are listed as x98 Internships (198, 298, 398, ...). If one of these numbers is not listed for your department, call the Registrar's office to request activation of the number and to request a Course Request Number (CRN).
• It is up to each faculty internship advisor to make credit determinations vased upon academic assignments, applicability of the job to the course of study, and contact hours of work experience. Nationally, a guideline often used is that one internship credit be awarded for every 45-60 contact hours of education related work experience.
• Some departments have set a maximum amount of credits students can register for in a semester and have determined whether the credits can be pass/no pass or traditional grade. In addition, there is a 6-credit limit on x98 credits that can be counted toward University graduation requirements.
• If internship employment dates fall solely within one academic term, the internship credits should be awarded for the academic term that coincides with the dates of actual internship employment.
• If internship employment dates span more than one academic term, internship credits should be awarded for the academic term in which the majority of actual internship employment hours occur.
• It is recommended that all academic assignments occur during the term in which academic credit is awarded. If it is impractical for the work experience, academic assignments, and credit to be completed during the same term, academic credit may be awarded during either term at the discretion of the faculty internship advisor.

Learning Objectives

• Assist the student in developing learning objectives that adequately relate the work experience and the academic learning experience (developing learning objectives is often a joint effort among the student, employer and faculty).
• Sign the Learning Agreement, and encourage students to submit to Internship Services at the beginning of the semester. Since the Learning Agreement does not register the student for the class, an Override, Drop/Add, or Petition to Add form should be signed by you.

Assessment

• Faculty should assign apposite academic assignments (e.g. papers, projects, journals, and class presentations) that link to the Internship experience regardless of the grading system (i.e. credit/no credit, or letter grade).
• During the course of the internship, faculty internship advisors receive copies of the Learning Agreement, Student's Midterm Evaluation of the Internship Experience, Student's Final Evaluation of the Internship Experience, and Supervisor's Evaluation of the intern. These may be used to assist in assigning a grade.
• Visit the intern at the job site if possible. This will allow you to assess the progress and working conditions of the internship.
• At the end of the semester, assign a grade.

If you know of specific internship opportunities, or need other assistance, please call us.