Thank you for your interest in creating and hosting an internship experience in collaboration with the University of Montana. We look forward to the opportunities that working with your organization will provide for our students, and vice versa. Internships provide students an opportunity to combine classroom learning with part-time or full-time work/volunteer experience. An internship allows students to gain relevant experience in their area of interest while receiving academic credit toward graduation. Internships generally align with the University's semester system (Fall, Spring, Summer Terms) but can be flexible if needed.

DESIGN AND POST YOUR INTERNSHIP

Benefits to you:

• Opportunity to mentor a person new to your field
• Gain innovative ideas from the fresh perspective of an intern

Questions to Consider:

• What skills and competencies will the intern gain while at your site?
• Will you have a supervisor to oversee and evaluate the intern?
• How will you support the student's learning objectives and goals while they intern?
• What type of training will you offer the intern?
• How many hours will the intern be on site each week?

Shaping your Internship:

• Will you support a student who is receiving academic credit for this experience?
• Will you pay your intern?
• What academic major/s would be a good fit for your internship? Academics at UM
• What competencies, skills, and previous experience does an intern need to succeed at your organization?
• Who will be the intern's site supervisor?
• What type of application materials would you like to collect?
• Will you include an interview process for this internship?
• Is this a short-term (2 weeks or less) opportunity? Perhaps setting up a Micro-Internship would work better ... Explore UM's Micro Internship.

Post/recruit for your Internship:

• Post your internship on Handshake
• Explore if a Micro-Internship would work better for this experience
• Consider hosting a face-to-face or virtual event to connect with students after you post your internship
• Participate in a career fair to share information about your internship

How Interns Receive Academic Credit

• Internship credit is granted only by a UM faculty supervisor
• Intern students typically work 10-15 hours per week to earn 3 internship credits (generally 50 work hours per credit)
• Students submit a Learning Agreement for their internship
• The employer must offer a supervisor for the intern
• The supervisor must have a higher level of experience than the student
• The supervisor should have the ability to educate the student on "big picture" strategy, such as how the student's work fits into overall project goals, client needs, etc.
• The supervisor will be asked to evaluate the student at the end of the internship

Paying Interns

• Internships can be paid or unpaid. We encourage all employers to pay interns, but sometimes that is not possible. If you are unable to pay an intern, please follow these federal guidelines.
• The University of Montana strongly encourages employers to pay their interns, whether or not the intern is receiving academic credit associated with the internship.  The United States Department of Labor requires for-profit employers to pay their employees.  This fact sheet provides the legal framework used for determining whether or not an intern is an employee under the Fair Labor Standards Act.  The general presumption is that an intern is an employee, and the employer has the burden to prove otherwise if they want the internship to be unpaid.
• Paid internships also have the benefit of providing equal access to students. The University of Montana is very proud of the fact that approximately 20% of our undergraduate students represent low income, first-generation backgrounds. Students from financially disadvantaged backgrounds often need to be paid work to cover basic expenses, and therefore cannot accept unpaid internships.  Providing compensation gives these students equal access to the key professional development opportunities that internships provide.
• An employer with questions regarding their particular situation, and whether payment for the internship is required, should consult with their legal counsel.

If my student intern is receiving credit, will they receive worker’s compensation?

• Paid internships must meet the state Department of Labor Wage and Hours laws for the state of employment.
• In nearly all circumstances, employers paying wages to a student intern are required to provide Worker's Compensation coverage for the paid student intern.
• If a student intern is on UM payroll at the time of an accident, the Montana University System's Self-Funded Worker's Compensation will apply.
• For unpaid interns, UM does not provide Worker's Compensation coverage. Employers may elect to provide Worker's Compensation coverage for student interns under Montana Worker's Compensation statute. 
• Interns are covered by the Montana Risk Management Tort Division "Student Professional Liability Insurance" program for approved credit-bearing experiential educational activities.