What is an internship?
- An internship is a work experience that is relevant to a student’s chosen major.
- An experience that should enhance a student’s academic, career, and personal development
- Supervised by a professional in the field
- An experience that can be one academic term (summer, spring, fall) or multiple academic terms in length
- Paid or unpaid, part-time or full-time
- An experience that is mutually agreed upon by the student, supervisor and/or faculty member
- Internships might also be called a practicum or co-op.
Why should my business participate in the internship program?
- Internships give students the opportunity to explore careers in their chosen major, network with potential employers, and learn about jobs that are available.
- The employer also benefits from the internship by:
- Building your potential employee pool
- Receiving additional staff assistance during peak times/special projects
- Providing supervision experience for future managers in your company
- Mentoring a student
- See “Benefits of Hiring Our Students” for more information.
How long is the internship experience?
- Internships can begin at any time but usually correspond to the fall, spring, and summer semesters.
- If a student is pursuing class credit, they must spend a minimum amount hours on the job-site (see specific program requirements) to obtain academic credit for the internship together with meeting all the other course requirements.
- However, if the student’s schedule permits and the business agrees, the student may put in additional hours beyond the minimum requirement.
Should the internship be paid?
- Although the primary purpose of the internship program is to give a student relevant business experience in his or her chosen field, compensation during the internship experience is certainly an incentive.
- Monetary compensation also helps to create the atmosphere of employment.
- To date, most of the internship opportunities partnered with the internship program have provided compensation ranging from a stipend to help pay for the tuition cost of the internship to $9.00 per hour or more, depending on qualifications and class level.
- See “Compensation” for more information.
How can interns be utilized?
Our LCOB students come prepared with an array of skills and are eager to learn. A few examples of internship tasks are:
- Accounting/Finance
- Handle accounts payable or accounts receivable, Analyze stock market trends, Assist accountants during tax season.
- Human Resources
- Develop handbooks or employee manuals, Pre-screening of applicants, Monthly newsletters, Payroll assistance, Research on regulations and compliance issues.
- Marketing
- Create a new marketing campaign, Create mailing lists, Design brochures or distribution materials, Conduct marketing research, Design charts and graphics to be used at a meeting or conference, Analyze sales data.
What is expected of me if I participate in the internship program?
- The internship program expects each employer to provide meaningful duties for the student to perform that would enhance the student’s understanding of his or her career area.
- See “Employer Expectations” for more information.
How can I get the internship process started?
Complete our Internship Needs Survey or submit a request on our Employer Interest Form!
