The Eller Undergraduate Professional Development Center strongly encourages and promotes experiential learning partnerships between students and employers. Experiential Learning experience provides students an opportunity to learn about a career or industry and provides the company with an opportunity to develop relationships with students.
In order to increase experiential learning opportunities, specifically internships, the college is working to improve communication about the wealth of opportunities available and support a variety of experiential learning options.
Consult the Professional Development Center to learn more about the following:
- Successful internship program development
- Custom strategies to market your career opportunities and internships to Eller students
- Recommendations of the type of student (major, year) that would best meet your needs
- Expanded details on compensation options for internships: direct pay, scholarship opportunities, or academic credit
Eller Programs
- Structured Internship Program Academic Elective Credit
Academic credit experiences that allow students to earn up to three units of credit per semester, while refining their professional skills and integrating academic and experiential learning. The Structured Internship Program has very strict student application deadlines; please consult our internship coordinator for all policies and procedures. Click here for more information about Internship Credit.
- Faculty Sponsored Opportunities
These opportunities are available on a limited basis to students that have completed specific coursework in their department. The internship or program is usually project oriented and the student works directly with a faculty sponsor. It is the the student's responsibility to work the faculty member overseeing the coursework.
Purpose of an Internship
The goals of an internship include:
- To give the students an opportunity to relate their classroom knowledge to the requirements within a work environment.
- To emphasize to students the importance of the skills they acquire in the classroom and to judge how effectively the students are retaining knowledge.
- To promote the host agency by providing highly motivated students that can add a new perspective to the organization.
- To enhance and develop a closer understanding and communication between the college and practicing professionals.
Benefits to Organization
The organization can benefit immensely from developing an effective internship position in the following ways:
- Acquire a fresh perspective through objective insights and questions
- Secure temporary assistance that is committed to excellence and success
- Gain positive public relations and advertising for your organization through a satisfied intern
Participants
- A wide variety of Eller undergraduate students are looking for experiential learning opportunities.
- Students within any major program at all levels who seek to enhance their education through meaningful work experiences
- Students approaching graduation who are exploring career fields where they may utilize their academic background
- Individuals early on in their education that are interested in learning more from a mentor in their field of interest
Best Practices
An effective internship is defined by many factors including:
- Opportunities for the student to observe and assist employees in the work place
- 80-20 Rule - Work at the site should be 80% focused on work or observation in the field and no more than 20% of the intern's time should be spent on clerical tasks
- Supervision of the student by an on-site professional on a consistent basis
- A clearly defined job description stating what the intern will do at the site
- Evaluation of the Intern's performance at the mid-term and at the end of the work time period
Once you have decided on the type of experience you would like to offer, we can work with your organization to determine the best route to promote the position or experience.
If you have a structured company internship program and would like to hold formal on campus interviews, the Central Career Services office offers the campus wide JobLink system and Connections Program.
For Internship that are developed within one of our Eller College programs we will work to develop promotions strategies within the college including: Eller Career News, Bulletin listserv messages, distribution to departments and academic and career advisors, and student organization connections. To list your opening through these strategies, please fill out our Employer Input Form.
Once a placement is made, we work cooperatively with you to support the student's work performance and learning experience. We ask that feedback on the intern’s experience be reported to the Professional Development Center staff in order to help us develop student intern profiles and in turn highlight your company to future interns or job candidates.
