Internship experiences take on a wide variety of forms depending on the discipline, and the interests and needs of the student and the employer. Despite the technical differences in each experience there are some key guiding principles in encouraging student learning. The following resources are designed to support faculty and academic departments in developing internship guidelines and standards for the internships they oversee.
The following are the required steps for students completing internships for academic credit at Augsburg University.
Registration
- After a student secures an internship site, they will meet with their faculty sponsor to receive approval to earn credit for the site and position. During this meeting, student and faculty discuss potential learning goals, department criteria, and academic requirements for the experience.
- Faculty will indicate anticipated assignments on the internship registration form, but can be edited later on the internship goals form.
- Department chairs will review and sign off on the registration form.
- The Strommen Center provides the final signature and explains the university’s internship requirements with the student.
- Students report the internship site and supervisor information online and watch an orientation video to complete the registration process.
- Students should register their internship during the term in which they complete the majority of their hours.
Internship Goals
- Within the first 3 weeks of starting the internship, students are required to submit their official Internship Learning Goals Form online. A copy of the form will be sent to the student and the faculty sponsor once received. Preview the questions before filling out the online form.
- Students must complete a minimum of 80 hours (2 credits) or 160 hours (4 credits) on their internship site.
Evaluation
- Final evaluations are sent to the student and the internship site supervisor in the last 2 weeks of the semester.
- Copies of both the student’s self-evaluation and the supervisor’s final evaluation will be sent to the faculty sponsor and the student after they are completed.
- Faculty sponsors award a traditional grade or “pass” based on the student’s academic reflection work completed during the internship.
Best Practices for Internships
- Provide samples of internship goals for your discipline, here is a guide for Developing Internship Learning Goals to help students get started.
- Sample guidelines for Internship journal entries.
- Sample index for an Internship Portfolio.
- Offer a department based or interdisciplinary internship seminar to encourage dialogue between students about their internship experience.
- Conduct a site visit to see the student in their internship environment.
- Hold a final meeting in-person with the student to discuss the internship.
- Ask students to update their resume.
- Encourage students to ask for references (if applicable) and connect with their supervisor through LinkedIn.
- Additional tips on encouraging final reflection for students: Reflecting on your internship.
Staff in Strommen Career & Internship Services are available to meet with your department to share additional internship best practices. Please contact us at strommen.internships@augsburg.edu or call 612-330-1148 to schedule a meeting with your department.
External Resources for Internship Best Practices
- InternQube – Internship Resources
- National Association for Colleges and Employers (NACE) – Internship Definition and Guiding Principles
- Department of Labor guidelines for Internship Programs under the Fair Labor Standards Act – Statement on Unpaid Internships
- Intern Bridge – National research and webinars on internship best practices