Internship Responsibilities

Internship responsibilities for students, faculty, & site supervisors

By engaging your students in opportunities with Career Services, you’ll help them gain real-world experience, build their resumes, and network with potential employers. Your students can explore new interests and find more meaning in the passions that they are pursuing.

Review the following expectations and credit-hour information, and contact your assistant dean or Career Services office with questions.

45 hours on site = 1 credit hour

  • Therefore, a three-credit internship requires the completion of at least 135 hours on-site; six credits requires 270 hours.
  • Up to six credits can be earned in a single semester for an internship experience.
  • Time spent completing assignments listed in the learning contract under “Evaluation Requirements” does not count towards the 45 hours/credit.

Learning contract

  • Internships can't proceed without a learning contract. Students will complete a learning contract after meeting with the Career Services office.
  • Completed and signed learning contracts are due within one week of the start of an internship.
  • It is the student's responsibility to meet with the faculty mentor and establish learning outcomes and methods of evaluation for the contract.
  • It is the student's responsibility to meet with the site supervisor and establish the job description for the contract.
Additional Student Responsibilities
  • Securing both a placement site and a faculty sponsor (the internship placement can take a while to secure, and usually involves submitting a résumé, etc., so the process of searching for a placement site should be started several months before the desired start date).
  • Ensuring that the learning contract is completed and submitted in a timely manner.
  • Scheduling their hours appropriately so that the expected number of hours can be completed within a given semester.
  • Carrying out the job requirements and evaluation requirements listed on the learning contract.
Faculty Mentor Responsibilities
  • Helping students identify potential placement sites, as necessary.
  • Working with the student to identify appropriate educational objectives, assignments, and evaluation requirements.
  • Signing the learning contract (written and sent out by Career Services).
  • Maintaining regular contact with the student to ensure they are meeting expectations. Weekly or bi-weekly meetings with students are encouraged to address any issues or concerns that may arise.
  • Maintaining regular contact with the site supervisor to ensure their expectations are also being met.
  • Working with Career Services, as needed, to request professional development training for students or address other concerns throughout the internship.
  • Evaluating student work (may take placement supervisor evaluations into account or not), providing regular feedback, and assigning a grade.
Placement Supervisor Responsibilities
  • Clearly stating expectations of the intern on the learning contract.
  • Providing a wholly educational experience, especially if unpaid (i.e. no “grunt work” unrelated to the listed job requirements).
  • Mentoring the student intern by giving them exposure to various aspects of a particular career and engaging them in meaningful work.
  • Responding to requests for information from the student and/or faculty sponsor for the purpose of evaluating progress.