Academic Internship Office

Academic Internship Program Policies and Guidelines

In an effort to clarify, strengthen and unify the internship program, several policies and guidelines have been adopted.

It is important to note that each academic department holds full authority for the requirements for enrollment in the department’s internship experience. Departments are encouraged to establish more stringent requirements as appropriate for academic strength and for greater student success in their internship responsibilities.

Jump to: Eligibility | Faculty Sponsor | Academic Advisor | Awarding University Credit


Eligibility

The basic requirements to enroll in any internship program are:

  1. Students must have at least a 2.0 grade point average.
  2. Students must not have any fees, fines, or other outstanding obligations to the university.
  3. Students must have successfully completed at least 28 credits at PLU, or 12 PLU credits if a transfer student.
  4. Students must be matriculating.

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Faculty Sponsor

Faculty support is the key to the success of the internship program and each student’s experience. The faculty sponsor is the faculty of record under whom the internship course is registered and is the person responsible for monitoring the internship experience.

  • The faculty sponsor should carefully review the student’s Learning Agreement and help them develop a quality learning plan according to the expectations of the department and what is appropriate for the position.
  • The faculty sponsor also identifies appropriate methods for the student to document their learning to justify university credits.

Options for documentation methods are summarized in the Student Guide. However, you may have methods not included there. Usually the number of credits is a guide for the type, intensity or degree of detail the student documents their learning.

The faculty may make a site visit to assess the learning environment and the student’s progress toward achieving stated objectives. Visits are also an opportunity to talk with a student’s supervisor and gain some direct insight on the student’s performance. This interaction can strengthen the motivation of the employer to continue to seek interns from PLU and can also benefit faculty in considering modifications that may be appropriate to course content.

Site visits also enable the university to quickly and efficiently address any problems that may arise. If a faculty member feels a site visit would be in the student’s or the program’s best interest but is unable to make such a visit, the Director of the Academic Internship Office can make the visit on their behalf with appropriate guidance.

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Academic Advisor

When visiting with and advising students in the planning of their academic program, it is beneficial for faculty to consider how an internship fits into the student’s curriculum progression in their major or specialization. Advising the student to consult with their academic advisor (if the faculty sponsor is not that person) is prudent. This will assist you and the student in determining if the internship credits should be registered departmentally or through the Internship Office.

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Awarding University Credit

The academic credibility of the Internship program lies in these arenas:

  1. Selecting and approving only quality positions for internship experiences.
  2. Monitoring experiences so that students are fully challenged at the workplace and engaged in the learning experiences embedded in their internships (see: Learning Agreement).
  3. Students generate quality academic documentation of their learning.

Department attention and engagement with these aspects will ensure PLU develops a quality program.

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