Jump to: Enrollment Requirements | Learning Agreement | Registration
To enroll in the Academic Internship program:
In all internships you are expected to perform to the accepted standards of any professional holding that position. You will have the added benefit of a mentor/supervisor who will help support you. He/She will guide your performance and enrich your experience with professional insight to your work responsibilities and to the career field as a whole. Not uncommonly, your mentor will offer you opportunities that would not be available as a regular employee. This is what distinguishes an internship from a job.
To qualify as an Academic Internship experience, the position must be one of true benefit to the employer. Job shadowing or observing alone does not qualify as an internship, though you may benefit from a shadowing or observation opportunity as part of your experience.
Once you have accepted an internship, the first thing to do is to contact your faculty sponsor. You must have a faculty sponsor to register for credit for your internship (to read about how to find a faculty sponsor, see: Search Process). Your faculty sponsor can help determine the academic challenge the position seems to offer.
Complete a Learning Agreement. Prepare a draft for your faculty sponsor to review then prepare the final document for their signature and other authorizing personnel. Because your employer will see this document to review and sign, it should not be hand written. Enter the information on the screen of your computer and print it out. There is a computer available in the Ramstad Commons (Ramstad 112) for your use if you do not have other access to an online version of the Learning Agreement. Your Learning Agreement should be signed and turned in before you begin your position and before you register.
Registration is done using an Independent Study Card. These are available at the Student Services Desk (usually they are in a pocket in the hallway outside the office), from your academic faculty or at the Academic Internship Office. You must get it signed by your faculty sponsor and an authorizing administrator, usually your department chair or the Director of the Academic Internship Office. You then submit it to the Student Services Desk or the Registrar’s Office before you begin your internship experience.
Registration deadlines are not restricted to the normal "Drop-Add" period. Because employers hire interns apart from the academic calendar, the registration period necessarily must be flexible. Registration deadline is the last day of the first half of the semester in which you are doing your internship. After that date, your internship cannot be registered for an academic course in the current semester.
If your internship continues at least one full month into the following academic term, you may be eligible to register for the following term. The start and ending dates on the Learning Agreement and the dates of the signatures must clearly indicate that the internship did cover the period to qualify for the term you are registered. Check with your faculty sponsor or the department chair about specific requirements.
No experience may be registered as an internship for a former term or for a former position.
Your academic department will guide you on how to determine what would be required to qualify for the number of credits you seek. Each department has their own requirements and you should ask about your department’s requirements. It is wise to check with your department before negotiating your work hours with your employer.
For the Academic Internship courses (AICE or COOP), you must work at least four hours per work period, at least two work periods per week, and at least 30 hours for each credit. Remember, your academic department may have other requirements. Contact your department for the requirements to enroll in a department internship course.Credits are billed as any other course for the term you are registered. Several factors determine the number of credits for which you may register. You should work with your academic adviser to determine the number of credits that will fit best with your academic program and if those credits should be registered through a course in your academic department or as electives.
Most internships are for a full semester, or the full summer. A part time internship that is less than a half semester does not qualify as an internship, though it may still be a quality experience from which you can learn much. The value to you is not diminished.
J-Term is the only time you can earn internship credits in just one month. Your J-Term internship must be full time (35 or more hours per week) to earn university credit. J-Term credits for internships are set at 1 to 4.
Remember, your internship may not end when you meet the number of hours required for the number of credits for which you have registered. Often, the number of hours needed to achieve the credits you have registered for is met before the end of the term. Your obligation, however, is to work with the employer for the stated period. There should be an end date entered on the Learning Agreement so there is no misunderstanding.
Most PLU students enroll in their internship during a semester when they are also taking a class or two on campus. This requires a work schedule that allows you to be on campus to go to class. It requires vigilance on your part to fulfill classroom obligations as well as meet your responsibilities at your internship experience. Most employers are flexible when the internship is part-time to allow for your class schedule. Keep in mind the required minimum number of hours of work for each credit. Two or more days per week is recommended. You may exceed those minimums without registering for more credits.
Some students work full-time at their internship, dedicating the entire semester to learning on the job. Some employers require a full-time commitment. Full-time positions are much more likely to be paid than part-time positions. Most students prefer a full-time internship during the Summer Term. Job postings will indicate whether the employer is offering a full-time or part-time internship.
PLU is committed to providing equal opportunity in employment and in education for all members of the University community without regard to an individual's race, color, creed, religion, gender, national origin, age, mental or physical disability, marital status, sexual orientation or any other status protected by law.