About Internships

Students are permitted to earn academic credit for unpaid internships in the profit and non-profit sectors.The University's support of these internships is based on the belief that a supervised work experience can also provide a valuable educational experience that augments the regular academic program of students interested in the possibility of careers in a variety of fields, such as government, social services, journalism, law, public relations, financial services, information technology, etc.Most internships are completed during the junior or senior year; freshmen are not permitted to carry internships.

Internships for credit combine academic inquiry with direct work experience.The academic portion is supervised by a full-time member of the University's teaching faculty, and the academic work to be completed is determined by mutual agreement between the student intern and the faculty sponsor.The academic credit awarded ranges from four to sixteen hours.The direct work experience portion is supervised by the staff where the internship takes place, and the amount of work varies from the equivalent of a full-time job, such as in the full-semester programs, to 10-16 hours a week in local 4-credit internships undertaken during the semester as part of a student's regular academic program. Special options are available for students wishing to register for internships during the summer. See below for more information.

GUIDELINES FOR ADMISSION TO
ALL INTERNSHIP PROGRAMS

Internships for credit are part of the Independent Studies Program. The following guidelines exist for admission to these programs:

  1. They require the agreement of a faculty sponsor, the Dean's Office, and the supervisory personnel of the agency or office where the internship is to occur. See below for special information concerning summer internships.
  2. Each internship is expected to be consistent with the overall direction of the student's academic program or probable future career.
  3. Credit arrangements are subject to the regulations of the individual department in which the faculty sponsor teaches or the internship is located.
  4. A student may take no more than one 4-credit Independent Studies course (including an internship) per semester.
  5. A student may take no more than 8 credits of Independent Studies courses (including internships) with the same faculty member.
  6. All internships for more than 4 credits, with the exception of the Washington Semester Program, Art Core New York, and the Internships in Europe programs, require the approval of the Internship Committee which should be requested prior to the start of the semester in which the internship is proposed.

GUIDELINES for LOCAL INTERNSHIPS for CREDIT

No more than a total of 8 hours of local internship credit may be applied toward degree requirements.

Ad Hoc Internships

There are no specific admission requirements for this type of local internship, and any student may try to arrange one.These internships usually carry four credits and are taken along with three other 4-credit courses as part of a normal semester's schedule.It is not usually advisable to overload while doing an internship.

In order to carry academic credit, an internship must meet the following criteria:

  1. It must involve at least 10-16 hours of work per week in a professional setting.
  2. It must be unpaid.
  3. The work performed may not be clerical. The purpose of an internship is to acquire experience at the professional level.
  4. A full-time member of the teaching faculty must supervise the academic component that complements the direct work experience.The exact nature of the academic work is determined by the faculty sponsor and the student.See "Course Requirements" below for information on expected content and grading.
  5. In order to register for the internship course (394), the student must submit a completed and signed Independent Studies Form to the Center for Academic Support, Lattimore 312.

Departmental Internships

Several departments sponsor local 4-credit internships; students should see the individual departments for more information.Brief descriptions of the most active programs are listed here:

Department of English (Morey 404)
Sites include professional theater, UR International Theatre Program, newspapers, radio and television stations, UR Public Relations Office, non-profit organizations and area businesses. For more information about English Department Internships, please see the department web site at www.rochester.edu/college/ENG/interns, or contact Curt Smith at 273-5014.

Department of Clinical and Social Sciences in Psychology (Meliora 355)
Internships are most commonly completed in agencies involved with health care delivery, youth services, community services, or personnel services.Further information is available from Professor Dale McAdam in Meliora 437.

Department of Political Science (Harkness 334)
A limited number of juniors and seniors are selected as interns in the District Attorney's and Public Defender's offices.Interns spend 12 hours per week in the agency.Students are chosen on the basis of their overall academic record (a minimum cumulative G.P.A. of 3.0 is required), non-academic interests and activities, and an interview.Prior coursework in political science is necessary.Students interested in applying are urged to attend a departmental information session, offered generally at mid-semester.For additional information, see the Department of Political Science web site at www.rochester.edu/college/psc.

COURSE REQUIREMENTS and GRADING:

The faculty sponsor defines the course requirements and grading procedures of the internship course. Internship courses normally involve outside reading and a research paper or critical journal as the basis for evaluation. The reading for the internship is tailored to the particular needs of the internship, and the amount and specific content of the reading is determined by the faculty sponsor of the internship. Normally, these internships are graded with letter grades, but the Pass/Fail grading system is possible with the approval of the department chair; no normal letter grade is submitted. The evaluation is based upon the student's performance on the reading and written work, and may also include consultation with the supervisory personnel in the internship.

GUIDELINES for NON-LOCAL INTERNSHIPS for CREDIT

No more than a total of 16 hours of non-local internship credit may be applied toward degree requirements.

Ad Hoc Internships

Full-semester programs (with the exception of the Washington Semester, Art New York, and Internships in Europe programs) require the prior approval of the Internship Committee. Interested students should make arrangements with an appropriate faculty sponsor. The Internship Committee should be presented with the following documents well before the start of the semester for which the internship is proposed:

  1. An Independent Studies Form completed with and signed by the faculty sponsor.
  2. A detailed description of the proposed internship, elaborating upon the summary description on the Independent Studies Form, in the form of a letter submitted by the student.
  3. A letter from the faculty sponsor outlining his or her expectations for the internship and criteria for evaluation.
  4. Other material that may be required by the specific program, for example, letters of recommendation or a transcript.

Note: The Internship Committee does not usually approve full-semester programs unless a student is in the upper-half of his or her class and can relate the work experience to his or her academic program.

COURSE REQUIREMENTS and GRADING:

The faculty sponsor defines the course requirements and grading procedures of the internship course. Internship courses normally involve outside reading and a research paper or critical journal as the basis for evaluation. The reading for the internship is tailored to the particular needs of the internship, and the amount and specific content of the reading is determined by the faculty sponsor of the internship. Normally, these internships are graded with letter grades, but the Pass/Fail grading system is possible for 4-credit internships with the approval of the department chair; no normal letter grade is submitted.The evaluation is based upon the student's performance on the reading and written work, and may also include consultation with the supervisory personnel in the internship.

Washington Semester Program
The Washington Semester program is under the faculty sponsorship of Professor Valeria Sinclair-Chapman of the Department of Political Science.It involves a full semester of work in the office of a Congressperson in Washington, D.C.The program is open to juniors, selected primarily on the basis of academic performance (a minimum cumulative 3.4 G.P.A.) and knowledge and interest in American politics.
Students interested in applying are encouraged to take a course focusing on congressional politics.A general interest and informational meeting is held each semester.Students apply directly to Professor Sinclair-Chapman for admission to the program.For more information, see the Department of Political Science web site at www.rochester.edu/college/psc.
Art New York Program
The Art New York program, administered by the Department of Art and Art History (Morey 424) is a spring-semester residency program of study in New York City open to all third- and fourth-year undergraduate students interested in learning about aspects of contemporary art.Interested students should contact either Professor Elizabeth Cohen. The program integrates internships in art institutions, direct involvement with practicing artists, and academic courses on contemporary art.Students complete one four-credit course at a local institution, participate in a four-credit colloquium with other Art Core students, and earn eight credits for the internship.
Internships in Europe Program
The University of Rochester, in cooperation with Educational Programmes Abroad (EPA), sponsors semester-long study programs in London, England; Brussels, Belgium; Berlin, Germany; Bonn, Germany; Madrid, Spain; and Paris, France.The programs enable students to combine academic study with an internship.Applications and information may be obtained from the Center for Study Abroad & Interdepartmental Programs in Lattimore 206 and are also available on-line at www.rochester.edu/college/internships/. Programs are offered during the fall and spring semesters.There are also summer programs in London, Brussels, and Bonn.
The European Political Internship Program is sponsored by the Department of Political Science; Professor Lynda Powell is the faculty sponsor. Internships include: British Parliament, European Parliament, law offices, constituency offices, pressure groups, research institutions, party headquarters, and local and national government offices.London, Berlin, Bonn, Brussels, Madrid, Paris.
The European Business Internship Program offers students the opportunity to intern in many areas of business, including: banking, finance, accounting, advertising, marketing, public relations, and personnel. Professor Lynda Powell is the faculty sponsor.London, Bonn, Brussels, Madrid, Paris.
The European Arts Internship Program is sponsored by the Department of Art and Art History (Morey 424); Professor Grace Seiberling is the faculty sponsor. Students are placed in museums, art galleries, concert halls, and theaters. London, Bonn, Madrid.
The European Health Sciences Internship Program places students in the areas of health science or medical research. The faculty sponsor is Dr. Robert Berg of the Department of Community and Preventive Medicine (Helen Wood Hall 4W150). Past health science placements have included: hospital administration, health education, nutrition, occupational and physical therapy, psychiatric wards, psychology departments, health centers, and youth centers. London, Bonn.
Students on the Internships in Europe Program complete two 4-credit courses and an 8-credit internship. A letter grade for the internship is awarded by the faculty sponsor based on the analytic journal kept by the student and on the supervisor's letter of evaluation. (Letter grades for the academic courses on these programs are listed on the transcript, but are not part of the cumulative grade point average.)

Earning Credit for Summer Internships

If you would like to earn credit for a summer internship, several options are available:

  1. You may register for the internship as described above by submitting an Independent Studies form, available at Academic Support. Students who register for internship credit in the summer will be charged the published summer “per credit” tuition rate for Independent Studies courses.
  2. You may register for CAS 396A. This internship is designed for, and may only be taken by, students whose summer employers require them to "register for credit." The course carries 0 credit hours, but is graded "CREDIT/NO CREDIT." The Dean's approval is required before registration is permitted; students should see an adviser in the Center for Academic Support. No tuition or fees are charged.
  3. You may register for CAS 396B which carries one credit. This internship is designed for, and may only be taken by, students whose summer employers require them to earn credit. Consultation with the Career Center must precede registration. After student receives offer letter and completes learning Goals and Objectives with on-site supervisor, the student engages in an internship of at least 100 hours over at least five weeks. Ten specified topics concerning the organization and the student's experiences are addressed in analytic journals, normally submitted weekly via Blackboard. Written evaluation completed at end of internship. Graded Pass/Fail. Students who register for CAS 396B will be charged the published summer “per credit” tuition rate for summer classes. (NOTE: International students follow separate CPT procedures; see ISO for further details.)
  4. You may wish to speak with a full-time faculty member about establishing a different type of Independent Studies course ( 391, reading / research ) for the following fall semester, based on the summer internship experience. Such a follow-up course typically involves independent reading / research in some aspect of the internship area as well as a written component. Students are expected to do whatever academic work is required by the faculty member in order to earn Independent Studies credit. The academic requirements set by individual faculty and departments for earning internship credit vary and should not be taken for granted.

(Please note: Faculty policy requires students to receive credit in the term in which academic work is completed.) Trying to register for the internship course (394) in the fall would be against policy and disallowed if the internship were completed over the summer. Conversely, trying to register for a fall-semester Independent Studies course without doing academic work as required by the faculty member in that semester would also be against policy and disallowed.

Not every internship lends itself to creating a follow-up Independent Studies course for the fall semester, but in some departments, and with some faculty, there may be a way to create a fall course based on the summer internship. Perhaps a comparative study, or, after further readings, a paper based on a journal carefully kept during the internship experience would be acceptable. However, a significant independent study project would be required in departments such as Economics. The study's content and criteria for evaluation should be arranged —prior to the internship— between the student and a full-time faculty member from a department most closely associated with the nature of the internship or subsequent study topic. This course would be subject to all other applicable Independent Studies policies and guidelines.

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