Business Internships

For Students

Eligibility:

• Completion of at least 60 earned hours, 24 SHC hours if a transfer student, or permission of Division Chair & cumulative GPA of 2.5 or above.

• An active learning experience in a professional working environment related to a student’s career ambition.

I. Internship Course Goals, Objectives & Outcomes:

Goals

1. Increase career readiness and experience personal growth.  

Objectives

1. Provide a link between the classroom and the workplace.

2. Supply students with meaningful work experience in the professions they are exploring.

3. Cultivate initiative, resourcefulness and time management skills.

4. Students gain a greater understanding of themselves: personally, socially, and professionally.  

5. To “Form leaders engaged in learning, faith, justice and service for life.” (SHC Promise Statement)

Outcomes – Students will:

1. Develop a resume targeted towards internship of interest.

2. Gain career related and soft skills experience.

3. Complete the internship with a positive and approved reference from the Internship Site Supervisor.

4. Update their resume, references and LinkedIn account at the end of their experience.

5. Earn a Business Internship (BUS496) course grade.

Policies and Requirements

As an intern, you

• Assume all risk involved with participating in this off or on campus education opportunity.
• Are completely responsible for transportation and must carry auto insurance.
• Should request reimbursement for any out-of-pocket expense incurred at the direction of the Site Supervisor (e.g. mileage, parking fees, etc.).

• Will adhere to standard business practices, such as being punctual and to communicate schedule changes.
• Should not assume that the Site Supervisor will automatically agree to be a positive reference-ask her or him.
• Are required to pay tuition and fees to Spring Hill College during the semester (including the summer term) in which you earn the internship course credit (by the first day, according to the Bulletin’s General Finance Policies).
• Agree that your resume may be used as an example by the Internship Coordinator or Career Services Director in the future. Likewise, photos may be used for promotional purposes. Otherwise you have opted out via e-mail.

Internship FAQ

What is an internship?

An internship provides students a meaningful business experience, an opportunity to build their resume and benefits the professionals to whom they are assigned.  

Highlights

• May be paid or unpaid
• Typically one semester in length
• May be for class credit
• Available year-round

Who do I contact if I am interested in finding out more information about the possibility of an internship?

Contact Mrs. Larriviere, Internship Coordinator, Division of Business, to inform her of your potential opportunity or of your interest in seeking internship approval. (via email: nlarriviere@shc.edu or Yenni 315)

How do I prepare for the internship search?

• Develop your resume, cover letter (if needed, geared towards an internship position), and secure references.
• Our Business Communications Course (BUS 210) will get you ready to enter the internship and job market.
• You may meet or communicate via email with Mrs. Larriviere (nlarriviere@shc.edu) for resume review and interview coaching.

How do I find an internship opportunity?

This can be done in a variety of ways:

• Check Handshake to explore career options, find jobs and internships and connect with employers.  Search Indeed.com, Internships.com, LinkedIn or other online job search engines for internships.  Follow their directions for applying.
• Attend on campus Career Services events.
• Network!  Ask family, friends, professors, advisors, and co-workers if they know of any internship opportunities.
• Make a personal visit to the organization to ask if there are any internship openings.  Do this with a resume “in hand.”
• Identify 3 organizations where you would like to complete an internship. Check the website or contact the organization directly.

What do I do when I find an internship?

First, determine if the course credits fit in your degree plan. If you are not sure check with your Advisor.

For Academic Credit

Provide a job description from the organization to Mrs. Larriviere the Internship Coordinator via email. She will then communicate with the Division Chair to clear you for this course. An Internship/Job Description is a list that includes the job title, general tasks, duties and responsibilities of the position. It may also include the necessary qualifications for the position.

Register for the course BUS496. This can be done during preregistration and/or during add/drop week. The course is completed via Canvas. At the start of the term, log on to your Canvas account to begin the course.

For Employers

The Division of Business aims to provide students with opportunities to get meaningful experience in their area of interest. Through the internship process, we want our students to increase career readiness and experience personal growth.

Interns provide the following benefit to you

• Highly motivated and talented students who are eager to learn and contribute
• Assistance with special initiatives or projects
• Source of fresh perspectives, insights, and ideas for the organization
• Cost-effective way to preview, recruit and evaluate potential employees
• Opportunity to share expertise by serving as a professional mentor
• Chance to give back to the community and contribute to the educational process

You will find information below about the internship process. We highly encourage our students to do their best and to positively represent themselves, the Division of Business, and Spring Hill College. We look forward to working with you.

Internship Description

Under the supervision of the Division of Business Internship Coordinator and an experienced business professional (Internship Site Supervisor). The internship is a pre-arranged, may be credit-bearing work experience which allows a student to achieve learning objectives which are aligned with the goals of a supervising professional or organization. Internships provide opportunities to explore career options, test career choices, and encourage the development of skills within a chosen field. An internship allows students to relate classroom theory and concepts with practical job experience as well as develop new skills that will be transferable to future employers.

Internships can be paid or unpaid + up to 3 credit hours.  Each credit hour will require that 40 hours of work is performed during the term of enrollment. The employer determines the hourly pay or stipend.  Please see the Department of Labor Fact Sheet #71: Internship Programs Under The Fair Labor Standards Act at this link- https://www.dol.gov/whd/regs/compliance/whdfs71.htm

Credit and work hours (over the course of the semester) are typically as follows:

•    1 credit = 40      2 credits = 80 hours     3 credits = 120 hours
•     For 1 credit – work 5-7 hours per week
•     For 2 credits – work 8-10 hours per week
•     For 3 credits – work 10-12 hours per week

Your Commitment

Step 1:  Provide the Intern with a Job Description for the Internship Position. This is needed for the student to seek approval from the Division Chair who will then make a determination if the student is allowed to register for internship course credit. A Job Description includes the job title, responsibilities, possible projects, what the intern can expect to learn, and requirements of the position. It may also include qualifications for the job position.

Step 2:  Complete the Learning Agreement

• Meet with your Intern to discuss and complete the Internship Learning Agreement. The Internship Learning Agreement establishes the learning objectives the intern will work toward during the semester, the position responsibilities and schedule. You and the Intern sign and date the Internship Learning Agreement.
• Each party should have a copy of the Internship Learning Agreement.
• The student is responsible for uploading the Learning Agreement and Job Description into the LMS.

Step 3:  Midway – Complete mid-point evaluation

• The Site Supervisor will meet with the intern. The Intern will schedule this meeting.
• It is the Site Supervisor’s responsibility to discuss, with the intern, information about their performance at the mid-point mark. This conversation could include kudos and/or areas of improvement (if applicable). Please review, with your intern, the Learning Objectives that were established at the beginning of the internship. Thank you for giving the student the opportunity to grow and learn from their performance review.  
• Around this time, the Intern should ask permission from you to serve as a reference and to be included on their reference sheet.
• The student will then provide the instructor with a summary of what they learned from this meeting.
• The instructor regularly monitors the Time and Activity Log and provides feedback about assignments.

Step 4:  Finishing up – Complete Final Evaluation

• The Internship Site Supervisor will complete a final evaluation. The instructor will e-mail this to you, at the end of the Internship, to assess the Intern’s performance. You will be able to provide feedback on the form about the Intern’s performance and assign a grade. This information will be shared with the Intern.