Program Overview

Student Internship Program

The student internship program is designed to guide students through the process of finding, registering, and evaluating each internship, and to get them started on a path toward a career in their field. Through internships, students learn to make professional connections and network with various companies, organizations, or government offices based on their own developing specific areas of expertise.

Getting Started

Students interested in pursuing an internship should seek a position that is aligned with their own personal, educational, and career goals. Students can find relevant programs by reaching out to specific organizations to seek new opportunities, by applying for advertised positions, or by finding a volunteer program where they can gain experience. Internships may be paid, non-paid, full-time, or part-time and can occur during any academic quarter throughout the year (fall, winter, spring, or summer). The number one goal of any internship is to gain valuable experience and build relationships that will help set a student's career in motion.

Finding an Internship

Students are expected to find their own internships, but several resources are available to assist in the search.

• Career & Professional Development Office: Students seeking guidance with resumes and cover letters are encouraged to reach out to the office of Career & Professional Development.
• Pioneer Careers Online: Maintains a university-wide list of internships, which is a great place to find new job postings.
• Internship Program Director: Students are always welcome to make an appointment with the department's internship program director to discuss options and the first steps to get started on an internship experience.
• Department List of Internships: The internship program director keeps a running list of recent internship opportunities, which is a good place to start if you are curious about what kind of work you might find in your next position.

Registering for an Internship

Once a student has been offered an internship position, they must complete the following steps to get the experience registered with the University.

1. Contact the Internship Program Director: The program director can approve whether the position is appropriate to be registered as an internship and can provide guidelines on how to make the internship official.
2. Determine the Number of Credits: Some students have the option to sign up "for credit" or "for zero-credit", depending on their needs.
   • For Credit: The general rule of thumb for deciding how many credits to register for depends on the number of hours of work per week, over a 10-week period. Students can sign up for 1 credit hour for every 10 hours worked per week.
   • For Zero-Credit: DU students have the option to sign up for zero credit hours for their internship, if appropriate. This removes the cost of tuition but still maintains an official registry of the student's internship activities.
3. Log into Pioneer Careers Online: Prior to starting an internship, students must gain approval by logging in to Pioneer Careers Online to document information about the position.

Grading Interns

During the internship, students are asked to document their experience and, ultimately, provide a detailed reflection upon completion of the position. The following will need to be completed if a student has registered for credit.

1. Upload of Document(s) Verifying the Internship Position: Such as an offer letter or statement from the employer.
2. Weekly Journal: About experiences and how they relate to the student's degree, with each entry expected to be about 250 words in length.
3. Written Overall Assessment: Of the internship experience upon completion, expected to be around 1000 words in length.
4. Conversation with the Internship Director and Site Supervisor: If necessary, to assess the final grade.

Your Rights as an Intern

If a student registers an internship for DU credit, they are expected to be working in a safe and respectful learning environment with a supervisor who is committed to providing professional guidance and mentorship. If a student ends up in an internship situation where there is no supervision, mentorship, or feedback, or where they are frequently asked to do menial tasks unrelated to the goals of the internship, they are encouraged to immediately contact the internship program director. Students are allowed to receive credit for both paid and unpaid internships, with the expectation that the internship experience is for the benefit of the intern.