Career Development Center

Internships

Internships provide an opportunity to enhance student growth and professional development through planned, supervised work experience in career- related positions with a wide variety of companies, agencies, and other community partners. Internships provide on the job experiences, allow students to develop NACE Career Readiness Competencies and effective work habits and learn other laboratory/clinical skills.

Tomcat way for internship success - click for full PDF
Click for full PDF!


Academic internships can truly enhance the student’s education by expanding skill sets and exposure to real world situations. Research shows that students who are involved in high-impact practices (HIPs) including evidenced based practices like internships, enjoy higher levels of learning success.

The National Association of Colleges and Employers (NACE) Position Statement on U.S. Internships defines an internship as “a form of experiential learning that integrates knowledge and theory learned in the classroom with practical application and skills development in a professional setting. Internships give students the opportunity to gain valuable applied experience and make connections in professional fields they are considering for career paths and [they also] give employers the opportunity to guide and evaluate talent.”

For an internship to be a successful learning tool, several individuals must work together: the student, their academic advisor, their faculty internship sponsor (may or may not be the faculty advisor), and the employer/site supervisor. Faculty advisors/sponsors are responsible for abiding by departmental internship policies, guiding students through the learning process, and supervising all assigned coursework, in addition to providing a final grade for students who take internships for course credit.

The Career Development Center at Thiel College supports, adheres to and complies with the Principles for Professional Conduct for Career Services & Employment Professionals as defined by the National Association of Colleges and Employers. Click here for complete information regarding these Principles and Standards. 

An internship experience can give students a competitive edge as they launch into life after Thiel and the ever-changing job markets by:

  • Confirming and clarifying career goals
  • Allowing students to explore options within their major and envision themselves in a future career
  • Gaining practical work experience and developing NACE competencies
  • Networking and building connections; cultivating future references

  • Students must be at least in the second semester first-year and in good academic standing to be eligible for an internship.
  • Transfer students must complete one semester at Thiel College and establish a 2.0 overall GPA.
  • Students should consult with their academic advisor to determine if they are academically prepared to complete and internship and investigate an ideal time for a student to do their internship.
    • Factors include projected graduation date, when required major courses are offered and when a student can be absent from campus if your internship location is away from Thiel College.
  • All students seeking credit for an internship must obtain faculty approval and should complete the internship agreement in college central. The internship MUST be approved by the faculty sponsor, department chair, employer, career development center and records office PRIOR to a student completing ANY work.
    • College Central will send all parties will receive a final notification and a PDF of the completed internship agreement.
  • Students must register their internships in College Central by the DROP/ADD date of each semester.
  • Students are not permitted to register retroactively for an internship experience after the work with the employer/internship site has already been completed.
  • Internships start and end dates must coincide with the length of the semester/summer session in which the student is registered. Grades for these experiences must be awarded within the semester grading period.
  • The student’s transcript will reflect internship enrollment for the semester or summer session in which the student completes the internship experience.
  • The Career Development Center permits internship hours to be completed at a student’s current workplace under the following circumstances:
    • Students must obtain approval from the faculty sponsor/course instructor regarding the appropriateness of the work for the discipline.
    • The nature of the work must be professional, with no more than 20% clerical and/or routine duties.
    • The work must be directly related to the chosen major (if taking internship for course credit)..
  • It is best practice that a student does not perform internship work under the direct supervision of a family member

Note: If any student questions the legitimacy of an advertised internship (questionable interview practices, the expectation of investing personal money in an opportunity, being asked to work in a private residence, etc.), the student should notify a Career Development Center and faculty sponsor immediately before committing to an opportunity.

Getting an internship takes advanced planning & preparation.

  1. Consider the following while thinking about what type of experience you want?
    • What are your specific career interests?
    • What do you want to gain from the internship?
    • What type of organization are you interested in?
  2. Meet with your faculty advisor and understand your department’s requirements for internships.
    • Determine who your faculty sponsor will be.
    • A minimum number of credits within a department may be required for a student to be able to earn credit from that department.
    • Think about what you want to learn/do in your internship.
    • Talk with your internship site supervisor about your goals and interests
  3. Search, apply for, and get hired as an intern.
  4. Complete internship agreement College Central for Credit or Non-Credit Forms.
    • Students need to register their internship whether they are taking it for credit or not for credit.
  5. Complete internship hours and all course requirements & receive final grade (if internship is for-credit).
  6. Reflect on Internship Experience, what skills you gained, and how this experience will help you in your future career.
  7. Update your resume after you complete your experience.

  • Internships can be paid or unpaid experiences. The decision to pay a student for an internship experience is at the discretion of the employer.
  • The employer/internship site/organization is responsible for abiding by policies set by the U.S. Department of Labor regarding internship compensation.
  • Students are eligible to receive academic credit for an internship in which they are also receiving compensation.
  • Unpaid internships should not exceed one semester.
  • In some instances, an internship site/employer may choose to transition the student from a non-paid experience to a paid experience. This is acceptable, but the change in status should be reported to the Career Development Center & faculty sponsor.

Academic credit is awarded for internships based on the academic work done in support of the internship experience. Additionally, all credit-bearing internships must be overseen by a Thiel College faculty member who will design and grade the academic assignments for the internship. On the internship agreements, this person is defined as the faculty sponsor.

Requirements for internships are determined by individual departments, so students should meet with their faculty advisor to understand the requirements and expectations of internships within their major(s). Internships may be taken for one, two, three, or four semester credit hours. The General Rule for obtaining internship credits/hours:

  • Majors: 50 hours of work=1 credit hour; 100 hours of work=2 credit hours; 150 hours of work=3 credit hours.
  • Students can have one or multiple internships throughout their college experience; however, students may earn no more than 12 credit hours for their internship experience(s).
  • Students who take internships for course credit pay for their internship credits. Students who take internships over the summer also pay for course credits, but at a reduced rate. Students should work with the financial aid office/student accounts to understand the costs.
  • Some internship sites may require a student to commit to a greater number of hours than are required by the major. By accepting/agreeing to these hours, you are committing to the site’s more demanding work-hours requirement. Failure to meet this greater work-hours requirement may have an adverse effect on the evaluation of your performance and can impact your grade in the course.

Thiel college students who want their non-credit internship experience to be recognized by the College are required to complete the non-credit internship registration form in College Central.

  • Registering a non-credit internship allows the internship experience/site to be verified by the Career Development Center, makes faculty aware of your internship experience, and can help resolve concerns if they arise between student intern and employer. It also provides liability protection to you as a student.

  • Regardless of whether an internship is completed for course credit or not for credit, paid or unpaid, the internship MUST be registered with the Career Development Center using College Central.
    • Activate/Login to your College Central Account & Complete the internship agreement.
  • Students will complete an internship agreement (for credit or non-credit) for in-person and virtual/remote internship experiences. Students who have an internship are required to have a faculty sponsor within their major. The student’s faculty sponsor determines requirements, assesses performance, and assigns a final grade.
  • All students seeking credit for an internship must obtain faculty approval and should complete the internship agreement in college central. The internship MUST be approved by the faculty sponsor, department chair, employer, career development center and records office PRIOR to a student completing ANY work.
    • College Central will send all parties will receive a final notification and a PDF of the completed internship agreement.
  • When completing the internship agreement, the student must identify goals that they want to work on throughout their experience. These should be agreed upon by the internship site/employer, student, and faculty sponsor.
  • For credit bearing internships, faculty sponsors should clearly outline their expectations for students and provide assignments that align with The Tomcat Way that allow students the opportunity to reflect on what they have learned, skills they have developed, and how their internship experience connects to future work and education goals.
    • Suggestions for assignments include daily/weekly logs (track time/work), journal/reflection exercises/research activities/presentations or other assignments appropriate to experience/major.
    • In addition to summarizing these on the internship agreement, it is suggested that faculty sponsors provide students a syllabus that outlines grading policies, expectations for completing hours, and/or what happens if a student does not complete agreed upon hours. If no syllabus is provided, these items should be addressed in the internship agreement on College Central.
    • Assignments can be proportional to the number of credits a student is taking the internship for.

  • To register an internship for credit after the Drop/Add period or request an increase in internship hours, students will need to complete an Academic Petition from the Records Office in Roth Hall.
  • To allow for full consideration of your petition, students should work together with their faculty sponsor to complete the petition and to provide an addendum/rationale to your petition that includes a detailed accounting for the additional credit hour(s) you are requesting.
    • Students should also work with their faculty sponsor to provide an updated syllabus detailing your ability to accomplish the leaning objective in the remaining time you have left at your internship that is in accordance with the Middle States Commission on Higher Education (MSCHE) Credit Hour Policy to which Thiel College adheres.
    • Once the form is completed and signed by the faculty sponsor & Department Chair, the Petition will need to be signed by the Director of the Career Development Center, who will review the petition and facilitate any coordination with your internship site supervisor.
    • The student will then submit the Academic Petition to the Records office and wait for final decision. Students should continue working internship hours at their internship site.

  • Once the internship agreement is completed by the student, faculty sponsor and employer, the Records office will place the course on the student’s schedule in Self-Service for both credit and non-credit internships.
  • Students are not permitted to register retroactively for an internship experience after the work with the employer has already been completed.
  • The student’s transcript will reflect internship enrollment for the semester or summer session in which the student completes the internship experience.
  • An electronic PDF copy of the agreement is sent to all parties once the agreement has been processed. Each party should retain a copy of the agreement for at least the duration of the internship. If not included in the agreement, it is recommended that the faculty sponsor/course instructor should also provide a course syllabus with the internship assignments, deadlines, and general grading criteria (including what happens if a student does not complete their required amount of internship hours).

  • Search for opportunities within College Central. (Indeed.com, Internships.com, other job search sites).
  • Consult with your professors, advisor, other campus connections.
  • Use your familial, social, and professional networks, including LinkedIn and Thiel Connect.
  • Attend WESTPACS Fall and Spring Job/Internship Fairs & PERC (Pittsburgh Education Recruitment Consortium) education Job Fair (spring semester). Eligible Accounting & Finance students, if selected, can also attend the Accounting Consortium in the Fall.
  • Attend on-campus and off-campus recruiting events.
  • Participate in alumni and other networking events.
  • Research companies and visit websites of organizations in your field of interest.
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