Internships

Westminster College strongly encourages all students to serve an internship as a complement to their classroom studies. Serving an internship is an invaluable way to gain the career experience needed to make employers seriously consider your application for professional employment. Most Westminster students serve at least one internship by the time they graduate. Internships may be served during any term, as well as summer and breaks. Academic credit is awarded for faculty-approved, registered internships. Some internships are paid, but most are not.

ASSISTANCE IS ALWAYS AVAILABLE.


The Career Center provides help by:
  • Inviting recruiters to campus to interview applicants for internships
  • Hosting an annual Internship/Summer Job Fair
  • Providing database lists of sites where previous internships have been served (available upon request)
  • Posting announcements of internship opportunities via email, newsletter, and the Westminster Weekly
  • Bringing alumni and other professionals to campus to speak about internship opportunities with their organizations
  • Providing excellent reference resources in the Career Center Library
  • Working one-on-one with students to locate internship opportunities

Students are encouraged to contact Katy DeMedal at the Career Center at (724)946-6338 or email help in arranging an internship.

Registration Procedure for Credit Internships


Westminster’s philosophy is that students benefit from arranging their own internships by developing and applying networking and job search skills to design an experience that matches their individual academic, personal and professional goals.  Possibilities are limited only by your imagination and the approval of the academic department awarding credit.

An internship is a three-way agreement among the student, a faculty member, and an on-site supervisor. 

The student is responsible for:
  • Contacting the internship site and arranging the internship
  • Consulting with a faculty supervisor to determine departmental eligibility and methods for evaluation and grading
  • Completing all required paperwork, obtaining necessary signatures, and submitting paperwork
  • Registering for academic credit

The Faculty Supervisor:
  • Sets the academic standards
  • Grants approval
  • Evaluates the student’s work
  • Assigns the grade

The On-Site Supervisor:
  • Provides supervision and the opportunity for the student to gain meaningful experience
  • Submits an evaluation at the conclusion of the internship

Required Paperwork


  1. Application for Internship form
    • Requires signature of on-site supervisor, faculty supervisor and department chair
    • Completed form is returned to the Career Center
  2. Election for Off-Campus Activities form
    • Completed form is returned to the Career Center
  3. Approval for Internship or Field Experience card
    • Requires signatures of faculty supervisor, department chair,and academic advisor along with initials of Internship Coordinator in the Career  Center
    • Completed card is submitted to the Registrar’s Office

IMPORTANT:  All internship paperwork must be completed and submitted prior to commencement of the internship and on or before the last day to add a course for the semester (Drop/Add Deadline).  Internship credits cannot be earned retroactively.  Students are not permitted to register for credit after completing the internship.

Internship paperwork packets are available in the Career Center, and students are advised to begin the internship process in the semester before they plan to intern.

Details

  • Credit internships require faculty approval and registration
  • Students may earn from 1 to 4 credit hours for an internship
  • 40 hours of on-the-job internship experience are required for each academic credit hour awarded
    1 credit = minimum of 40 internship hours
    2 credits = minimum of 80 internship hours
    3 credits = minimum of 120 internship hours
    4 credits = minimum of 160 internship hours
  • Internships may be graded or taken on a S/U (satisfactory/unsatisfactory) basis, as determined by the academic department awarding credit  
  • Some departments/majors require an internship and have their own prerequisites
  • Internships may be served during fall, spring, summer or winter break
  • No additional tuition is charged for internships taken during the regular academic year as part of the normal credit load; the Academic Overload Policy will apply to a course load in excess of 19 semester hours and each semester hour beyond 19 will be billed at the semester-hour rate
  • A flat internship enrollment fee of $250 will be charged for an internship which is registered for the summer session; no tuition charge or additional fee will be charged for internship credit hours earned during the summer session (This fee applies only to internships and only to the summer session.)
  • Internships may be done within or outside of a student’s academic major
  • An internship may be served for credit or non-credit


Tips for Making the Most of an Internship Experience


  • Look and act like a professional
  • Treat it like a real job
    • Arrive on time
    • Dress appropriately
  • Keep a positive attitude
    • Not every internship turns out to be a positive experience, but it is important to leave a positive impression
    • Don’t complain about work while at the office
  • Be proactive – learn
    • Complete assignments in a timely manner, and then ask your supervisor what else you can do to help. 
    • Supervisors comment on this more than any other aspect of an internship.
  • Some menial tasks are OK
    • Your internship should not consist solely of menial tasks, but there are some in virtually every job
    • If you’re asked to file papers, get coffee, or make copies, do it with a smile and show your supervisor that you’re eager to help and dedicated enough to be assigned larger tasks
    • However, there is a difference between running an errand and spending a whole day running errands—talk to your supervisor if this becomes a concern
  • Silence your cell phone
    • Limit personal phone calls
    • Do not text-message on the job
    • At work be 100% engaged
  • Network
    • Introduce yourself to everyone in the office
    • Don't be afraid to talk - just because you are a student does not mean you need to be intimidated
    • Before your internship ends, collect a business card from everyone you worked with
  • Give Thanks
    • At the end of your internship let everyone know how much you enjoyed working there and that you hope you will be considered for a permanent job
    • Repeat this in a thank you note after you have left
  • Enjoy your internship

 

IMPORTANT INFORMATION:
An off-campus internship or experiential learning experience that is not registered with Westminster College as a course experience for academic credit is not a recognized course and is not sanctioned or endorsed by the College.  The College does not assume any responsibility for or liability in connection with such unregistered non-credit experiences.  Students participating in such unregistered internship experiences assume all ensuing risks.

If you have any questions or problems that you are unable to resolve, please call your faculty supervisor or the Internship Coordinator in the Career Center