University of Evansville: The Schroeder School of Business Administration

Internships and Co-op Opportunities

Education: Learning by Working; Blending Theory and Practice

By arranging for students to work as interns, under professionals who act as mentors, today's college students can learn much that cannot be simulated in laboratories or taught using traditional instructional methods. They can also apply classroom learning to their internship duties and expand upon them.

Internships Encourage Growth and Exploration

Employers offer internships for many reasons. They see student interns as fruitful and economical resources with which they can accomplish projects not otherwise possible. They believe interns bring enthusiasm and new ideas into work settings and make strong employees. Just as importantly, employers feel an increasing commitment to education and want to help train students to assume responsible roles in society.

Students want off-campus learning experiences for still different reasons. Some want to explore career ideas to get a step ahead in job hunting. Others want to take a break from 13 to 20 years of continuous classroom instruction and carve out for themselves opportunities to shape their education. Others want to serve and influence a world they are inheriting and passing on.

"Internship" means any experience in which students learn by becoming responsible workers in organizations, observing and reflecting on what happens while they are there. Through an internship, students become more confident and grow as professionals. They embrace challenges, develop working skills and learn about career choices.

Internship key words are planning, doing and reflecting. Interns are required to act as regular workers and observe the work environment. Day-to-day exposure gives them the chance to interpret what goes on in both the external environment of the host organization and in themselves.

Our students have internships at:

  • Accounting firms
  • Advertising agencies
  • Athletic programs
  • Broadcasting corporations
  • Brokerage houses
  • Government agencies
  • Hospitals
  • Investment firms
  • Large manufacturing operations
  • Law firms
  • Retail stores
  • Theme parks

Internship Eligibility

Students may intern during the last three semesters of their degree program and must meet their requirements as of the end of the first semester of their junior year.

  1. Complete the following upper division business courses, depending on the student's degree choice:
    • Accounting Majors - ACCT 310, 317, 329
    • Business Administration Majors - FIN 361, MKT 325, MGT 300
  2. Completion of any employment-dictated course requirements relating specifically to the internship.

Special Considerations

Work education programs may reinforce your interest in a career field, or cause the realization that a certain field may not be right for you after all.

To participate in work education programs, consider the following suggestions:

  • Employers with the best internships or jobs can be selective. To compete successfully, you must present your candidacy positively. This begins with the developing of a resume or portfolio that favorably projects your abilities and accomplishments.
  • Arrange your class schedule to permit blocks of time to be available for work. Students with the greatest degree of time flexibility have a significant competitive advantage over their peers.
  • Have realistic expectations when pursuing opportunities for work experience. A student with limited prior work experience may have a difficult time competing against more seasoned employees for quality jobs. Be willing to accept more menial work at first, for those experiences will make you more competitive as you advance in your education. Also, high performing students often turn routine jobs into outstanding ones by showing their supervisors what they can do and are willing to do.

Some Precautions

Whatever practical learning opportunities best fit your situation, you owe it to yourself to arrange a sensible balance of your studies, work and social life. While you may have the energy to do more than you should, at some point something will suffer, and it could be your health.

Don't underestimate the importance of your work experiences during your student years. Your work experiences, collectively, will be an important factor considered by employers when you seek post graduate career opportunities. How well you performed can make the critical difference in obtaining the career job you want.

Finally, remember that your number one priority as a student is to get a good education. Work education programs were designed with this primary purpose in mind. All have the fundamental goal of paving your road toward personal growth and a productive career. If you take practical learning opportunities seriously and do your part to help yourself, you will be regarded in many ways, especially at graduation time. It is up to you.

Current Internships

For all Business students, if you have an interest in the possibility of an international internship please ensure that Career Services has your interest on file. International internships require additional planning and the School of Business Administration has special financial support for international/global internship experiences. We have special opportunities with the Indiana Department of Commerce’s overseas offices and would look forward to assisting you with exploring these opportunities. Indiana Department of Commerce opportunities would also include their headquarters in Indianapolis. Indiana maintains offices overseas as follows: Sydney, Australia; Sao Paolo, Brazil; Toronto, Canada; Santiago, Chile; China; Eastern Mediterranean Office, Israel; Amsterdam, The Netherlands; Yokohama, Japan; Seoul, Korea; Mexico City, Mexico; Singapore; Johannesburg, South Africa; Taipei, Taiwan

U.S. Department of State: For more information please check www.careers.state.gov and click on "Student Programs" to access "Gateway to State: StudentGate." It’s that easy!

How to Apply for an Internship

You should work closely with the Office of Career Services and Cooperative Education to help you prepare the most effective resume and cover letter for you.

Academic Credit

The internship program will encompass an entire semester, i.e., a 15 week period. Credit can be earned for one to six hours. The formula used to determine credit is: 50 hours of work = 1 credit hour

Therefore,
50 hours = 1 credit hour = 3 1/3 work hours/week
150 hours = 3 credit hours = 10 work hours/week
300 hours = 6 credit hours = 20 work hours/week

Credit can be granted under the following course numbers: ACCT 398/498 and BUS 398/498. Internship hours will be counted as free electives. The maximum credit granted for the undergraduate degree will be six hours. Interns and employers must agree, before the internship begins, on the exact details so the intern can earn the hours for which they register. Be sure to read the contract.

Academic Requirements

The requirements of an internship are specific and unique to each experience. Interns and employers negotiate the work-related requirements. The requirements are summarized in an Internship Contract signed by the intern, the employer and the School of Business Administration Internship Director.

Each intern must write multiple papers and present a portfolio of work completed during the internship.

Grade Assignment

Students may elect to do an internship on a graded basis. Grades will be assigned by the employer and internship director.

For more information, please contact:

Dr. Robert Clark , Internship Director
School of Business Administration
University of Evansville
1800 Lincoln Avenue
Evansville, IN 47722
812-488-2851
e-mail: businessadmin@evansville.edu