Career Exploration
Career Exploration
Career Exploration
School of Professional Studies Internships
What is an Internship?
The National Association of Colleges and Employers 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 give employers the opportunity to guide and evaluate talent” (2011).
An internship is a wonderful opportunity to gain first-hand professional experience outside of the classroom that supports your future career plans and allows you to network with professionals in your selected field, while also earning opportunities to build your resume and receiving credits toward your college degree.
Check out our internship opportunities!
you can also use the University’s job board, ProfJobs, which is managed by the Office of Career Advancement.
Benefits of an Internship
Through internship opportunities, students can:
- Gain insight into potential career paths
- Build valuable professional networks.
- Receive academic credit that can help satisfy degree requirements.
- Make themselves competitive in the job market. Employers prefer candidates with work experience. When deciding between two otherwise equally qualified candidates, employers choose the one with internship experience.
- In some cases, secure employment within the same organization after graduation.
Internship Fast Facts
- School of Professional Studies does not guarantee your internship.
- Students are responsible for securing their own internship.
- You must have earned at least 30 credits and meet all prerequisites.
- You can earn 6 credits toward your degree through the internship.
Next Steps
Receiving Academic Credit for your Internship
Students must submit the Application for Credit and supporting documents along with a list of internship responsibilities/job description BEFORE their internship. After submitting the required documents, students will receive an email with directions on how to register for the Internship course.
Note: If you already secured an internship through your current employer, be sure to you meet all prerequisites prior to completing the Application for Credit to be sent to Dr. Stephen Fleming at flemings@rowan.edu to be registered for the course*.
Please submit your online application at least 2 weeks prior to the start of the semester during which you would like to take the class.
The online Internship Course provides formal opportunities and guidance for students seeking to explore a wide variety of careers. It offers pathways for students to become reskilled, retrained and redeployed for career advancement in the corporate, non-profit, and public sectors. The course will be offered annually. Students may receive academic credit through an internship found through university resources OR an internship that they found themselves. To receive 3 credits, the student must commit to a total of 130-150 hours at the internship site. Hour requirements are relative to the number of credits received for the internship: 3 credits = approximately 130 hours = approximately 9 hours per week.
The School of Professional Studies Internship course is an online class that does not meet in person. However, students will receive a syllabus for the class which outlines assignments to be completed during the internship.
The following assignments may be required:
- Reflection Papers (3)
- Elevator Pitch Statement Recording
- Ongoing hours logs
- Performance Evaluations
- List of References
- Revised Resume
- Letter of Recommendations
- Discussion Questions and Responses
- Focus Group reports
- Observation reports
- Informational Interview
- Electronic Job Search Exercise
- Ethics Case