Internship Program Best Practices

Field experiences, also known as experiential learning opportunities, are structured learning opportunities that a student can engage in outside of the classroom and are intended to help students develop skills related to their major, as well as competencies that will serve them in a variety of professional settings.  

UMass Amherst recognizes several types of field experiences including: 

• Internship 

• Cooperative Education (Co-op) 

• Practicum 

• Research Experiences for Undergraduates (REU) 

• Shadowing 

• Service Learning/Community Service 

• Independent Study 

• Fellowship 

• Graduate Externship 

For more thorough field experience definitions, visit the Field Experience Definition page.

An internship is a position within an organization that provides students with a professional-level training experience and/or gives them the opportunity to explore a specific career. Internships happen year-round: during the fall or spring semester, over winter break, or during the summer. During the academic semester, students can go on internship full or part-time while also taking classes. Unlike a part-time job, however, an internship has a career focus and includes learning objectives. Students bring the knowledge they have learned in the classroom and apply this knowledge to the internship experience where they gain skills and further understanding of the industry. The workplace supervisor provides guidance and feedback to facilitate the learning process. The employer also provides an evaluation at the end of the internship.  

There are a range of experiences that qualify as “internship” including those for pay, those for credit, micro-internships, and formal internship programs. UMass Amherst adheres to and expects employers to follow Fair Labor Standards Act for unpaid internships. UMass Amherst faculty, not the employer, determine if an internship is eligible for credit. Note that credit must be both earned and paid for by the student. To be eligible for credit, students must work for an employer for a minimum of 40 hours and complete academic work (a project, a writing assignment, an art/music piece, a computer model, for example) as assigned by their academic sponsor. 

• Develop a Position Description: Detailed expectations will make both the intern's and the employer's lives easier. You will be treating the intern as a professional, being especially careful to provide opportunities for training and mentoring, as per federal labor law. 
• Provide an On-site Supervisor for the student and include project-related substantial work in a job description. 
• Prepare your Staff: Make sure your staff understands the intern's role and how the intern will fit into the office and organization. Have people suggest projects and help orient the intern. 
• Introduce the Intern: A good orientation will include a tour of the site and introductions to the intern's co-workers. Clarify your expectations, their tasks, and the supervisory structure.  
• Provide Training and Challenges: Offer diverse and challenging duties. Include the intern in regular meetings and appropriate events, and provide opportunities for intern to connect with a mentor. Train the intern in the appropriate working skills. Understand that they want to prove their capabilities - integrate them as useful and contributing members of work groups as soon as possible. Their confidence and level of productivity will quickly increase. 
• Give Feedback: Schedule regular supervisory meetings during the intern’s stay. You will be asked to fill out a final evaluation for each student at the end of the placement period. 

Internships need to be meaningful and related to the student’s major or provide exploration into a career path of interest to the student.   

• An intentional focus on student learning and application of knowledge gained in the classroom 

• Clearly defined learning objectives/goals related to the student’s major 

• Work duties often centered around a defined project 

• Supervision by a professional who can provide training, direction, and routine feedback 

What does UMass need for the relationship to be successful?

• Flexible work schedules for students on internship during the academic semester (they have classes!) 

• Adhere to our guidelines for hiring and managing students 

• Post internship opportunities on Handshake. For a guide to using Handshake, visit Post Jobs and Internships.

Project Ideas 

We would encourage employers to think about projects they may be able to assign to a student that would be beneficial for both the student and the organization. Many projects we see students perform center around the following areas: 

• Communications & Marketing 

• Data, Analytics, Statistics 

• Research 

• Technology, Security, Website, Databases 

• Creative Arts, Design 

• Finance & Accounting 

• Writing, Editing, Content management 

• Sales, Lead creation, Database clean-up, Metrics evaluation 

• Lab & Environmental data collection and/or analysis 

Employers are strongly encouraged to pay students fair market value for their work or at least minimum wage, regardless of whether students choose to apply to earn academic credit for the experience.   

Advantages of paid internships:  

• Broaden the applicant pool: Participating in an unpaid internship is much harder, and often impossible, for students who cannot forgo a paycheck for a significant period. 

• Encourage a diverse workforce: If diversity is something your organization values, removing financial barriers for internships will better align with these values. 

Unpaid internships must meet the requirements set by the U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA). 

In June 2023, the National Association of Colleges and Employers (NACE) released the Position Statement on Unpaid Internships and the Need for Federal Action, a research and data supported article which discusses the following:  

• Internships provide the critical link to launching careers (data supported) 

• Unpaid internships are problematic (data supported) 

• Unpaid internships are a barrier to achieving equity and opportunity for all college students 

• Call to policymakers for action 

Several Massachusetts agencies have developed internship subsidy and reimbursement programs to promote growth within their respective fields. We encourage you to explore these opportunities.

• Massachusetts Life Science Center - Investing in the next generation of life science professionals is at the core of our mission. The Internship Challenge enhances the talent pipeline for the Massachusetts life sciences industry by creating hundreds of new internship opportunities each year for college students and recent graduates interested in life sciences careers. The workforce development program connects employers with prospective interns through an online platform and enables eligible companies to pay their interns for up to twelve weeks by subsidizing intern wages.

• Massachusetts Clean Energy Center - Take advantage of MassCEC’s award-winning Clean Energy Internship Program to find the talent you need at a rate you can afford. MassCEC reimburses host employers who hire clean energy interns through our program, so you can take on additional help for little to no cost.

• Non-Profit Organizations - If you are an employer located in Massachusetts as a nonprofit community service organization with an active 501(c)3, you may be eligible to hire students using Federal Work-Study funds. See the UMass Community Service link for more information and guidelines. 

UMass has partnered with Parker Dewey to offer an innovative opportunity for our corporate and nonprofit partners to offer short-term, professional, paid work experiences to current students through Micro-Internships.

• Micro-Internships allow students to demonstrate their skills, explore career paths, and develop their professional networks

• Unlike a traditional internship, these paid opportunities typically range from 10 to 40 hours of work, and most can be completed remotely

• Micro-Internships can provide you with short-term, project-based help from current students and recent grads, making it easier than ever to get support on professional tasks that may not be the best use of your team's time

• Not only does this help the students, but it allows you as employers to get immediate support and enhance your company’s pipeline for future interns and new hires

To learn more or start posting assignments, visit Parker Dewey.

Based upon National Association of Colleges and Employers (NACE) guidelines and conversations with both students and employers, UMass Amherst has put together the following list of best practices for virtual internships.  

Cover the Basics 

• Since virtual work can have a certain amount of “disconnect” built in, it is important to ensure the work is meaningful. This can be alleviated through providing interns work that gives them a chance to connect with and contribute to the goals of the organization.  

• Find ways to immerse interns into the company culture. 

• Build community by including interaction in the schedule with other interns and employees.  

Manager Training 

• Ensure managers are ready to manage interns on a remote basis by providing them with tools to aid in success working in a virtual world. 

Mitigate Challenges 

• It is best to not assume students have access to the technology and internet required to perform their job. You may want to have a conversation about this in advance to provide them the tools needed to get their job done. 

• Interns working from home may not have a private space available to them for work, so please don’t misinterpret a lack of privacy as a lack of professionalism. 

Keep to a Schedule 

• As much as possible, set and adhere to a schedule over the course of the internship.  

• The schedule does not need to be static, but students work best when they know what is expected and when.  

Keep Lines of Communication Open 

• Schedule regular check-ins with interns and provide ongoing feedback over the course of the internships experience.