How Do I Find an Internship?
Internships provide many benefits including, but not limited to, direct work experience, marketable skills, and networking opportunities. To find internship opportunities and/or related support services, visit:
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UMass Amherst Career Services https://www.umass.edu/careers/internships-and-co-ops
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College of Social and Behavioral Sciences (SBS) Career & Professional Development
https://www.umass.edu/sbs/career-advising/find-jobs-internships
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Handshake (UMass Amherst supported career platform) https://umass.joinhandshake.com/login
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International Programs Office https://www.umass.edu/ipo/iss is the best resource for questions
regarding eligibility, tips for success and CPT authorization for international students
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Talk with friends, family, faculty, etc. to learn about other opportunities that might be available
Is Academic Credit the Right Choice?
Once you have found, applied for, and accepted an internship, you have the option to earn academic credit for the experience. This is true for both paid and unpaid internships. Internships are valuable experiences in and of themselves and the decision to seek credit depends on your personal circumstances. Consider:
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How will internship credits fit with your academic plan? Consult your advisor and consider progress toward degree completion as well as credit load implications.
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Based on above, determine and weigh financial implications for seeking credit.
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What do you hope to gain from internship credits and are you ready to invest in additional academic
work related to your internship?
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In order to be eligible for internship credit, you must have earned 45 credits and have a GPA of 2.0
or above. If you do not meet either or both of these criteria, you will require SBS Dean approval.
If your internship is directly related to Resource Economics, you have the option to enroll in Res-Econ 398. You can also receive credit for lesser-related internships via University course 298.
What Can I Expect if I Enroll in Res-Econ 398?
Hours
You will be expected to work 40 hours per credit earned. Many students opt for 3 credits (120 hours over the course of a semester), but you have options including 1, 2, or 4 credits. UMass Amherst students can earn up to 18 internship credits during the course of degree completion.
Faculty Sponsorship
You are responsible for finding and working with a faculty sponsor in order to receive credit. Within Resource Economics, the primary faculty sponsor for general Fall and Spring semester internships is Colby Gray (c.gray@umass.edu). Sponsorship for academically-focused credit and/or Winter and Summer sessions varies across faculty and is often site or project specific.
Academic Requirements
Internships are typically Pass/Fail. In order to pass, you must meet the academic requirements you collaboratively set with your faculty sponsor. See sample expectations.
Sample Expectations for 3 Credit Fall or Spring Internship (General)
Complete a Work Log: Submit weekly documentation of hours worked in the internship ensuring you have met the minimum work hours for the credits you are receiving by the end of the semester. If hours are split between multiple locations, indicate the location associated with all hours.
Undergraduate Internship Process
Student Guide
Sample Expectations for 3 Credit Fall or Spring Internship (General) -Continued
Attend Faculty Sponsor Meetings: Over the course of your internship, you will be responsible for scheduling and attending 3 check-in meetings with your sponsor.
Plus choose 2 from the of the following additional assignments:
Daily Journal: For each day you participate in the internship, provide a paragraph summary of how you spent your time and what you learned. Entries will be submitted to your faculty sponsor weekly for the duration of the internship.
In-Depth Self-Assessment: With employer support/permission, collect and write-up 360-degree feedback (feedback from supervisor, peers, and direct reports) regarding your current performance including suggestions for improvement. Submit this feedback along with a self-assessment of your work and a plan for self-improvement during the remainder of the internship. In total, this assignment should be 5-6 pages in length with at least 1 page devoted to self-assessment and 1 page dedicated to an improvement plan. Due approximately week 7 or 8 of the semester.
Employer Interviews: With employer support/permission, select 3 employees with different roles or experiences within the organization. Conduct an interview with each using questions you develop and submit a 2-page summary of each interview. Due the last week of classes.
Summative Essay: This 5-6 page paper will answer a TBD prompt determined together with your faculty sponsor. The paper will reflect on the internship experience and seek to integrate current learning. Due the last week of classes.
Project Summary: If your internship affords you the opportunity to create a specific presentation, project, or report, you may submit this item for review (adhering to the employer’s redaction/confidentiality expectations) along with a 3-page reflection on what you learned by completing the project. Due the last week of classes.
Sample Expectations for 3 Credit Fall or Spring Internship (Academically-Focused)
Complete a Work Log: See above.
Attend Faculty Sponsor Meetings: See above.
In-Depth Study: Work with your faculty sponsor to determine connection points between your internship and Resource Economics fundamentals. Expectations will vary by interests and may require employer permission. Options include, but are not limited to:
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Utilizing company data sets to research a specific question that may be of both academic interest and utility to your employer.
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Applying a theory or construct in the work setting and summarizing your observations.
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Completing a literature review related to the company, industry, or specific commodity.
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Expanding upon current or past major-specific course work relevant to internship duties.
How do I Get Started?
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Meet with your faculty sponsor to develop the academic requirements component of the internship you’ve secured. Conversations often begin before or during registration but may also occur the first week of the semester. All steps should be completed before add/drop.
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After this meeting, submit an internship request in Handshake. In order to complete the request, you will need internship site and faculty sponsor information, number of credits desired, learning outcomes/academic requirements for the internship, and signed approval forms as needed based on GPA and credits earned.
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Once your request is processed by Career Services, the department will enroll you in Res-Econ 398.
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Once you see Res-Econ 398 on your schedule, your course enrollment is complete and you may
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begin actively working with your sponsor on your established plan.