Academic & Career Advising Center

Internship Search Overview

   What is an internship?

     What is Goal 15?

     Why do you have to do an
     internship?

     What do you need to know?

     Where do you go from here?

What is an internship?

• An internship engages students in a unique relationship between the workplace and the academic institution.  

• It is a structured and supervised professional experience, at an approved site, for which the student will gain experience and earn academic credit. 

• At Longwood University , internships are part of the student’s academic program and are seen as different from volunteerism or simple work-for-pay, such as after-class or summer jobs. 
   

What is Goal 15?

GOAL 15: The application of knowledge and skills developed in the student's course of study through completion of an internship, guided field experience, or directed research (one credit). NOTE: Students who complete a required experience as part of their major course of study are exempted from this goal.

Outcomes/Students will:

• Identify specific objectives to be achieved through the completion of the internship, field experience, or research project

• Evaluate their own progress towards those objectives
   

Why do you have to do an internship?

The primary purpose of the internship is to provide an opportunity for students to work directly in an outside firm or agency, appropriate to the student’s major so that he or she may connect classroom learning to the work environment. 

Further, the internship experience allows the student an opportunity to experience the working world in order to solidify career goals and/or to test possible career choices.  Because academic credit is awarded, academic departments may require additional class meeting times, outside readings, papers, reports, research papers, and/or projects. 

The following are benefits to completing an internship:

• Gain valuable and practical knowledge in a professional discipline

• Increase communication skills in a work environment

• Clarify career interests and goals

• Earn credits towards graduation

• Enhance productive and professional work habits

• See the relevance between classroom learning and the working world

• Explore career opportunities/professional fields of interest

• Learn/develop personal responsibility and commitment

• Develop and expand both personal skills and knowledge base

• Gain confidence by learning about personal strengths and weaknesses

• Test career choices early

• Decide about future schooling

• Gain a competitive edge in the job-market

• Establish a network of contacts

• Develop professional self confidence
   

What do you need to know?

• Every department is different

• When students typically complete an internship

• The terms

• The players: you, advisor, site supervisor, employer supervisor, etc.

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Completion & Reflection

The Academic & Career Advising Center abides by FERPA guidelines with regard to students'
rights to privacy.

The Academic & Career Advising Center at Longwood University maintains this website as a service to Longwood students and alumni. Job announcements on this website do not indicate an endorsement or recommendation from the Longwood University Academic & Career Advising Center. Students are responsible for all necessary precautions when interviewing for, or accepting these positions, as well as checking the credentials and integrity of any employer. As a convenience, this Web site contains links to other Web sites not under the control of the Longwood Academic & Career Advising Center, and we are not responsible for their contents.