Internships
Internships provide students with valuable experience in the business world beyond the classroom experience and expose the student to potential career opportunities.
Examples of internship sites include Andersen Windows, City of River Falls, City of Woodbury, Menard's, Wells Fargo, Target Corporation, Edward Jones Investments, and numerous accounting firms.
Internship opportunities will be posted on the Internship Bulletin Board in the hall outside the CBE office (124 South Hall). Internship opportunities are also announced in upper level major courses, as well as listed on the CBE Undergrad Communication D2L site. Many students locate their own internships. The majority of internships are completed over the summer.
Prerequisites for Internships
Credits Received for Internships
Process
To Successfully Complete the Internship
Criteria
Contact Information
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Prerequisites for Internships
- Full time Accounting, Business Administration, CSIS or Economics major, in good academic standing.
- Completion of a minimum of 60 credits including the following courses for the respective majors listed:
- Accounting: Lower Division Business Requirements and ACCT 321, 356.
- Business Administration: Lower Division Business Requirements and MNGT 300, MKTG 310, and FINC 345. MIS majors should also have completed the CSIS courses listed below with the exception of CSIS 237.
- Computer Science/Information Systems: CSIS 161, 162, 237, 247, and 333.
- Economics: All courses required for major except for ECON 480.
- Obtain approval from Department Chair.
Student's GPA and major courses may be considered in the selection process.
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Credits received for Internships
- 2-6 credits (pass/fail) depending on work requirements for Business Administration, CSIS and Economics
- 3-12 credits (pass/fail) depending on work requirements for Accounting
- 1 credit = approximately 45 work hours
Note: No more than three (3) credits can be used as electives in
the major.
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Process
Students are encouraged to initiate their own internship opportunities (see Criteria below). The student's Department Chair can provide guidance and attempt to match students with available internship opportunities and determine whether the job meets the stated requirements to qualify for internship credits.
- Submit an internship application (electronic is encouraged).
- Provide the following supporting documents (in person, mail, or fax):
* A detailed job description from the sponsoring organization. Include dates of employment, number of work hours per week, and total hours of internship
* A cover letter noting how the internship relates to your academic program and career interests, as well as goals to be accomplished
* A current DAR / Degree Progress Report
Upon final approval from the Department Chair, the internship may begin. Upon receipt of an approval letter, the student may then register for internship credits.
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To Successfully Complete the Internship
- The student must submit a periodic report upon completion of 40 hours of work, and for every 40 hours completed thereafter. Periodic reports can be submitted electronically through the College of Business and Economics internship page.
- The Student's Department Chair will make contact with the employer as necessary. When feasible, he/she (or a designee) will conduct a site visit with the intern and his/her supervisor.
- The employer will submit an evaluation of the student’s efforts at the end of the internship. The report shall consist of an evaluation of the student’s progress, performance, and contributions while working for the sponsoring organization. The Internship Evaluation Form is available on-line.
- The student will complete a maximum three-page, double-spaced typed report summarizing the internship experience. An explanation of how the internship related to academic course work must be included in this final report, as well as an outline of the specific goals and learning outcomes you have accomplished. Both content and writing quality will be evaluated. A final satisfactory grade will not be turned in until all the requirements of the internship have been successfully completed.
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Criteria
- The internship program is designed as a learning experience. Therefore, the job content should reflect this goal. Job rotation, responsibility for special projects, or assisting a manager in his/her duties are all possible examples of a significant learning experience. Other considerations include scope of learning experiences, formal training, level of analysis, and decision-making. A workplace setting with structure and mentoring possibilities is generally expected.
- Proper supervision of the student should be provided by the sponsoring organization. The student should have an individual within the company to resolve an questions or problems as they arise. Guidance is an important factor. The student is also encouraged to discuss any problems with his/her department chair.
- The student should be provided with clear objectives by the sponsoring organization. Responsibilities, deadlines, and the required results should be well-defined for the student.
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Contact Information
For additional information, please contact:
Carmen Croonquist, Internship Developer
Ahmad Abuhejleh, CSIS Department Chair
Brian Huffman, Business Administration Department Chair
Reza Rahgozar, Accounting & Finance Department Chair
Hamid Tabesh, Economics Department Chair
Revised November 4, 2009
