Internships

An internship is an integrative experience applying academic study with hands-on learning in a professional setting. The pre-professional learning outcomes include job-specific skill development, career awareness, personal development and professionalism.

Academic learning outcomes are set by the department through which the internship is registered.

Students can gain up to 12 credits, during their time at Hartwick, in increments of 1-6 credits per internship. For every credit given, a student must work 40 hours at the internship. Academic work is also assigned, at the discretion of the faculty supervisor. Students must register for credit before the internship. Any students who wish to seek credit after completion of the internship must complete a Learning Agreement and petition the Committee on Academic Standards for approval.

The following course numbers are used for internships:

195 Freshman

295 Sophomore

395 Junior

495 Senior

Registration for an internship establishes the same commitment as registering for a course and therefore follow a similar add/drop and withdrawal schedule, unless an exception is granted by the Internship Coordinator and the Registrar.

Information on the Learning Agreement, and a link to the Agreement, can be found in the Career Services section of the Hartwick website.

Students can secure an internship on their own or they can use the tools offered by Career Services. Securing an internship often involves providing an employer with a cover letter and resume and possibly participating in an interview.

While many internships are unpaid, students can be paid (hourly or stipend) for an internship and gain credit. Note that commission-based opportunities are not considered internships. It is highly suggested that internships take place on-site, however, consideration will be given to virtual or project-based internships. The Learning Agreement must clearly outline the roles and responsibilities of the intern and the method of communication and supervision of the Site Supervisor. These internships must be approved by the Internship Advisor, in consultation with the Director of Career Services.

The following roles support the student during the internship process:

The Faculty Supervisor- must be a full-time professor and anticipated to be on campus during the term of the internship and not on sabbatical. Credit is issued by the faculty supervisor’s department and the internship must be approved by that department’s chair before the internship is registered.
The Site Supervisor is someone in a professional position (e.g. a volunteer coordinator, office manager, archivist, etc.) at the internship site who is able to make commitments on behalf of the organization and who will work closely with the student intern as well as College staff/faculty during the course of the internship, providing sound, professional judgment and mentoring in the skill areas assigned. The Site Supervisor provides on-site training, assigns job duties and supervises the work of the student intern. The Site Supervisor must be present during the student’s internship hours, or ensure that another staff person will be responsible for the student’s supervision during the Site Supervisor’s absence.
Internship Advisor-is a Hartwick Career Services staff member who serves as a liaison between the student intern, the faculty supervisor and the site supervisor. The Internship Advisor, under the guidance of the Director of Career Services approves or denies any Learning Agreements, ensures the internship is registered for credit and supports the student during the internship process.
Supervision of the intern is the joint responsibility of the Faculty Supervisor and the Site Supervisor. The Internship Advisor serves as a secondary support during the internship.

The Career Services office reserves the right to deny approval or revoke an approved site and their internship opportunity should they feel, at any time, that the professional qualifications of the site supervisor are not sufficient or the internship does not provide learning experiences at a professional level. Student feedback for sites and site supervisors is collected every semester and a review of sites is made as conditions warrant.

Conflict of Interest

In the best interest of the student, the following is considered when a student is determining an appropriate site supervisor for an internship.

To avoid impropriety and conflict of interest, the Site Supervisor and the Faculty Supervisor cannot be the same person.
The Site Supervisor can’t be someone related, by blood or marriage, to the student intern.
The Faculty Supervisor can’t have a stake (business or professional connection) in the internship project or site, or have an affiliated relationship that constitutes a conflict that could compromise the objectivity of the internship evaluation.

Career Services will not approve Learning Agreements in such cases.