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Internships

College of Health Professions Practicums: click here.

INTERSHIP PROCESS:

3 Step Internship Course Enrollment Process

Students in the College of Arts & Sciences, Maine College of Business, and College of Technology must complete 3 steps to achieve enrollment in an internship course. Click on the blue button above to download a PDF version of the steps listed below.

STEP 1: GET PREPARED FOR YOUR INTERNSHIP COURSE ENROLLMENT PROCESS

TASK 1: Contact your Academic Advisor to verify the semester of Academic Eligibility for your Internship Course and get added to the waitlist for that semester. You remain on the Wait-list (at ZERO credits) until the position you are selected for makes it through the approval process - see STEP 3 below.
 
 TASK 2: Upload Your Resume to Your Handshake Account - it must be in "Reviewed" status for the system to send it to employers whenever you apply for positions. If you get "Changes Suggested" contact your Career Coach immediately for 1:1 assistance!
 
TASK 3: Attend an Internship Workshop with your assigned Internship Manager - "Not qualified to join" will show if you attempt to attend the workshop of a different manager 
REGISTER NOW INTERNSHIP MANAGER CONTACT INFO
 
TASK 4: Respond to the Post Internship Workshop Survey – students only gain access to this required survey after attending their assigned Internship Manager's Workshop. The survey must be completed to gain access to report an internship site in STEP 3 below. 

 

 

STEP 2: SEARCH FOR POSITIONS, APPLY, INTERVIEW & BE SELECTED! 

It is your responsibility to find an internship relating to your major. It is more important than ever to use all methods available to connect to employers locally and remotely across the country, and internationally.  There are several options to help:

OPTION 1: Internship Managers partner with Employers to increase Interhship postings in Handshake. There are a wide variety of active Internships for all majors across the United States:

FIND POSITIONS ON HANDSHAKE NOW

OPTION 2: Attend Career Fairs & other Career Services Events virtually or in person to meet with various employers and ask them about potential Internships: 

VIEW CAREER fairS NOWVIEW CAREER services events NOW

OPTION 3: Search specific Employer Websites, use Additional Resources below & Search Engines like LinkedIn and Indeed.com: 

Go to the websites of employers you are curious about, or are a fan of, and locate their Careers, Jobs or Internships section to review and apply for positions relevant to your academic major. If none are posted, but there is a "Contact Us" feature, use it to inquire. You might also find an area where you can upload your resume for general consideration.   

In Additional Resources below, the Internship Site History tells you where other DU students have interned before. The Remote Search document is new, and will help if you are unsure what kind of internship you should pursue, or where. Use the Internship Guide for your degree program to understand what you should do on your internship.  You can share the Guide for your internship with prospective employers who are interested in creating a position just for you!  

STEP 3: REPORT YOUR INTERNSHIP WITHIN 3 BUSINESS DAYS OF ACCEPTING IT AND NO LATER THAN THE APPROPRIATE SEMESTER DEADLINE: 

Fall Semester: August 15
Winter Semester: December 15
Spring / Summer Semester: April 15

  1. Report your internship position EARLY or it may not get approved in time for course registration.
  2. Students only gain access to this reporting feature in Handshake after attending a workshop and completing the Post Internship Workshop Survey as required in STEP 1 above.
  3. Navigate to the "Experiences" tab in Handshake and "Request an Experience"
  4. You can help your employer get your approval right the first time by sharing the Employer Handshake Trouble Shooting FAQ with them
  5. Check on the progress of your internship approval within your Handshake Experience at any time!
  6. You can contact your Internship Manager by leaving messages in the comments section of your reported experience.

REport your position in handshake NOWINTERNSHIP MANAGER CONTACT INFO

INTERNSHIP RESOURCES:

Internship Guidelines by Class / Major

Additional Resources

Sport Management Organizations by Region

BENEFITS OF AN INTERNSHIP

An internship is one of the most important things you can do in your college career:

  • The percent of interns that convert to full-time employment is nearly 50%
  • Students from internship programs are “more successful as employees” 
  • Interns receiving full-time job offers has increased more than 10% in the last 7 years

Internships provide you the opportunity to:

  • Establish professional contacts within your field
  • Receive on-the-job training and experience industry firsthand
  • Make informed career decisions
  • Apply new skills and experiences to classroom instruction
  • Gain academic credit toward graduation
  • Enhance resumes, references, and work experience
  • Develop professional skills
  • Use specialized facilities and equipment on the job

Required versus Optional Internships

  • All Allied Health programs in the College of Health Professions require a practicum. 

    College Of Health Practicum Information

  • The Colleges of Business and Technology require Experiential Learning in all Bachelor level academic programs.  An internship is one option to fulfill this requirement
  • The College of Arts and Sciences Biological Laboratory Science has an optional internship
  • Internships are highly recommended for all students in these colleges

Credit v. Non-Credit Internship

  • Credit and non-credit bearing internships help students gain experience
  • Most DU academic programs require internships but they are optional electives in all programs
  • Regional Internship Managers can assist students to develop credit bearing internships
  • Career Coaches can assist with non-credit opportunities
  • Both types of internships are posted on Handshake

Internship Alternative – BUSN489 or TECH489

Students need experience to enter the job market more easily.  DU instituted the Experiential Learning Requirement in 2014 to be sure our graduates have skills employers want; internship is the strongest of those options to build an individual resume.  It lets students try out an area in his or her chosen field and narrow the focus for future career path steps.  Some DU programs have one or two required internships. 
 
BUSN489 or TECH489 Field Experiences are also solid choices.  Students train to be business consultants and take part in an assigned live business case as a team member.  Field Experience is for more experienced individuals who may not have so great a need to explore career paths, and / or are building upon an already strong resume.  Learn more about Field Experiences here.

See interns connecting with employers at the West Michigan Intern Connect event!

International Internships

Please visit the websites of DU-approved internship program providers and consult the Global Programs Office for further guidance and approval on travel after 2022.  Working one year ahead is vital for success in an international search and approval process.