Frequently Asked Questions Related to Internships

Q: Who selects students for the Internship Program?
A: Faculty of the Center for Business and Economics select students, using personal observations of maturity and motivation, student interest and grade point average as primary criteria.

Q: How are interns matched with cooperating firms or agencies?
A: Placement is handled by the coordinator of the program after consulting with all parties. Firms may veto the selection and are encouraged to actively participate in the screening process. We want the participating organizations to be totally satisfied with the program.

Q: How much background will the intern have?
A: They will generally be seniors completing one of the majors offered by the CBE. These include Business Administration, Economics, Accounting, Finance, International Business, Logistics and Transportation Management, Management, and Marketing. They may also be involved in one of the interdisciplinary majors such as Chemistry-Business or Public Administration.

Q: What kind of work should be assigned?
A: The best jobs for this program will involve regular responsibilities, not "make work." Whether this intern stays with only one assignment during the semester or rotates among several is a decision for the firm. Interns should have an opportunity to contribute to the goals of the organization to the maximum extent possible. In any case, the student should be treated as any other employee of the organization. This is essential if the student is to receive a totally realistic experience.

Q: What time schedule are they on?
A: Normally, the interns will work either mornings, afternoons, full-days, Tuesday/Thursday or Monday/Wednesday/Friday. If the firm and intern jointly want to vary the schedule, this can be done as long as a minimum of 14-20 hours a week is scheduled.

Q: Do they receive academic credit?
A: Yes. They pay tuition for up to 6 credit hours. They can do an internship for either 1/2 course credit (less than 14 hours a week) or 1 course credit (14-17 hours a week) or 1-1/2 course credits (18-20 hours a week).

Q: What remuneration do they receive?
A: Pay is a matter for the firm to decide in line with established procedures, union rules, management preference, etc. No salary is required. However, most participating organizations provide some form of compensation. From the student's perspective, primary value should come from the learning experience not the compensation provided.

Q: Can a student repeat his/her internship?
A: Yes, one option is the January Interim Program (Field Experience) at Elmhurst which may be used in conjunction with either Spring or Fall semesters. In this case, full-time employment is requested for the month. The Internship Program also operates on a limited (8 week) full-time basis in the Summer. Students may do multiple internships, but each experience must be different by way of responsibilities assigned.

Q: What are the responsibilities of the supervisor?
A: The person supervising the intern should be at least at the middle management level. Responsibilities include setting up the initial job description, indoctrinating the intern, arranging for regular feedback on performance, periodic review sessions with the intern and with the faculty member in charge. The Internship course is not graded in the normal way but is recorded on the student's record on a Pass/Fail basis.

Q: Can a cooperating firm withdraw from the program easily?
A: Yes. The commitment is on a semester to semester basis although maximum benefits to both employer and the CBE will accrue if the program can maintain continuity on a semester to semester basis.