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Internships

Internship Deadlines and Registration

All students completing an internship for credit should register using the new Handshake Experiences system

  • Log in using your Westminster credentials
  • Select Career Center
  • Select Experiences
  • Select Request an Experience 
  • Under the "Experience Type" drop-down menu, it is critical to use the correct choice based on your major and international status.
  • Upon submitting, please ensure your internship supervisor watches for an approval email from Handshake, titled "Please review this experience request for STUDENT NAME," which sometimes goes to email Junk folders.

If you have any questions, contact the Career Center by email at careercenter@westminsteru.edu.

  • Summer 2024 Deadline: May 20, 2024

  • Fall 2024 Deadline: Aug. 30, 2024

Register for an Internship

Helpful Information for Preparing Learning Objectives

When registering for your internship, you will be asked for a description of your internship and measurable, reasonable, and specific objectives for the internship. It is best to prepare these ahead of the registration process and copy and paste each item when requested. Your learning objectives will:

  • Describe what you will be doing and learning during your internship
  • Provide 3–5 objectives for the semester that are specific to your internship
  • Detail measurable, reasonable, and specific objectives
  • Be decided upon by you, your site supervisor, and your faculty internship coordinator

Example of Learning Objectives

Description of Internship

I will practice the communication skills I’m learning in school at a retail company. My long-term career plans include working as a marketing manager, so I’ll learn how organizations schedule their marketing efforts throughout the year. I’m interested in learning how social media is a part of a larger communication strategy. I’ll also learn the best ways to conduct consumer research and how to analyze the results, to help me be a better marketing manager in the future.

Learning Goals for the Internship

    1. I will run social media for xyz organization and learn best practices from communication professionals. Specifically, I’ll run their Instagram and LinkedIn pages.
    2. I will do market research for the company, using surveys I will build.
    3.  I will analyze the surveys and offer suggestions to inform the organization’s future marketing plans.

Majors that Require an Internship

All Gore School of Business majors, arts administration, communication, and Outdoor Education and Leadership (OEL) majors are required to complete an internship. Other majors in the Westminster College of Arts and Sciences programs and public health may choose to do an internship for credit—contact the Career Center or your faculty advisor for additional information.

Internship Eligibility

You are eligible to do an internship if you have:

    • 60 university credits completed. Transfer and MBA students must have completed at least 15 hours at Westminster
    • 2.5 GPA or better (3.0 for MBA students)
    • Some courses in your major or minor completed

How to Find an Internship

A student must secure an internship before registering for course credit. Internship possibilities include working at most types of organizations including private businesses, non-profits, and for the government. You can intern anywhere in the world.

There are many ways to identify and secure an internship. You may consider utilizing one or more of the following resources to help you secure your internship:

 
 

1

Internship Postings Available Through the Career Center

  • The Career Center receives internship postings each day. These are posted on Handshake.
  • The Career Center has made CareerShift available to you for free. This platform scans the internet for company postings, and is a comprehensive search tool for local, national, and international internships (and jobs). You can search for remote roles too.
 
 

2

Assistance from Members of the Career Center Staff

If you need help identifying potential internship opportunities, you can make an appointment with a career coach through Handshake. For general questions about the internship process, email the Career Center (careercenter@westminsteru.edu).

 
 

3

Your Current Job

You may complete an internship at your current place of employment, but you must be given new responsibilities or duties which translate to professional, meaningful work in your field of study.

 
 

4

Friends, Professors, Relatives, and New Connections

Networking, including LinkedIn, is an excellent means of identifying internship opportunities.

IMPORTANT: If you secure a paid on-campus internship, understand that this position is considered student employment. Student employees may work multiple positions on campus. The total number of hours worked between all positions, including their on-campus internship, may not exceed a total of 20 hours per week while classes are in session (including finals week) during fall and spring semesters. Students are responsible for working with their supervisor to keep total hours at no more than 20 per week. Paid on-campus internships can be found through ADP.

Apply for the Horiuchi Internship

The Randy Horiuchi internship program gives 2 interns (1 Democratic and 1 Republican) the opportunity to work closely with the respective Utah state party chairs on political activities relating to upcoming elections.

Learn more about the Horiuchi Internship

The Westminster University Internship Program seeks to establish a mutually beneficial relationship between students, employers, and the university.

Before the Internship Begins

  • Secure the internship and discuss your plans with your faculty internship coordinator
  • Inform the site supervisor of the start and end dates of the internship and of any academic requirements that might require absence from work
  • Complete the online internship application process to ensure proper academic registration of the internship
  • Verify registration by checking class schedule via Self-Service and Canvas (as applicable)

During the Internship

  • Report to the work site as scheduled and on time
  • Meet all assignments with accuracy and diligence
  • Maintain good communication with the site supervisor
  • Complete 42 hours for each semester hour registered with the school and report hours worked through the online internship portal
  • Immediately inform your faculty coordinator and the Career Center if your site supervisor changes or if you run into any problems
  • Complete and submit all course assignments to the faculty coordinator by the assigned due date(s) (Business students will complete the online Canvas course)

Upon Internship Completion

  • Complete the Student Evaluation of Internship Form through the online internship portal
  • Determine if the student intern meets qualifications for an internship
  • Assist the student in developing specific learning objectives
  • Visit the internship work site during the semester to meet with the supervisor and the intern
  • Read, evaluate, and grade the intern’s assignments and final paper and submit the internship grade to the Registrar’s Office by the required date
  • Be available to help the student develop the internship, provide networking ideas, assist in creating resumes and cover letters, and provide instruction on interviewing
  • Review and approve submit the student’s online internship application for credit
  • Help in the creation of and then approve the student’s learning objectives
  • Supervise and be responsible for the student during the internship
  • Assign challenging tasks and projects that will promote the achievement of the student’s learning objectives
  • Provide constructive feedback, positive and negative, to the intern on a regular basis
  • Complete the final online evaluation of the intern (instructions will be provided in an email sent near the end of the semester)
  • Allow time for a ½ hour work site visit, in which you (the site supervisor), the intern, and the faculty coordinator will assess the internship

 

The Westminster University Career Center is committed to engaging students in a professional and safe working environment. The Career Center will not tolerate any form of harassment or discrimination based on race, color, national origin, ethnicity, sex, gender, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, age, disability, religion, veteran status, or genetic information, as well as retaliation for good faith reporting of prohibited conduct or participation in any investigation or related proceedings. This applies to the behavior of internship site supervisors/co-workers toward students as well as students’ behavior toward their supervisors/co-workers. The Career Center encourages students to inform themselves of the discrimination and harassment policy of the internship site and to follow it, should one exist. The Career Center asks students to report any incident as soon as possible, allowing both the College and the internship site the opportunity to promptly respond. You have the right to expect professional conduct from everyone at work, including supervisors, peers, and subordinates.

Harassment is any unwelcome conduct based on any of the protected categories above when either of the conditions outlined in (a) or (b) below are present:

  1. Quid pro quo harassment – Submission to or rejection of such conduct is made, either explicitly or implicitly, a term or condition of a person’s employment or internship experience; or
  2. Hostile environment – Such conduct is severe, persistent, or pervasive enough to create an intimidating, hostile, or offensive work or educational environment.

Behaviors that may constitute sexual harassment include (but are not limited to) the following:

  • Pressure for sexual activity
  • Unnecessary brushes or touching
  • Disparaging remarks about one’s gender
  • Sexual innuendos or persistent use of sexually suggestive or offensive language
  • Verbal abuse disguised as humor
  • Obscene gestures
  • Offensive remarks about clothing, body parts, or activities
  • Making an educational or employment decision/benefit based on submission to sexual conduct

If you experience any harassment or discrimination during the internship you must report the incident or concern to your supervisor, the Career Center, or the College’s Title IX Coordinator and Equal Opportunity Officer. When doing so, please document all facts such as date, time, persons involved, and the situation as you observed it.

  • During this internship, you are representing not only yourself but also Westminster University, its students, faculty, staff and alumni. Your performance and attitude will have implications beyond you and beyond this internship.
  • You are governed by the internship site’s employment policies, procedures, dress code, privacy or confidentiality agreements, and standards of conduct. It is recommended that you obtain clear guidelines from your employer before you begin your internship.
  • Your commitment to on-site work for the internship is important. You are responsible for notifying your internship site of absences according to their policies and procedures. Any changes in your internship status (layoff, cutback of hours, or dismissal) must be reported immediately to the Career Center at 801.832.2590.
  • Due to the nature of an internship arrangement, you may not withdraw from an internship without prior authorization from the Career Center except in severe and justifiable circumstances as determined by the Career Center and in consultation with the site.

During the course of your internship there may be risks related to the experience and uncertainty of future events.

There are 4 basic steps in assessing and managing risk:

  • Identify potential hazards, risks, or concerns.
  • Understand guidelines and expectations of the internship site and supervisor.
  • Consider solutions to potential problems.
  • Inform the Westminster Career Center of any incident or concern.

Following are some potential areas that may serve as a starting point for you to reflectively examine your internship environment and circumstances and consider potential hazards or risks:

Physical Hazards

  • Outdoor exposure to weather, pollution, noise, or other hazards
  • Indoor exposure to machinery, extreme temperatures, or other structural hazards

Biological Hazards

  • Dangerous, infected, or contagious animals, plants or other hazards

Chemical Hazards

  • Office or laboratory equipment and chemicals (toner, chemicals, cleaning products)

Travel

  • Dangerous intersections or roadways
  • Remote, poorly lit, or unsecured parking areas
  • Using your personal vehicle or traveling for official business

If you have any concerns regarding the internship environment and circumstances, you should report the concern to your supervisor and/or the Career Center. When doing so, please document all facts such as date, time, persons involved, and the situation or concern as you observed it.

Forms

  • Supervisor Agreement Form: Once students complete their items in the internship system, supervisors will be notified to complete the online Supervisor Agreement Form to agree to site supervisor responsibilities and provide contact information and information about the internship, including:
    • If the student has worked at the organization before (if so, how this internship will be different)
    • If the internship is paid (if so, what the pay rate will be)
    • The students start and end dates

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two males working at a large table on a laptop

Registration

Before you register for an internship, review your schedule with your advisor to ensure you are on track to graduate. They can help you determine the right number of credits for your internship.

Before you begin the registration process, you will need to be able to answer these questions:

 
 

1

How many credits should I register for this semester?

  • You will receive 1 credit for every 42 hours worked.
  • Business majors are required to complete at least 2 credits.
  • Outdoor Education and Leadership (OEL) majors are required to complete 8 internship credit hours.
  • Depending upon your major, you can receive 1–8 credits per semester. Work with your academic advisor to determine how many credits to sign up for.
  • Internships for credit are not available during the May Term.
  • Internship credit hours are billed at the same rate as other courses.
  • If you are uncertain how many credits to register for, it is best to start with fewer now and add more later in the semester, so you don't lose tuition fees.

 
 

2

Who is my faculty coordinator?

  • Gore School of Business Majors: Your faculty coordinator is the individual who is teaching the course (BUSI 440). You will complete an online course as part of the academic requirements of your internship. You can review the course description and the faculty coordinator in Self-Service under the course number.
  • All Other Majors: you will work with a full-time faculty member you select from your department. Ask a faculty member if they want to be your internship coordinator or talk to your advisor. This person will approve your internship for your major department and will be the one to grade your assignments. You should meet with, or speak with, the coordinator before registering so they can approve your internship. Be sure they are aware that they will receive a notification, via email, to approve your registration.
 
 

3

What information will I need for my internship?

  • Organization name
  • Organization address
  • Supervisor name, phone number, and email address (it is very important to get a correct email so that the registration can be completed)
  • Your learning objectives