The National Association of Colleges and Employers (NACE) has an internship guide that provides guidance on issues such as what an internship should include, why they are important, issues regarding paid vs. unpaid internships, NACE internship research and more.
Questions to consider when developing internship courses and policies:
- What student learning objectives, skills and knowledge must be gained in order to award credit? Student learning objectives, and how they will be met, should be outlined in the internship contract.
- How will you design lessons or activities that connect academic content to its application at the internship?
- How will reflection be emphasized in order to aid learning? (see below)
- What graded product(s) will be required per credit hour? For example, if a final paper is required, what length will be required for 1 credit hour vs. 2 or 3 credit hours, etc.
- How will the faculty coordinator provide routine feedback and evaluation to the student during the internship?
- How will the internship experience be assessed by the student and site supervisor (evaluation, exit interview, etc.)?
- Will the internship have any pre-requisites? Must students complete certain courses or be at a certain class standing in order to participate in an internship?
- Will the internship credit be graded or P/NP?
- How many credit hours of internship can be applied to the major?
- How many clock hours will be required at the internship for each hour of academic credit? CASNR recommends it be in line with the expectations of a regular course (i.e. 15 classroom contact + approximately 30 hours of out-of-class preparation/study) which would result in the following:
- 1 credit hour = 45 clock hours
- 2 credit hours = 90 clock hours
- 3 credit hours = 135 clock hours
- 4 credit hours = 180 clock hours
- 5 credit hours = 225 clock hours
- 6 credit hours = 270 clock hours
- What length should the internship be? Internships are often 8 - 12 weeks in length, but could be longer or shorter. A mutually agreed upon beginning and ending date should be outlined in the internship contract.
- What type of information or checklist will you provide to students about your internship processes and expectations? In what format (print, online, etc.) will you provide the information?
Because of the importance of 1) reflection before, during and after the internships, 2) both formative and summative assessment, and 3) the need for gaining employer feedback, best practices indicate that credit should not be awarded retroactively for past experiences.