Internships Guidelines

Guidelines for Credit-Bearing Field Study Programs & Internships In Weinberg College 
(Passed by Weinberg College Faculty, March 19, 1981)

1. To insure that participants in field studies or internships are sufficiently prepared for their work, each program should have a prerequisite of two courses, at least one of which should be at the 300-level. (For certain kinds of field studies or internships it may not be sensible to require a specific set of courses as prerequisites. Where that is the case, steps should be taken to insure that all student participants are competent to carry out the intended project.)

2. Field study and internship opportunities are most appropriate for students who have been at least moderately successful in other course work. An overall GPA of 3.0 is reasonable to expect of participants in Weinberg College field studies and internships.

3. To insure that the analytical or reflective dimension of field study and internships remains an integral part of those activities, each faculty member (or department) initiating such a program should submit to the Curricular Review Committee (and make available to prospective participants) a detailed course description, including:

a) a description of the problem to be investigated 
b) a list of prerequisite courses 
c) a reading list 
d) the writing requirements 
e) a statement of how the students' grade(s) will be determined.

4. All field studies and internships offered by Weinberg College departments shall be directed by a member of the Weinberg College faculty, and student work shall be evaluated by that director.

5. Each department offering a field study or internship should establish course numbers for these activities. In order that the transcript accurately reflect the activities of students, on-campus Independent Study (399) should not be confused with off-campus field study or internship. The 399 registration should not be used as a means of awarding credit for field studies or internships.

6. No more than a total of five (5) units of field study or internship may be counted towards a Weinberg College degree. Students who desire permission to count additional units should contact the Assistant Dean for Academic and Advanced Standing.

7. Students should not normally receive pay for work done on a field study or internship project. Their primary responsibility is to their academic supervisor rather than to any host organization.

8. The Curricular Review Committee should evaluate field study and internship programs in light of these guidelines. We recognize that there is no single formula for a successful off-campus program. The Curricular Review Committee should use discretion in interpreting the spirit of these guidelines, which are intended to encourage high quality field study and internship programs.

9. All proposals for ad hoc internships should be reviewed by the Curricular Review Committee before the proposed registration.