Otterbein University > Internship Criteria

Internship Criteria

When you pursue an internship through the Otterbein Internship Program, you will work closely with a faculty internship sponsor and on-site work supervisor to plan the internship experience.

The following factors characterize this type of internship:

You will receive academic credit for the internship; you must pay tuition for this credit based on the credit hours attempted.

You must be in good academic standing. Generally student interns must have a junior or senior status and a cumulative grade point average of at least 2.7 is preferred, but the final decision about participation rests with the individual academic department.

Together you, a faculty sponsor and the on-site work supervisor will develop a learning contract that outlines mutual intentions and educational and work expectations for the internship.

You will receive a grade for your internship.

Your performance is officially evaluated at various stages during the experience.

Some additional academic work may be assigned by the faculty advisor to help tie academic learning with "real world" work experience.

Receiving Academic Credit

A maximum of 16 semester hours of internship credit may be counted toward degree requirements at Otterbein.

For each credit hour you earn, 42 hours of work or work-related activities must be completed over the semester. Therefore, a full-time intern registers for 16 semester hours and is expected to spend 45-48 hours per week on activities specified in the learning contract. These hours include both "on-the-job" tasks and "off-the-job" tasks such as reading, journaling, research, etc.

3 hours per week x 14 weeks = 1 semester credit
15 hours per week x 14 weeks = 5 semester credits
30 hours per week x 14 weeks = 10 semester credits
48 hours per week x 14 weeks or 45 hours per week x 15 weeks = 16 credits

Roles and Responsibilities

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The role of the CCPD

The Center for Career and Professional Development serves as a central point and clearinghouse for internship postings, policies and procedures. Our staff is eager to discuss your internship goals and help you develop an individualized internship search strategy and prepare for the interview process. Employers list internship opportunities for many majors through our online job and internship database, Cardinal Careers.
The role of your faculty sponsor

Whether you use the CCPD or other resources, you will need to confirm your eligibility to earn credit and receive credit through your academic (major/minor) department. Students must identify a faculty sponsor (often your academic advisor) to oversee the academic portion of the internship. Students should seek out a faculty sponsor the semester before they plan to complete the internship.
The role of the intern

Once your internship has been secured and you have identified a faculty sponsor, you must submit the Undergraduate Registration Permission form for Internship 4900 credit (with the appropriate signatures) to the Office of the Registrar. This generally must be submitted by the 2nd Monday of the term; submission date should be confirmed with the Registrar. Students must then work with their internship supervisor and faculty sponsor to develop the Learning Objectives. At the completion of the internship, interns must submit an evaluation of their supervisor and one for the overall internship experience. Students must also ensure that their supervisor has completed and submitted the final supervisor evaluation.
Please note: If you feel victimized by a work-related incident, contact your faculty sponsor or Center for Career and Professional Development immediately.
The role of the supervisor

The site supervisor should assist with the development of the Learning Contract and take an active role in mentoring and guiding the student to help meet learning goals. The supervisor is also expected to orient the student to the organization and be available for meetings or conversations with both the intern and the faculty sponsor. The site supervisor should also provide regular constructive feedback, complete the evaluation form and return it to the faculty sponsor in a timely fashion.

The intern, faculty sponsor and intern supervisor should all be familiar with the policies, procedures and guidelines outlined in the Otterbein Internship Manual. If you have questions or concerns, please contact Internship Coordinator Ashley Strausser.

Internship Criteria

Receiving Academic Credit

Roles and Responsibilities

The role of the CCPD

The role of your faculty sponsor

The role of the intern

The role of the supervisor

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