An internship is a work experience, which allows you to earn academic credit while providing you with career experience. Few internships are paid.

Interns become involved in a variety of tasks, from office procedures (filing, answering the telephone) to more complicated projects (planning and independently executing part of a company project). Some students have had internships evolve into jobs, and some students have had their names added to research projects because of internships.

To receive credit for an internship, you must follow the procedures outlined.

Ordinarily, a student who has not interned and requests an internship will take priority over a student who is requesting a second internship.

*** Placement in an internship is on a first-come first-served basis.

*** The placement in an internship is a privilege, not a right.

*** No student may initiate contact nor arrange her own internship for academic credit without explicit permission from her faculty director or the intern coordinator in Career Services. Either the faculty director or the intern coordinator in Career Services must initiate all requests to an organization concerning an internship. A student may ask for an inquiry to be made at a particular agency.

*** A maximum of 12 hours internship credit may be counted toward graduation.

*** Students must register for the internship in order to receive credit.

*** Students are responsible for costs of registration, transportation, housing, and personal expenses as an intern. Students interning out of town or during the summer terms are responsible for locating their own housing.

*** Students taking an internship for credit during summer term will be billed for summer school tuition.

*** Converse College does not guarantee placement for any student. All attempts will be made to locate an internship for each qualified student.

*** Interns assume any potential risks to themselves by accepting placement at an internship site. Converse College is not liable for any injury or damages sustained.

• arranging the internship
• assisting the student in the composition of a resume and/or additional application materials
• coordinating all written materials
• discussing learning objectives with the student
• and supplying campus administrative offices with a confirmed list of interns.

The Faculty Director is the Converse faculty member who

• determines the eligibility of the student
• answers questions of an academic nature
• assists the student in the completion of the learning agreement
• and assigns the final grade.

The Intern is responsible for 

• designating the type of placement she desires
• determining her goals and objectives
• writing a resume
• completing all assigned forms and ensuring their return to the Office of Career Services. 
• the completion of the Approval Form, Learning Agreement, Application for Internship
• informing the Office of Career Services if conditions of the internship (supervisor, hours, etc.) change. 
• The intern must notify Career Services if she does not plan to participate in an internship that is being arranged or has been confirmed.

The Supervisor of the intern is responsible for 

• orienting the intern to the agency
• assigning tasks and responsibilities
• and monitoring the progress of the intern. 
• The supervisor will complete the internship agreement and the final evaluation of the intern. 
• If visited, the supervisor will meet with the intern coordinator and/or faculty director to discuss the internship.

UNDER NO CIRCUMSTANCES SHOULD A STUDENT FEEL OBLIGATED TO CONTINUE AN INTERNSHIP IF SHE BELIEVES HER WELFARE IS IN DANGER. IN SUCH A SITUATION, THE STUDENT MUST NOTIFY THE INTERN COORDINATOR AND/OR FACULTY DIRECTOR IMMEDIATELY. NO PENALTY WILL ENSUE.

Under no circumstances can Career Services or the intern request payment for an internship. Those agencies that offer payment to an intern do so at their own initiative.  If you are to be paid as an intern, the agency should provide the details of the payment process.

To receive credit, students must complete the application for the internship and submit it to the Office of the Registrar in Carmichael Hall, just as one would register for any credit-bearing course. Be sure that you provide information concerning the course number, title and credit hours to be earned. Registration is the student's responsibility.

Students who will be interns during the summer must register before leaving the campus in the spring or at regular summer registration.

A student may not receive credit for a previous work experience; i.e., a student cannot receive credit for a summer work experience after the student has started to work. Exceptions to this rule must be submitted to the appropriate dean on a case-by-case basis.

Internships are graded on a pass/fail basis. Exceptions to this practice must be submitted to the Curriculum Committee on a course-by-course basis.

Generally, the faculty director assigns the grade based upon the completion of departmentally required work (see departmental guidelines), the supervisor's evaluation of the intern, and how well the student met the objectives stated in the learning agreement and internship agreement.

On your transcripts from Converse College, internships appear as a course you have taken. The credit hours apply toward graduation, but, because internships are taken on a pass/fail basis, the internship does not affect your GPA if you pass. If you fail, the F will be counted in your GPA.
In some cases, the employers request transcripts, before accepting a student as an intern. 

Students who are currently receiving financial aid are not affected by enrolling in an internship. However, work-study students need to notify the Office of Financial Aid if they will not be on campus during the internship. Those students will need either to make up the lost hours or to assume financial responsibility for the cost difference. See the Office of Financial Aid for further details.

Those boarding students who will not be on campus during the term of their internship will need to notify the Accounts Receivable/Cashier in the Business Office so that a meal credit can be obtained. Credit for the expense of meals missed will appear on the student's account in the term following the internship.