Internships

Internship is the integration of classroom theory and practical experience in a planned program. The intern program is based upon the interests and needs of both the student and the employer. The student's work should be related to his/her field of study and individual interest within the field. The working experience will ideally increase in difficulty as the student progresses through the academic curriculum. The establishment at which the student works will continuously be approved by the coordinator.

If you are working with an organization that does not have a structured internship program, you may wish to provide them with the following documents to develop an internship opportunity that would be eligible for course credit in the MHR Department.

If a student is considering an internship and has questions, he/she is encouraged to speak to the MHR Internship Coordinator, Dr. Carlos González during his office hours or via email at cbgonzalez@cpp.edu. Office hours are posted on the MHR website each quarter.

In the MHR curriculum, students are required to complete 4 units of either internship or Senior Project in order to graduate. Students may earn either 2 units or 4 units for an internship, depending on the number of hours per week that the student works at the internship.

MHR 441 (2 units) – Students must work at their internship for a minimum of 18 hours per week (180 hours) during the quarter that they are enrolled in MHR 441 in order to earn 2 units of credit.
Since 4 units of internship are required to graduate, students will intern in a second quarter, either at the same internship location or with a different organization.

MHR 442 (4 units) - Students must work at their internship for a minimum of 36 hours per week (360 hours) during the quarter that they are enrolled in MHR 442 in order to earn 4 units of credit.

How to enroll in the internship class

After the student has found an internship that meets the criteria of the MHR Department, as explained above, he/she must submit the documents below to the MHR Department office. All fillable forms must be filled out electronically and printed out. Click on the links below to access the forms.

MHR Internship Pre-Approval Form
Academic Internship Partner Agreement Form
Academic Internship Learning Plan**
Academic Internship Release of Liability Form
Student Emergency Contact Form
A copy of the job announcement student applied for, signed by supervisor (if job announcement is not available, you must provide a detailed job description specifying the duties and tasks you will be performing, also signed by supervisor)

**When completing the Learning Plan, be sure to think carefully about what your learning objectives will be. Please read this document to understand the purpose and wording of learning objectives:
MHR Learning Objectives Guideline (PDF)

Students will be notified of their acceptance into the internship class within two weeks of receipt of the above-listed documents.

Once an internship has been approved for the upcoming quarter, a spot in the appropriate internship course will be held for the student, who may then enroll in the course during the next enrollment window that is open to the student.

Students with appropriate internships will not be guaranteed a seat in the internship class unless completed paperwork is received two weeks prior to the start of the upcoming quarter.

Project

The student will design a creative project that benefits the company above and beyond what the student normally does at work (i.e., employee handbook, job analysis, feasibility study, training manual). It should result in the student learning something new from his/her internship assignment. During the first two weeks of the quarter the student must identify the project for the course and notify the instructor. This project must meet the approval of the employer and the instructor. At the end of the quarter, the student will have the supervisor and instructor evaluate the project. Please refer to the calendar for the due date for the final project. The project must be bound. Please see former projects in the office of the instructor.

Guidelines for choosing a project

Choose a project that will benefit the company that employs you; choose a project that interests you.
Choose a project that will make you more visible in the company.
Challenge yourself, but have some basic knowledge of the project you need.

Internship group meetings

The students will meet with the coordinator and other internship students for three group meetings during the quarter. Each meeting will be about two hours. The purpose of the group meetings is to: explain internship requirements; present information on obtaining jobs, including developing resumes; and have students make oral presentations on their current positions.

Work journal

The purpose of the work journal is for the student to take a look inside himself/herself and think about changes, reasons for actions or major occurrences. It should reflect thoughts and feelings about himself/herself, others, and situations, and include what he/she learned from the work experience that day. The weekly log entry allows the student to contemplate the learning process on the job.

Work journals should be one full single-spaced page in length and may represent daily entries or a more lengthy analysis of one's learning experience. The format to be followed will be presented at the first internship meeting. The work journal will generally be turned in weekly to the coordinator by email.

Presentation on position using PowerPoint and handout

An oral presentation supported by the use of PowerPoint and a PowerPoint handout will be made by each student. The presentation should consist of the following: introduction to the company; your position; your daily responsibilities; how the position relates to courses you have taken; explanation of your project; and a summary of the internship program.

Employer evaluation

Employers will receive an evaluation form to complete. The evaluation will reflect your performance on the job.

Course evaluation

Class attendance, weekly work journals, presentation, resume and reference list, project, and employer evaluation.

College of Business Administration

Management and Human Resources