Internships

The primary purpose of an internship is the development of occupational or professional competence in an actual work setting after theory education has been completed. Enrollment is limited to upper-division students with a major or minor in a program and at least a 2.5 GPA in that program. Additional prerequisites and requirements may be established by individual departments. As part of the internship, a substantial written assignment (or portfolio) requiring research and/or creative work is required.

Students may take a second internship in the same program only in situations where they will be able to apply essentially different knowledge, methods, or skills than those applied in the prior internship. This limitation does not, however, apply to a second internship in a different program such as a second major or a minor.

A minimum of fifty on-the-job hours is required for each hour of credit. Students may apply no more than twelve internship credits toward a degree, and each internship normally carries no more than six credits except in specific cases where a department requires a single twelve-credit internship. A maximum of eighteen credit hours, including the internship, may be taken during the semester of the internship. Internships may be offered on either a graded or pass/unsatisfactory basis.

Each student seeking to enroll in an internship must, together with a faculty supervisor, develop a proposal indicating:

• The number of credit hours from any previous internship, the semester it was taken, and the firm or agency where the internship was done.
• How credits are to be earned and what on-the-job activities will be required of the intern.
• The specific knowledge, methods, and skills that will be developed within the context of the internship.
• The method of evaluating the internship to be used by the faculty supervisor.
• The firm or agency where the internship will be done.
• The professional person at the firm or agency who will supervise the student during the internship.
  
• The extent to which there will be on-site visits by a supervising faculty member.

Once the proposal has been approved by the department chair, it must be submitted to The Office of Records and Registration by the end of the first week of the semester in which the internship is to be completed.

TCNJ Policy on Internships