Internship FAQs

Students may complete the semester-long internship in the spring term of their third year or the fall term of their fourth year at Endicott. Students who want to do the internship in their third year should speak to their internship coordinators as soon as possible.

Internship coordinators work with students who are planning internships. They provide resources and training in researching and locating appropriate internship sites, and are also responsible for all administrative aspects of Endicott's internship programs.

Endicott values the learning experience of internships and therefore does not require interns to be paid. The primary purpose of the internship, which is a required part of the academic curriculum, is to provide a learning experience of substance in a professional setting. Compensation is a matter left entirely to the supervisor and the intern.

The start and end dates correspond with the start and end dates for classes in a given semester. Please refer to the Academic Calendar. Students may begin working before the start date or continue working after the end date; however, this time is not counted as a part of the internship experience unless extra hours are necessary to meet the minimum time requirement. Students are expected to act professionally by honoring all time commitments they make to their supervisors, regardless of whether this time is during the official internship period.

Students are required to work four days a week.

Students are required to attend a one-day weekly seminar on campus. Students are at the College all day when they are attending the seminars and these hours are considered "work" hours. Faculty leading the seminars assign academic coursework to be completed by the student throughout the semester.

Students earn a total of 12 credits for the successful completion of both the work portion and the seminar portion of the internship. Three additional credits are earned for the successful completion of the Senior Thesis I, which is generally taken at the same time as the internship.

The Learning Agreement is used as a tool to help the student articulate objectives and goals as well as a way for the student and site supervisor to outline the student's internship responsibilities. The agreement should be signed by the student, the site supervisor, and the faculty supervisor. It is the responsibility of the student to complete the Learning Agreement and discuss it with all of these people. The student should submit a final copy of the Learning Agreement to the faculty supervisor early in the semester (with the understanding that it may be amended at a future date if necessary).

This course is designed to integrate the practical experience with liberal and professional arts learning. Three of its primary goals are: 1) to help students conceptualize the relationship of their studies to their internship experiences and chosen professional fields, 2) to help students understand the organizational structures of their sites and their roles within those structures, and 3) to monitor student progress by providing a place for students to discuss their internship experiences as well as develop communication techniques and strategies for dealing with positive and difficult situations.

The Semester Internship Seminar is led by a member of the faculty experienced in the students' academic majors as well as the types of industries or organizations where students are working. During the course of the seminar, students are required to do or participate in activities such as group discussions, papers, readings related to their chosen internship/career field, and critical incident journals.

Senior Thesis I (usually taken by students during the same semester as the Semester-long Internship) is intended to advance students' ability to express fresh perspectives on the world of work by integrating information from the different liberal arts disciplines with the professional knowledge gained from internship experiences. Students are required to complete a professional literature review on a topic of their choice.

The senior internship is a fundamental component of the program of study at Endicott College and is the reason that most students select Endicott over other colleges. The faculty-supervised internship experience provides the integration of theoretical learning in the classroom with real world application in the workplace. The full-semester internship is essential to the senior academic experience, which includes career preparation and a culminating thesis project. The internship, if successfully completed, carries 12 credit hours that are required to complete graduation requirements. Because this is a faculty-supervised internship, which includes site visits and regular class assignments, as opposed to non-credit bearing experiences as offered at some institutions, the College charges normal semester tuition charges.

To help ensure a successful experience for the intern and for the site, a site supervisor is asked to:

1. Assist the intern with formulating learning objectives and goals. Agree on the intern's learning goals as well as the resources and work responsibilities that will facilitate these goals.
2. Orient the intern to the company's work environment and culture. What are the common expectations for professional behavior, such as arrival and departure times for work, dress, personal phone calls, time off for appointments, etc.? Help the intern to feel comfortable at work. Introduce the intern to other employees, invite the intern to eat lunch with you and your colleagues, make sure that the intern has all needed resources such as a desk, a phone, and a computer.
3. Provide a structured work experience. Give the intern specific tasks and timelines with explicit performance criteria. Schedule a weekly "check in" meeting to discuss the intern's progress on assigned work and projects.
4. Communicate to the faculty supervisor as soon as possible if any problems arise that you are unable to resolve with the intern.
5.  Take on a mentoring role with your intern. Be there to answer questions and provide guidance and feedback when needed. Help the intern understand the specifics of your department, the company/organization, and the professional industry or field.
6. Provide a workspace for the intern, appropriate to the intern's position.

The person to contact during the course of the internship is the faculty supervisor. (The internship coordinator can provide that name and contact information, if the site supervisor does not know the intern's faculty supervisor.) This person is a faculty member (who teaches the Internship Seminar class) and works closely with the intern and site supervisor to ensure a successful experience for all involved.

The faculty supervisor would like to have the opportunity to meet with each student and his or her supervisor at the internship site. Site supervisors will receive a phone call and/or a visit from an internship coordinator if they are new to hosting Endicott interns. Within the first two weeks of the semester, they will also receive an introductory phone call from the faculty supervisor for their intern. A formal site visit will be made by the faculty supervisor during the internship period. Additional contacts will be made if necessary. The Internship Office also hosts an annual forum for site supervisors who worked with Endicott interns during the fall semester.

A Supervisor Evaluation form will be emailed to all site supervisors toward the end of the internship. This evaluation plays an important role in the final grade of the student. Supervisors are asked to share evaluation feedback with the intern. Students are required to complete evaluations of their internship experiences and sites as well.