An internship for Honors credit is intended for sophomore and higher class rank students in the University Honors Program who desire the practical experience of an internship.
Students must meet the Honors Internship requirements outlined below in order to be awarded Honors Internship credit via the dedicated Honors internship course, HONR 3970. Internships should be approved by the Honors Program Director.
Students may earn Honors credit for internships undertaken under other course catalog designations too if they make arrangements for such credit awards prior to beginning the course; such arrangements will be organized on an individual basis with the Honors Program Director.
Access to the course can be gained by emailing Dr. Morrison a description of the work to be undertaken, the place, and the name and contact information for the student's direct supervisor at the internship.
Overview of Honors Internships
The internship may be a paid or unpaid position arranged by the student, and it must be a worthwhile educational experience for the student. An on-campus and off-campus contact person or advisor is recommended. If in business, the internship should be at the mid to upper management level; in a government agency, an educational institution, or other non-business oriented position, the internship should allow the student significantly more than clerical and/or minor routine experiences.
It is hoped each student will have one person to whom they are responsible and who will then evaluate the intern. This individual would serve as a liaison with the University Honors Program, so this individual's contact information should be communicated to the Honors Program Director.
Each institution or firm has the right to make the final decision regarding which students, if any, will intern with them. Likewise, each firm or institution will evaluate the student intern in the same way it evaluates its own personnel in terms of "performance appraisal." Ultimately, we would like the institution or firm to answer the question "Would you hire this student?"
Students should also remember, as Ishani Adidam points out in reflecting on her own summer internship experience, to have "a growth mindset. Often, I would be presented with challenges I didn't know how to approach or concepts that I haven't learned yet in the classroom environment. I think that it is important to view internships as an educational experience where you will grow and learn."
Credit Hours
The Honors internship may be taken for three credit hours per semester, depending upon the number of hours a student works, up to a maximum of 6 earned credits total during an undergraduate career. The range of hours per week is from 20 to 30. The working arrangement and hour agreement will be approved by the student, the firm or institution involved, and the University Honors Program Director; a minimum of 300 logged hours is required. Summer internships are both possible and encouraged.
Experience
The internship should provide experiential learning; students are required to submit a weekly electronic form logging their work and experience. As Ally Havenridge communicated toward the start of her summer internship at FNIC, "The logs are helping me to see how truly valuable this internship is, and I could not be more grateful." Students are also required, by the last class day of the semester, to submit a 20 page double spaced reflective paper, which may draw from weekly logs and should provide an overview of the work undertaken, experience gained, and consider how the internship has enhanced the academic experience of the student.
Grading
The grading process will be a result of the weekly journals, the input of the “performance evaluation,” a paper, and the supervisory personnel involved. Student and supervisor/employer should be aware of the responsibilities involved.
Students should find the experiential and reflective activities of this course valuable. Honors student Evelyn Espinoza-Macias, while interning at UP, noted, "The weekly logs made me reflect on what I've been learning and value each lesson. I believe that before, even though I would learn something new, I wouldn't go in-depth to review the topic, analyze what strategies I learned, or even take a moment to reflect on what I liked. The weekly logs highlighted for me to reflect on the things I learned, and keeping note of it is precious."
Questions?
Contact Dr. Morrison at lxmorrison@unomaha.edu
