Internship Guidelines

Remember to:

  • Read the guidelines.
  • Discuss the parameters of the internship with a faculty supervisor and have received permission for the internship.
  • Complete an internship proposal request form.
  • Once the internship proposal is approved, return completed drop-add forms to School office.

Internship Contacts

For all the forms and general questions, stop in the Black School of Business office located in 281 Burke Center.

Black School of Business Internship Guidelines

These pages describe the responsibilities of the student, site supervisor, and faculty supervisor; includes the internship proposal form, the intern’s workplace code of conduct, and Black School of Business policies for those students who intend to seek credit for this internship.

To earn academic credit for an internship, you must:

  1. Read the Internship Program Guidelines.
  2. Discuss the parameters of the internship with a faculty supervisor and have received permission for the internship.
  3. Fill out and submit the internship proposal request form via the Black School of Business website.
  4. Upon approval of the internship proposal, bring a completed Registration Drop/Add Form to the School of Business Office, 281 Burke Center.

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Who is Involved?

A successful internship program requires the cooperation of three individuals, each with specific responsibilities.

  • Student Intern: The intern is an enrolled student who has met eligibility requirements. The school determines the student’s eligibility through the student’s GPA or completed coursework.
  • Faculty Supervisor: This supervisor is an official University representative who has faculty status and is responsible for the academic oversight of the internship. Faculty may only supervise an internship that is within their own discipline unless a special exception is given by the department chair or the Director.
  • Site Supervisor: The site supervisor is the officially recognized professional at the sponsoring organization who is responsible for on-site supervision and evaluation of the intern.

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Responsibilities

Student Intern: The student is responsible for obtaining an internship, meeting all departmental and Black School requirements, and completing the appropriate paperwork, as well as completing the assigned workload for the sponsoring organization. The signed internship proposal serves as the formal agreement for establishing the internship and its evaluation. The student must complete all course requirements as indicated on the internship proposal form.

Interns should conduct themselves professionally at all times, which includes developing respectful and cooperative relationships with the site supervisor and other employees at the sponsoring organization. Students should establish and maintain regular, punctual working hours, conduct themselves ethically, conform to the sponsoring organization’s policies and procedures, and execute the duties and responsibilities of the internship position. Failure to comply with the sponsoring organization’s policies may result in the termination of the internship.

Faculty Supervisor: The faculty supervisor determines whether the internship is worthy of academic credit based on the type of work to be performed and the contribution the internship will make to the student’s learning experience. The faculty supervisor is responsible for the initial approval of the internship proposal and for monitoring the student’s activities for the duration of the internship.

The faculty supervisor may contact the site supervisor to check on the progress of the intern. Student meetings, consultations with the site supervisor, or on-site visits are acceptable examples. At the internship’s conclusion, the faculty supervisor will assign the grade for the internship following the internship proposal and departmental guidelines.

Site Supervisor/Sponsoring Organization: The sponsoring organization agrees to provide a supervised, relevant learning experience for the student intern. The exact nature of this experience will vary from discipline to discipline and from student to student. The internship proposal serves as the formal agreement concerning the specific duties and expectations of each internship.

The site supervisor will ensure that the student is aware of all relevant company policies and procedures. At regular intervals, the site supervisor will communicate with the intern regarding the quality of his or her work. If the site supervisor believes that the intern’s performance is marginal or poor, the intern should be notified and given steps to improve his or her performance.

Before the conclusion of the intern’s semester, the site supervisor will complete an evaluation of the intern’s performance (as provided by the Black School of Business). This evaluation is an assessment of the proficiency and general attitude demonstrated by the student intern. The site supervisor is encouraged to write additional comments concerning the areas of strength or improvement, which will help the intern grow and develop their career.

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The Internship Proposal Form

The proposal form serves as a formal agreement between the student, the sponsoring organization, and the faculty supervisor. It should describe the internship in detail to avoid confusion and misunderstanding. The internship proposal should disclose all information concerning the internship that the parties believe is appropriate.

The internship proposal request should be submitted online at the Black School of Business website. After you have discussed the parameters of your internship with a faculty supervisor and have received permission for the internship, complete the internship proposal request form in its entirety. This will begin the process of sending the Internship Agreement through the proper channels. Any missing or incorrect information could delay the process.

  1. The student should complete the internship proposal request form through preliminary discussions with the site supervisor and other members of the sponsoring organization. Once the internship proposal request is submitted online, it will create an electronic internship proposal, which the faculty supervisor will review and determine the sufficiency of the internship experience for awarding academic credit. At this stage, the internship proposal may be approved, rejected, or approved subject to amendments.
  2. If the proposal is approved subject to amendments, the student can communicate the required changes to the site supervisor for consideration. If the site supervisor approves the amendments, the student should revise and resubmit the internship proposal to the faculty supervisor.
  3. The student, site supervisor, and faculty supervisor indicate agreement with the internship proposal by their e-signatures. Once the internship proposal is approved, the student submits a drop-add form to the Black School of Business office for enrollment.

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Black School of Business Policies

  • Academic credits: Students often earn three academic credits for one internship. No more than six internship credits will be applied to graduation requirements regardless of the number of majors a student pursues. Majors may have other specific requirements or restrictions – students must consult with their adviser. If a student pursues internship credits beyond six, these credits will remain “unused” toward the degree requirements. International students must consult with their academic adviser and their international student adviser at Penn State Global to obtain the necessary approvals.
  • Minimum hours: At least 120 hours of field experience are required to earn three academic credits from an internship. Additional credits from one or multiple internships may be assigned on a 40-hour-per-credit basis, subject to approval by the department chair. The number of hours worked is not the primary basis for determining academic creditworthiness. Hours, in addition to the minimum, may be undertaken without the assignment of additional academic credit.
  • Beginning in fall 2023, undergraduate students will incur additional tuition charges when their class schedule exceeds 19 credits per semester (please visit the Office of the Bursar’s website for more information). We strongly recommend each student consider this change and its implications when registering for an internship.
  • Grading: Grades are assigned within the normal scale (A, B, C, etc.). Pass/Fail are not acceptable. Grades are assigned based on the student’s performance in the categories described in the internship proposal form.
  • Students must register for academic credit in the semester that the internship requirements are completed. If the internship has requirements in multiple semesters, then students must register for the appropriate course in each of those semesters to meet all the requirements. Also, academic credit will not be awarded after an internship is completed; for example, a summer internship will not earn credits in the fall semester.

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Major-Specific Policies

  • ACCOUNTING (ACNTG)
    ACCTG 211 must be completed (final grade of “C” or higher). Students with a GPA below 2.5 must receive a special exception from the program chair to be eligible for internship credits. Content and evaluation criteria for specific internships will be determined on a case-by-case basis.
     
  • BUSINESS ECONOMICS (BECON)
    ECON 102 and ECON 104 must be completed (final grade of “C” or higher). Content and evaluation criteria for specific internships will be determined on a case-by-case basis.
     
  • FINANCE (FNC)
    FIN 301 must be completed (final grade of “C” or higher). Content and evaluation criteria for specific internships will be determined on a case-by-case basis. No internship credits can be applied toward 400-level finance elective requirement.
     
  • INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS (INTB)
    ECON 102 and ECON 104 must be completed (final grade of “C” or higher). 5th-semester standing or higher. Cumulative GPA of 2.5 or higher. Either successful completion (final grade of “C” or higher) or concurrent enrollment in one or more international business classes (e.g., ECON 470, FIN 471, MGMT 461, MKTG 445).

    For some international business internships, completion of additional coursework may be required as a prerequisite. Students with a GPA below 2.5 must receive a special exception from the program chair to be eligible for internship credits. No more than three internship credits may be applied to fulfill graduation requirements without a special exception.
     
  • MANAGEMENT INFORMATION SYSTEMS (MISBC)
    MIS 430 must be completed (final grade of “C” or higher). The presentation is required. The paper is to be written according to MIS syllabus requirements. Component percentages for the student’s grade will be based on the course syllabus.
     
  • MARKETING (MRKTG)
    MKTG 301 and at least another marketing course at the 300- or 400-level must be completed (final grade of “C” or higher)—cumulative GPA of 2.5 or higher. Students should contact the Black School of Business office for course enrollment. Content and evaluation criteria for specific internships will be determined on a case-by-case basis.
     
  • PROJECT AND SUPPLY CHAIN MANAGEMENT (PSCM)
    SCM 301 must be completed (final grade of “C” or higher). Content and evaluation criteria for specific internships will be determined on a case-by-case basis.

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