Internships 101

All students completing an internship for 0, 2, or 4 credits should complete the Internship Registration Form. Please read the instructions below before completing your registration.

Zero-Credit Internships

• Before submitting your form, notify your boss/supervisor that you will be registering your job/internship at Augsburg and that they should expect to complete an evaluation of your performance at the end of the term.
• When completing your registration form, choose “Non-Credit Internship” for the department and course number.

Credit Internships

Discuss your internship with your faculty supervisor before completing this form if you are completing a 2 or 4-credit internship. This form will be automatically sent to them for approval.

Zero-Credit Internships

• In order to have your 0-credit internship fulfill the Augsburg Experience, you must complete the following assignments:
  • Location & Supervisor Survey and
  • Final Reflection Assignment. 
  • All assignments will be posted and submitted in Moodle

Credit Internships (2 and 4 Credits)

• Your faculty supervisor will determine the assignments and due dates that are required for your internship. 

If approved, all registered internships (0, 2, or 4 credits) will satisfy the Augsburg Experience requirement.

Absolutely. Internships done for academic credit or non-credit may be paid or unpaid. The Strommen Center for Meaningful Work supports the position statement on paid internships written by the National Association of Colleges and Employers (NACE) that internships should be paid.

• International students in F-1 status wishing to complete a paid off-campus internship opportunity, must register their internship for academic credit and apply for Curricular Practical Training (CPT) prior to beginning an internship experience. For additional information on regulations for Curricular Practical Training (CPT), please visit the International Student and Scholar Services (ISSS) Employment page or contact an ISSS
Advisor.
• Unpaid internships in your field of study can be used to fulfill your Augsburg Experience graduation requirement. Paid internships for credit will also satisfy the Augsburg Experience graduation requirement.

Zero-Credit Internships

• All zero-credit internships are graded on a P/N basis..

Credit Internships

• Credit-bearing internships may be graded on a traditional A-F or P/N basis. In some departments, internships are graded on the P/N basis only.
• At the beginning of the internship, you and your faculty supervisor will develop learning goals for the academic expectations for the internship. Most faculty require students to complete a daily/weekly journal, an extensive final reflection paper, a portfolio, final evaluations, and other assignments related to the major. The faculty awards a grade or pass based on how the student meets the expectations outlined in the learning goals.

• A student may complete up to 16 internship credits to count towards graduation.
• A student may complete more than one internship at the same site if new learning opportunities are offered for each internship. Students can complete as many zero-credit internships as desired.

• Most employers begin recruiting one season ahead (i.e. employers will hire at the beginning of the fall semester for a spring internship).
• Some employers (particularly large companies) with competitive internship programs start hiring interns up to 11 months in advance.
• Check out our online resources for links under search for a job/internship to find internship opportunities.

Zero-Credit Internships

You may use your job to fulfill the Augsburg Experience requirement. Please talk with your supervisor/boss about your plan to have your work count towards fulfilling a school requirement.

Zero-Credit Internships

Yes. Please review the article Best Practices for Virtual Internships. While this article is geared toward employers, it may be helpful for you as you look to make the most of your internship.

Credit Internships

Please check with your faculty advisor.

All students completing an internship for 0, 2, or 4 credits should complete the Webdocs Internship Registration Form. Please see below for more specific information regarding credit-bearing vs. zero-credit internships.

Credit-Bearing Internships

Students wishing to register a credit-bearing internship are instructed to first speak with their faculty supervisor before completing the registration form. Once they speak with their faculty supervisor, the student will list that faculty supervisor on their form. This form will be automatically sent to the faculty supervisor for approval.  Students must register their internship on the same schedule as registration for other courses. Internships added after the drop/add date has passed will need a late registration petition

If you are supervising a credit-bearing internship, be sure to clarify the following:

• How many credits you are willing to approve for the student
• Which department you are approving the credits for
• Which course number they should use (for example, 397 or 399).

Zero-Credit Internships

• Students looking to register a zero-credit internship should speak with their boss/internship supervisor and let them know that they will be registering their job/internship at Augsburg.

When completing the Webdocs form listed above, they should choose “Non-Credit Internship” for the department and course number.

Data collected will be maintained by the Registrar’s office and accessible to the Strommen Center as well as to other departments that need it for accreditation or other purposes. The Registrar’s office needs to be the repository of the academic record.

Students must register their internship on the same schedule as registration for other courses. Internships added after the drop/add date has passed will need a late registration petition

• On the Webdocs registration form, students will be asked to report their internship site. If they don’t have an internship lined up, they will still be able to register.
• Students should have their internship site identified at least one week before the start of the term.

1. Identifying learning goals for or with the students.
2. Designing assignments to promote reflection and learning. Assignments to consider include:
   1. Developing learning goals
   2. Informational interview
   3. Keeping an internship journal
   4. Analysis of the internship organization or site
   5. Applying NACE career competencies
   6. Final reflection assignment
3. Sending evaluation forms to site supervisors or asking the Strommen Center to send an evaluation to site supervisors (Strommen Center will then provide you with raw data)

• Maintain a job board of available internship opportunities
• Help students find and apply for internships (for credit-bearing and 0-credit internships)
• Oversee, facilitate reflection, and issue grades for all zero-credit internships
• Work with the director of general education to ensure satisfaction of the Augsburg Experience requirement for zero-credit internships
• Promote internships as a high-impact practice and career development opportunity
• Send an evaluation to internship supervisors, then provide you with the raw data from their answers

The Strommen Center does not:

• Collect or document learning outcomes for credit-bearing internships (faculty have to be the ones to do this)
• Approve credit-bearing internships (faculty have to be the ones who do this)
• Provide analysis for site supervisor evaluations
• Manage registration of internships (Registrar’s office will do this)

• Learning goal ideas
• Information on how to conduct informational interviews
• Guidance on how to help facilitate internship journals
• NACE career competencies
• NACE Internship Meaning and Definition Guide
• NACE statement on unpaid internships and the need for federal action
• Final reflection assignment