As a student at the University of Minnesota Morris, you can gain real-world experience in your field of interest before you graduate. We offer a variety of internships and field experiences that allow you to apply classroom knowledge in professional settings. They provide valuable experience, enhance your academic work, and help you clarify your career goals.
- Enrich Learning: Internships integrate academic knowledge with practical application, allowing you to apply classroom concepts in real-world settings. This helps you connect academic learning to professional practice, fostering critical thinking and improvement.
- Realistic Experience: You'll gain firsthand, resume-building experience in your potential career field.
- Professional Networking: Internships introduce you to professional networks, potentially leading to job opportunities either within the internship organization or through contacts made during the experience.
- Competency Evaluation: Internships help you find out whether you've learned the skills and knowledge you need to succeed in your chosen career field.
It was an amazing opportunity to do research about top sustainability programs, and the position helped me pay for my junior year of college.
What is an internship or field experience?
An internship or field experience is a professionally supervised activity in a professional setting, providing valuable insight into your major or minor. During your internship, you'll observe and practice professional skills and tasks under supervision.
Each internship or field experience has two supervisors:
- UMN Morris faculty supervisor: Organizes the experience, provides instruction on requirements, and assigns grades.
- Field supervisor*: A qualified professional in the internship's setting who oversees on-site activities and submits a performance evaluation to the faculty supervisor upon completion. Learn more about field supervisors below.
Learn More about Internships, Field Experiences, and Practicums
Frequently Asked Questions about Internships
Do I have to take an internship in order to graduate?
- Yes, for students earning a degree in human services or environmental studies, an internship is a graduation requirement.
- No, for students earning a degree in any other division, an internship is not required. However, UMN Morris strongly recommends students in all disciplines engage in experiential learning activities. Working in a career setting while still being a student allows them to test their knowledge and skills. It’s also a great opportunity to learn and to add this to a resume.
Whom should I talk to about internships?
Students should begin to talk about their interest in internships with their advisors and academic major faculty. The campus internship coordinator can help students find resources and opportunities for the right career-ready experience.
When should I do my internship?
- Due to the challenge of balancing an internship with a full academic course load, especially if the work site is distant from Morris, many students opt to complete their internships during the summer after their junior or senior year.
- For seniors, if the internship is the final requirement before graduation, arrangements can usually be made to participate in commencement exercises before completing the internship. However, the degree will be awarded only after all requirements are fulfilled.
- However, part-time internships are available on campus and locally for students who want to incorporate career-ready experiences into their semesters.
How do I find a faculty supervisor?
- Only credit-bearing internships require a faculty supervisor. Some disciplines on campus have a specific faculty member who will be the supervisor. Otherwise, students will have to approach and ask an instructor to be their faculty supervisor.
- Noncredit bearing internships do not have a faculty supervisor. However, the campus internship coordinator will support students during these internships should they need it.
What is a site supervisor?
- Site supervisors are essential to the success of internships at UMN Morris, and their dedication is greatly appreciated. They are professionals employed at the internship site who provide day-to-day supervision of the intern's activities through regular consultations. Occasionally, the official site supervisor may delegate direct daily supervision to another qualified professional under their guidance, providing less frequent feedback, typically weekly. However, the official supervisor retains responsibility for the internship's educational quality.
- At the internship's conclusion, the site supervisor submits an evaluation of the intern's performance to the faculty supervisor. Qualified site supervisors possess academic credentials and relevant professional experience, which are crucial for their role. They evaluate how well interns met expectations and performed professional duties relative to industry standards for their level of preparation. While encouraged to provide comprehensive feedback on the intern's work style, including strengths and weaknesses, this is not mandatory.
Are internships paid or unpaid?
Both. Most businesses and organizations pay their interns an hourly rate similar to what a new hire might earn. In today’s economy, paid internships are very much the norm. Some organizations still offer unpaid internships, so students need to know there are a few resources on campus to help fund these experiences. See the campus internship coordinator for more information.
How long do internships last?
Most internships last between 8-10 weeks. The number of hours per week, however, can vary. Full-time internships are 30-35 hours per week; part-time internships are 10-20 hours per week.