Syracuse University Internship Program
Director, T.B.A.
113 Euclid Avenue, 315-443-4271
internships.syr.edu
The Syracuse University Internship Program (SUIP) is an academic unit of the University. It is responsible for arranging local and national internships that carry academic credit, and are offered each semester and during summer sessions.
SUIP is not a degree program, and does not offer its own curriculum. Rather, SUIP facilitates internships in most career areas, and makes information about these available to graduate and undergraduate students from across the University. Students may participate in the program subject to the provisions and regulations of the college in which they are enrolled.
The Syracuse University Internship Program is staffed by students supervised by a full-time program director, a full-time student advisor, and a half-time administrative assistant. SUIP student coordinators serve in a peer advisor capacity, assisting students with the selection of internships and assisting the non-student staff to monitor intern progress during the field experience. Interns are encouraged to maintain contact with the SUIP staff throughout the field experience to discuss their progress.
THE PROGRAM
SUIP internships provide students with oppor-tunities to apply what they have learned in the classroom, explore career options, develop specific career skills, and become involved with community service.
Each intern is guided by a faculty sponsor, a faculty member who has expertise relevant to the internship. The sponsor helps the student set goals for the internship and decide on the method of evaluating the experience. Interns may be required to keep journals, complete portfolios, or work on projects and papers. The faculty sponsor also awards the grade for the internship.
Supervisors in participating organizations guide and monitor interns at the internship sites. The supervisors introduce the interns to the organization, explain operating procedures, discuss projects and assignments, answer questions, and provide feedback concerning the progress of the interns. At the end of the internship, the supervisors evaluate the interns’ work. This becomes part of the faculty member's final evaluation of student achievement.
INTERNSHIP OPPORTUNITIES
SUIP offers internships in the fields of arts, business, communications, computer and information science, education, environmental science, government, law, medical and health sciences, museology, public affairs, and social services. In addition, SUIP offers the Independent Internship Option, which permits students to develop their own internships, each of which must be approved by the faculty sponsor and the director of SUIP. Some students structure independent internships in the Syracuse area during the semester; others use summer sessions either to take independent internships in their home towns, or to participate in an internship elsewhere in the United States.
Once accepted for an internship, students must complete a learning proposal that describes the goals and activities planned for the internship, and register for credit. The specific role of the intern varies with each host organization, depending upon the student’s goals, objectives, and skills and the organization’s needs and resources. Interns usually assist organization staff members with assignments, serve as administrative aides, or work on special projects designed to be completed during the internship.
ACADEMIC CREDIT
All SUIP internships are offered for elective academic credit at the rate of 1 credit for each 45 hours of fieldwork. During a regular 15-week semester, an intern may earn three credits by working approximately 9 hours a week. During summer sessions, work schedules are adjusted to meet the credit requirements. Students may register for fewer or more than 3 credits, depending on the advice of their faculty advisors and the specific requirements of the college or school in which they are enrolled.
Work schedules are arranged by the interns and their supervisors. The total number of credits awarded depends upon the nature of the tasks and responsibilities involved as well as the number of hours worked in the field placement.
During fall and spring semesters, full-time undergraduate students may include internship course credits as part of their regular course load, which allows up to 19 credits without incurring additional tuition charges. Undergraduates accepted for summer sessions internships pay tuition at the rate set for their division.
All graduate students and all University college students taking internships for credit pay tuition at the rates set for their divisions.
Interns must be registered during the semester or summer session in which their internships take place. SUIP cannot grant retroactive credit.
APPLICATION
Students are advised to discuss the appropriateness of an internship with their faculty advisers before applying for SUIP internships. Applications can be made during the preregistration period before, and during the first three weeks of, the semester in which the internship is to be taken. Students are encouraged to apply during the preregistration period, since a wider choice of internships is available at that time. SUIP application periods for local internships are announced in the campus media.
Students applying for independent or national internships are advised to initiate arrangements in the semester before the internship. Final selection of interns is made by supervisors from the host organizations.
For further information about local and national internship opportunities, program policies, and application and registration procedures, contact the SUIP office, or visit the SUIP web site, internships@syr.edu.
STUDENT PARTICIPATION
Current projects are listed on the web at ilearn.syr.edu/. Students are invited to look for those that interest them and for which they qualify. (The qualifications or prerequisites are set by the sponsoring faculty, not the URP office. Some projects may have no prerequisites, while others may specify a number of them.) Having identified a project, the student discusses it and the advisability of his or her participation with the URP director and the sponsoring faculty member. If all parties are in agreement, the student may enroll.
ACADEMIC CREDIT
URP is neither a degree nor a curricular program. Rather, it is an office that facilitates linking qualified, interested students with faculty-generated projects in a credit-bearing context. Credit arrangements vary according to project needs and student desires. Generally, three credits a semester is appropriate, but as few as one and as many as six credits are possible. In no case, however, may a student earn more than a total of 24 credits through URP courses over the college career. All credits earned will be counted as arts and sciences credit, except where independent study numbers are used in conjunction with non-arts and
sciences departments.
ENROLLMENT
Once all relevant parties approve a student’s participation, enrollment takes place in one of two ways:
1. Independent Study Courses
Where deemed appropriate, students may enroll through an all-University independent study course (numbered 290, 490, etc.) carrying the individual department’s designation.
2. URP Courses
The following two courses have been instituted to facilitate student enrollment through this program. The choice between these courses is left to the discretion of the faculty sponsor and URP director.
URP 250
URP 450
Enrollment normally takes place at the beginning of each semester, although—by special permission—enrollment during any given semester may also be possible.
GRADING AND COURSE EVALUATION
Normally, enrollment entails the A-F grading option, although—by special petition—the pass/fail option may be used. Special course-evaluation forms are submitted independently by faculty sponsors and student participants as a standard procedure.