An internship can occur in one of three ways:

1. Employer & Internship Host initiates the internship and begins a competitive search for the appropriate student for the position.
2. Student initiates the internship search and secures the position.
3. Student initiates the internship opportunity with their current employer, but this opportunity must be significantly different and include a higher level of responsibility than the student’s current responsibilities.

In any case, it is the student’s responsibility to secure a suitable internship and seek approval through the Internship Coordinator.

Internship Qualifications

1. To qualify for 3 hours college credit, a minimum of 135 hours must be worked.
2. The job duties should be of a nature equivalent to an entry level position for business graduate. The student is responsible for the completion of a sufficient amount of upper level business coursework, similar to the completion of a traditional junior level of course work.
3. The internship must be supervised and the supervisor must be willing to evaluate a student’s work at least two times during the internship position. One evaluation should be made at the midpoint of the internship and the second at the end of the internship.
4. Internships must be approved in advance by the Internship Coordinator. Credit will not be granted on a retroactive basis.
5. Students who have been employed by the Internship Host for more than three months will not be eligible for an internship for credit unless the student’s job description has changed significantly to include a higher level of responsibility.

Internship Supervisor Responsibilities prior to the Internship Start Date

1. Structure the experience so that the intern will gain a valuable educational experience that can be tied to their degree program.
2. Draft a job description for the internship position. It may or may not be required by your organization, but it will facilitate the marketing and recruiting of the position. It will also form the basis of the internship agreement between your organization, the student intern, and the College of Business and help define the student learning goals of the internship.
3. Commit to a start and end date for the internship.
4. Define compensation or the volunteer nature of the position in writing. Some internships are voluntary, but we encourage an allocation of some sort of incentive for the intern whether monetary, travel expenditures, housing, or otherwise.
5. Clearly define your expectations for the intern at the onset of the internship.

Internship Supervisor Responsibilities during the Internship

1. Offer a new hire orientation for the intern including but not limited to company tours, office procedures, company policies, professional and ethical requirements, etc.
2. Provide ongoing daily supervision during the internship. Although the intern is expected to work independently, it is important that the supervisor be available to answer questions and give direction. Some supervisors even assign a mentor to the intern who would be available to answer routine questions throughout a work day.
3. Allow the intern the opportunity to build on skills and theory learned in the classroom through an applied learning experience.
4. Challenge the intern with diverse responsibilities while balancing the needs of the company.
5. Assist the intern in his or her professional development.
6. Give timely feedback to the intern regarding their job performance. Informal feedback can be provided in weekly or daily meetings, while more formal evaluation should be provided at the mid-point and end of the internship period.
7. If performance or attendance problems arise during the internship, communicate those problems with the intern and the Internship Coordinator promptly. This internship position should be considered an ‘at will’ employment; however, we respectively request that the company consult with the Internship Coordinator so that every attempt to resolve the conflict is made.

For additional information, please contact:

Julie Wright, Internship Coordinator
College of Business
University of Arkansas Fort Smith
5210 Grand Avenue, P.O. Box 3649
Fort Smith, Arkansas 72913
jwright@uafortsmith.edu
Phone: 479.788.7821
Fax: 479.788.7818

1. College of Business Internship Request