All students registered for an internship during the Fall and Spring semesters will take part in the Internship Class. The class meets 4-5 times a semester on Fridays at 10:00am in CLCS room 120 and it taught by the Internship Coordinator. The class covers the professional side of internships including resumes building, networking, job searching and professional behaviors. The internship class is a required part of the internship and all students enrolled in internship hours and are interning in Nashville will be held to this requirement.

Definition

An internship is a credit-bearing elective, or required (depending on the academic department) course, which takes place outside the classroom in an actual work setting under the supervision of a professional. Internships are offered to juniors and seniors who have completed basic coursework in their major. Internships are available within most academic disciplines at Trevecca. (Course # 4510)

• Internships require you to plan ahead.
• The best internship sites require your application information one semester prior to working your actual internship.
• Talk to the Internship Coordinator the semester before you plan to work.

Philosophy

It is our philosophy that job experience directly related to your chosen career field clarifies and enhances not only your educational goals, but also your future ability to secure career employment. The Trevecca Internship Program is based on the principle that significant and meaningful learning can be achieved in the professional workplace if it is a structured experience. This is accomplished through the planning of all parties involved: you, the employer, the TNU faculty sponsor, and the Internship Coordinator.

Although the Internship Coordinator is available to guide you in locating possible internship opportunities, the responsibility of obtaining the internship and completing all course requirements belongs to the student.

Unit Credit Available

• The credits awarded are determined according to the hours worked on site per week:
  • 10 hours per week per semester = 1 credit (110 hours total)
  • 12 hours per week per semester = 2 credits (132 hours total)
  • 15 hours per week per semester = 3 credits (165 hours total)
  • The Department Chairman must approve any adjustment to these criteria.
• You may earn a total of six hours elective credit. (Up to 3 hours per internship.)

Grading

• Your grade is made up of three components.
• Your department's requirement (oftentimes a paper or journal on your learning experience, etc.) outlined on the Learning Contract.
• Time Log for Internship Coordinator
• Employer evaluation
• Student evaluation of experience
• Exit interview with the Internship Coordinator

Most departments utilize a "pass-fail" grade system. Hours and additional assignments must be turned in before the end of the semester. Incompletes are not given for Internships.

Salary

Some internships are paid; some are not. Some career areas such as Music Business are almost impossible to get into without an internship. Therefore, those companies don't pay and you intern for the experience and the opportunity. But if they do not pay, they must comply with the Fair Labor Standards Act. (See your contract.) Other organizations do pay depending on their intern's responsibilities. Don't let "salary" dictate your internship. Seek a company that will give you good experience and introduce you to successful people in your field. Consider this an investment in your future, because that’s exactly what it will be.

Nashville is a great market for interning. Internships are available with many companies; you just have to inquire early. Some companies contact the CLCS each semester to post their available internships. To view these current postings, go to www.trevecca.experience.com.  You are encouraged to pursue an internship with any company you think will benefit your career goals. DO NOT feel limited to the online list!

The steps must be completed within 2 weeks after registration or you will not be allowed to enroll in the course. Any requests made after this day must be approved by Internship Coordinator, Nicole Hubbs,

Follow these steps in order…

1. Register with Experience

   Register with Trevecca's eRecruiting site, Experience to look for internships that have been posted by employers and to create your student profile and upload your resume.

2. Get all the Information

   Make an appointment with the Internship Coordinator in Career Services to receive the Learning Contract.

3. Complete the Learning Contract

   Once you’ve interviewed and secured the internship position, you must complete the official Learning Contract.

   Complete sections in this order. 1. Student 2. Faculty Sponsor 3. Site Supervisor—if internship is non-paid, Site Supervisor signs page 2. NOTE: Every line of the first section (ALL phone numbers, fax numbers and email addresses) of the contract should be completed, and is your responsibility to complete. PRINT legibly. This is how Career Services gathers info to communicate with the site. When completed, bring completed contract to the Internship Coordinator for review and signature. Distribute remaining copies to those involved.

4. Register for the Course

   Once the Internship Coordinator receives the completes contract, you will be registered for the Internship.

You’re finished. Now, all you must do is to show up & do a good job at your internship site, complete the faculty sponsor’s additional requirements, and attend the Internship Class.

Upon being selected by a site, you must initiate a "Learning Contract." This is a contract you enter into, along with your faculty sponsor, Internship Coordinator, and your employer/site supervisor.

NO internship credit will be awarded without this contract signed by all parties. The purpose of this contract is to clearly state the expectations of everyone involved. This leaves little room for you to run into suprises later.

The contract is available from the Internship Coordinator of the Office of Career Services.  The completed contract must be returned to the Internship Coordinator before you can be registered for the course.  

Complete sections in this order:

1. Student
2. Faculty Sponsor
3. Site Supervisor—if internship is non-paid, Site Supervisor signs page 2.

NOTE: Every line of the first section (ALL phone numbers, fax numbers and email addresses) of the contract should be completed, and is your responsibility to complete. PRINT legibly. This is how Career Services gathers info to communicate with the site. When completed, bring completed contract to the Internship Coordinator for review and signature. Distribute remaining copies to those involved.

 

An internship is a credit-bearing elective, or required (depending on the academic department) course, which takes place outside the classroom in an actual work setting under the supervision of a professional. Internships are offered to juniors and seniors who have completed basic coursework in their major. Internships are available within most academic disciplines at Trevecca.

To Qualify:

In order to qualify for an internship, the following guidelines must be met:

• You must be a Junior or Senior in good standing with the college. No student may be enrolled in the internship program if he/she is on probation.
• You must have a cumulative GPA of 2.5 or above.
• Internships must be directly related to your major or occupational goal, and approved by a faculty sponsor in your department prior to registration. (Registration approval slips may be obtained from the Internship Coordinator in The Center for Leadership, Calling and Service.) Your employer must be willing to enter into the "Learning Contract" with Trevecca Nazarene University.

You may NOT use prior work experience as a current internship. For more information, contact Nicole Hubbs in the Center for Leadership, Calling and Service.

After completion of Internship hours, an evaluation must be completed from student and employer. This evaluation will be sent to site supervisors before the end of the semester by the Internship Coordinator. Both evaluations will be discussed during the exit interview and before a grade is rewarded.

It is the student's responsibility to also check with their department to see if there are any other internship requirements. Once all documents required by the Internship Coordinator have been received and any other requirements of the student's department have been met will a grade be awarded.

Resume Suggestions

• DO NOT USE A TEMPLATE! Create your resume using a Word document for easy changes and updates.
• Resumes should be one page and organized for easy reading.
• Resumes are not biography's! Use only relevant information that will provide an employer a glimpse as to who you are and what you have to offer.
• Use Sections to organize your information. Ex. Contact Information, Objective, Skills, Education, Work Experience, and Honors/Activities.
• Make sure to tailor your resume to the specific job you are applying to. Use Keywords from job descriptions to grab employers attention.
• Make sure to use spell check when finished and have someone else read over your resume. Be consistent with punctuation and fonts.

A cover letter gives a brief introduction to an employer of who you are and what skills you can offer to their organization. A cover letter should include the following:

• Introduction of yourself and how you heard of the open position.
• Personal and professional characteristics that make you qualified for the position.
• Why you want to work for the organization or why you would be a good fit for the position
• Times you are available for interview.
• Thank you for reviewing resume and taking time to consider application.