INTERNSHIP/CO‐OP PROGRAM GUIDELINES, POLICY & PROCEDURES PRAIRIE VIEW A&M UNIVERSITY COLLEGE OF BUSINESS INTERNSHIP/CO‐OP PROGRAM POLICY AND PROCEDURES Revised July 2010 Overview An internship or cooperative education (co‐op) program provides students with an on‐the‐job work experience organized in an educational and academic manner. The benefits to students, employers, and the university are listed below. Benefits to students: 1. The student can better evaluate his or her chosen academic major. 2. Classroom theory and principles become more meaningful through practical application in work assignment. 3. The student can earn academic credit. 4. Upon graduation the student will have the advantage of professional experiences to help him or her in the job market. 5. The student can earn money to help finance his or her academic career. 6. The student can secure networking opportunities and an opportunity for a permanent future job. 7. The experience is an excellent addition to the student’s resume. 8. Often, it opens employment opportunities in the same firm. Benefits to employers: 1. The employer and the student can observe each other for an extended period of time at work rather than only during short job interviews when considering long‐term positions. 2. Upon returning to campus the student becomes a contact for the employers seeking other prospective employees. 3. Employers reduce their training costs. 4. Support institutions of higher education. Page 1
Benefits to the University: 1. Create ties with governmental, business, and industrial community. 2. Provide faculty members with the opportunity to gain additional information about their subject matter. 3. Helps update curricula to keep courses aligned with on‐the‐job requirements. 4. Builds bridges with our customers. 5. Improves the image of the College. 6. Brings in additional support of academic programs. College of Business Co‐op Courses: In the College of Business, co‐op and internship courses are considered electives and can be used to satisfy major requirements. The College of Business offers the following co‐op and internship courses during the fall, spring, and summer semesters. ACCT 3393, Accounting Internship I ACCT 4393, Accounting Internship II MISY 3393, Information Systems Internship I MISY 4393, Information Systems Internship II FINA 3393, Finance Internship I FINA 4393, Finance Internship II MGMT 3393, Co‐op Education I MGMT 4393, Co‐op Education II Internship Opportunities and Eligibility: Students seeking a co‐op or internship should schedule an appointment with the College of Business internship coordinator. Students may secure their own co‐op or internship positions. They may also seek assistance from a variety of other sources, including: 
University Career Services Office (2nd Floor, Evans Hall), 
Faculty members, Friends and family, Researching companies of interest, and Online resources. 
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The sponsoring companies, firms, or entities will determine acceptance of interns. Requirements may include resume review, interviews, etc. To obtain academic credit for a co‐op or internship experience, students must register for a co‐
op or internship course with the internship coordinator (a faculty member) or with their respective College of Business department head, pay related tuition and other fees, and earn a grade of C or better. Page 2
Qualifying Companies and Firms Many companies offer internship opportunities, however not all internships qualify for college credit. Internships are evaluated on a company by company basis and it must be evident that a student will be able to apply learned business concepts and receive a professional work experience. The internship coordinator and department head will determine if an internship is eligible for credit. To determine eligibility, the student must provide: 1. an official job description, including the official job title on company letterhead,. 2. the name of the student’s supervisor or an organization contact, 3. an official offer letter on company letterhead, and 4. an updated resume. A student is eligible for a College of Business co‐op or internship based on the following criteria: 1. The student must be in good academic standing. 2. A minimum 2.5 overall cumulative grade point average. 3. Have obtained at least sophomore status (30 earned credit hours) 4. Have passed, with a grade of C or better, six hours of coursework in their respective field. 5. Have the approval of the internship coordinator and department head. Students may earn a maximum of six total credit hours for internships and are limited to registering for three internship credit hours per semester. Internships for academic credit require a minimum of 150 hours of work per semester (roughly ten hours per week). Employers may require more. The internship may or may not include compensation, scholarships, housing, or transportation. Prior to interning, a student briefing is provided by the internship coordinator. The purpose of the briefing is to review the internship purpose, course requirements, and the grading methodology. During the semester, the internship coordinator or department head will contact the intern’s supervisor. The primary purpose of this call is to review the progress of the intern and to plan future recruitment activities. A formal evaluation is required of supervisors and a part of the course grade. Assessment for Learning (Grading) The determination of the final grade for an internship will be based on:  the supervisor’s evaluation (40%),  the student internship report (40%), and  the student’s weekly journal (20%). Page 3
Report Students enrolled for academic credit are required to submit the report prior to finals week. The purpose of the report is to substantiate whether or not the objectives of the internship were met. The report should not be a chronological diary. The report is graded by the internship coordinator and may be reviewed by the department head. It should be a typed narrative, single‐spaced, ten to fifteen pages, and contain the following: 1. Name of the immediate supervisor on the job, his or her title, and means of communicating with the supervisor, including phone, fax, email, and postal address. 2. Objectives of the job assignment during the internship. 3. Intern’s position with organization (including organizational chart). a. The technical nature of the job (if applicable). b. The administrative or managerial duties of the job. 4. Details of specific assignment which should include a. Objectives of the assignment. b. Description of tasks. c. Method or approach to completing tasks. d. Source of information required to perform tasks. e. Impact of the intern’s responsibilities on the unit or department. f. Summary of the skills learned and/or the job training completed. g. Extracurricular involvement. h. Assessment of academic preparedness to fulfill job requirements. i. The most valuable thing learned from the experience. j. How the internship could be improved. Supervisor Evaluation The immediate supervisor evaluates an intern’s job performance based on ten attributes. The attributes relate to knowledge, skills, and abilities. The evaluation is based on a scale of zero through one hundred, with one hundred being the highest performance score and zero considered the lowest. The evaluation form is used as an indication of student performance for grade assignment and evaluation forms in aggregate are used to measure the college’s success at meeting stated educational goals. Weekly Journal As part of the requirements of the course, each intern maintains a weekly chronological journal of his or her internship experience. This should include a description of daily tasks, difficulties encountered, and other meaningful comments. Weekly journals should be no less than one page, single‐spaced. The student will also complete a student evaluation at the end of the internship. This will help the college in deciding if other students should intern with the company in the future. Page 4
PRAIRIE VIEW A&M UNIVERSITY ‐ COLLEGE OF BUSINESS Supervisor Evaluation (Print or Type) Student Name: _____________________________________ Student ID#: _________________ Semester: ______________________ Course: _______________________________________ Employer: _____________________________________________________________________ Supervisor Completing Evaluation: _________________________________________________ Title: _________________________________________________________________________ Phone#: ______________________________ Email: _______________________________ Grading Scale: 90‐100 Excellent, 80‐89 Good, 70‐79 Satisfactory, Below 70 Unsatisfactory Suggested Attributes Scoring Scale Resourcefulness/Creativity Knowledge of Subject Communication Skills Action‐Oriented/Tenacity Computer Literacy Ability to Work in a Team Dependability Poise/Maturity Work Ethics Growth Potential Total Points (Maximum 100) Comments: ___________ ___________ ___________ ___________ ___________ ___________ ___________ ___________ ___________ ___________ Supervisor’s Signature: __________________________________ Date: _____________________ Please fax the form to: Prairie View A&M University College of Business College of Business Internship Coordinator Fax: (936) 261‐9220 Page 5
PRAIRIE VIEW A&M UNIVERSITY ‐ COLLEGE OF BUSINESS Internship Student Report Print or Type Student Name: ____________________________________ Student ID#: _________________ Semester: _______________________ Course: _______________________________________ Company or Firm: _______________________________________________________________ Graded by (Faculty): _____________________________________________________________ Reviewed by (Department Head): ___________________________________________________ Phone #:________________________________ Email: ________________________________ The report (paper) should include a narrative of the internship experience including the following: 1. Name of the immediate supervisor on the job, his or her title, and means of communicating with the supervisor, including phone, fax, email, and postal address. 2. Objectives of the job assignment during the internship. 3. Intern’s position with organization (including organizational chart). a. The technical nature of the job (if applicable). b. The administrative or managerial duties of the job. 4. Details of specific assignment which should include: a. Objectives of the assignment. b. Description of tasks. c. Method or approach to completing tasks. d. Source of information required to perform tasks. e. Impact of the intern’s responsibilities on the unit or department. f. Summary of the skills learned and/or the job training completed. g. Extracurricular involvement. h. Assessment of academic preparedness to fulfill job requirements. i. The most valuable thing learned from the experience. j. How the internship could be improved. The paper may be graded based on grammar, content, readability and overall quality. Grading Scale: 90‐100 Excellent, 80‐89 Good, 70‐79 Satisfactory, Below 70 Unsatisfactory Points Score  Narrative of Experience (25) ____  Content and Completeness (50) ____  Grammar (25) ____ Total (100) ____ Faculty Signature: _____________________________________ Date: ____________________ Department Head Signature: _____________________________ Date: ____________________ Page 6
Prairie View A&M University ‐ College of Business Internship Grade Print or Type Student ID#: Student : Course: Term: Intern’s Supervisor Evaluation x
40% =
Student Report x
40% =
Weekly Journal x
20% =
Total Score Course Grade Faculty Supervisor Signature: Date: Page 7
Prairie View A&M University College of Business Student Evaluation of Internship Experience Student: Company: Course: Term: Faculty Supervisor: Job Supervisor: Rank the following from Poor (1) to Excellent (5) The internship was a challenging experience. 1 2 3 4 5 The internship was a learning experience. 1 2 3 4 5 The internship work environment was positive. 1 2 3 4 5 I received adequate mentoring from my job supervisor(s). 1 2 3 4 5 I received adequate supervision from my faculty supervisor. 1 2 3 4 5 My academic classes prepared me for my internship. 1 2 3 4 5 My computer skills were sufficient for me to perform my job. 1 2 3 4 5 My overall internship experience was positive. 1 2 3 4 5 I would recommend internship with this company other PV students. 1 2 3 4 5 Comments: Student Signature: Date: Page 8
Prairie View A&M University College of Business P.O. Box 519; MS 2300 Hobart Taylor, Sr. Building ‐ Room 2A204 Prairie View, TX 77446 Phone | (936) 261‐9200 Fax | (936) 261‐9241 Web | www.pvamu.edu/business