Internship Guidelines
 Chancellor’s Leadership Studies Program
 Ethnic Living and Learning Community Leadership Studies Program
CERTIFICATE in the STUDY and PRACTICE of LEADERSHIP
Overview
An internship is a learning experience in a work setting that is driven by intentional goals
and accompanied by sustained reflection. The student, organization and leadership
program are cooperatively involved in creating a beneficial experience for the student and
the organization.
To receive the Certificate in the Study and Practice of Leadership through the Leadership
RAP at Williams Village, a student must complete an internship. Students have the
option of fulfilling this requirement by enrolling in either a non-credit or credit
bearing internship through their major department or a non-credit internship through
the Leadership RAP.
Purpose
The internship provides students with an opportunity to apply and connect the practical
experience of the internship with the skills and knowledge gained in the classroom.
During the semester students will use the concepts and theories learned in the classroom
to analyze and understand the practice of leadership as well as to reflect on the
complexities of leadership and the personal challenges that they face in practicing and
refining their own leadership skills.
General Guidelines for all Leadership Certificate Internships
1. Pre-requisites include LDSP 1000, Leadership in the 21st Century; and LDSP 2410,
Dynamics of Priviledge, Oppression & Empowerment in Leadership and two field
Practicums, (LDSP 2910) or Topics class (LDSP 1571).
2. Students must have completed at least 60 credit hours toward their degree and be in
good academic standing.
3. All internships must have approval from the Leadership RAP director prior to the
semester that the internship begins. No retroactive credit is available for internships
already completed.
4. You must obtain a faculty sponsor from your major department or work with the
Director of Leadership RAP program as your internship instructor.
5. All internships must provide work experience clearly related to leadership and prior
leadership course work. Internships for credit will include an academic emphasis
beyond the work experience. Discuss this with your faculty sponsor.
6. Students must work a minimum of 48 hours for every hour of academic credit; the
minimum number of credit hours for an internship is 3 (which is a minimum of 144
total hours).
7. Students opting for a non-credit internship must work a minimum of 144 hours during
the semester.
8. Students must complete all required Leadership assignments, including meeting with
the Leadership RAP director at the conclusion of the internship process.
9. Internships supervised by the Leadership RAP should be continuous with one
organization unless approved by the director.
10. Internships should be completed within one academic year.
Process of Securing an Internship
 Contact the Leadership RAP office at 303 735-1987 and indicate your interest in
the certificate and internship.
 All internships must be approved by the Leadership RAP prior to start-up
 Choose the non-credit or credit bearing internship option.
Non-Credit Internship Option
 Contact the Leadership RAP to confirm your internship will meet the
Certificate in the Study and Practice of Leadership requirements.
 Contact the Leadership RAP or your faculty sponsor for assistance with your
internship application.
 All internships require a written contract with the signatures of the student,
work supervisor and the Leadership RAP Director or faculty sponsor.
Credit Bearing Internship Option
 Determine the department in which you wish to complete your credit bearing.
internship
 Contact your major department for approval and assistance with your
application.
 Contact the Leadership RAP to confirm your internship will meet the
Certificate in the Study and Practice of Leadership requirements.
 Contact the supervising faculty member for course requirements, syllabus, etc.
 All internships require a written contract with the signatures of the student,
work supervisor, the sponsoring faculty member, and the chair of the
department awarding the credit.
Updated 1/2015