Career Services Center~Coastal Carolina University

Internships are an excellent way for employers to obtain motivated, professional, skilled employees to assist with day-to-day operations and special projects without making the longterm commitment to employment. Students from our business, science, fine arts, humanities, and education colleges are eager to apply their academic knowledge and gain valuable hands-on experience.

Coastal Carolina University offers graduate and undergraduate baccalaureate degress in 55 major fields of study and 44 minors. (CLICK HERE to view the list of degrees offered). The internship requirements may vary depending on the learning goals of each academic major. Generally, the term of internship participation extends over the course of a semester, and the student is expected to work between 10-15 hours per week under the supervision of the internship site sponsor. A few majors at Coastal Carolina University have specialized internship program guidelines which may require the student to work additional hours in order to qualify for academic credit.

The National Association of Colleges and Employers (NACE) reported in the 2011 Experimental Education Survey that during the 2010-2011 academic year over 66 percent of interns accepted offers of full-time employment. The potential benefit to both the employer and students are numerous.

Benefits of an Intern | Criteria | Process | Forms | Questions

Benefits of Sponsoring a Student Intern
Provides cost-effective recruiting of highly motivated students Interns are enthusiastic, achievement-oriented and full of fresh insights Allows for flexibility in staffing needs without long-term commitment Interns can assist in the completion of special work-related projects Interns tend to increase permanent employee motivation and productivity Training time and costs are greatly reduced if an employer hires an intern as a permanent employee Because internships are a "test-run" for both employee and employer, the result is a greater retention of a new permanent hires Enhances company image in the community by supporting local university students Interns returning to campus are effective public relations ambassadors for your organization [TOP] Criteria for an Experience to Be Defined as an Internship To ensure that an experience - whether it is a traditional internship or one conducted remotely or virtually - is educational, and thus eligible to be considered a legitimate internship by the National Association of Colleges and Employers (NACE), all the following criteria must be met: The experience must be an extension of the classroom: a learning experience that provides for applying the knowledge gained in the classroom. It must not be simply to advance the operations of the employer or be the work that a regular employee would routinely perform. The skills or knowledge learned must be transferable to other employment settings. The experience has a defined beginning and end, and a job description with desired qualifications. There are clearly defined learning objectives/goals related to the professional goals of the student's academic coursework. There is supervision by a professional with expertise and educational and/or professional background in the field of the experience. There is routine feedback by the experienced supervisor. There are resources, equipment, and facilities provided by the host employer that support learning objectives/goals.
Internship Process
Employer should complete the Internship Job Description and the Memorandum of Understanding forms and return them to the Career Services Internship Coordinator Employer should expect to be contacted by interested students seeking an internship Schedule an interview with the student/students and select an intern Complete and return the Internship Learning Contract and Student Learning Goals forms to the Career Services Internship Coordinator Supervise the student throughout the internship term. Complete the midterm Employer Internship Evaluation form and review with the student Complete the final Internship Evaluation and return it to the Career Services Internship Coordinator and/or faculty supervisor at the completion of the internship

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Internship Forms
Internship Job Description Memorandum of Understanding Internship Learning Contract Student Learning Goals Employer Evaluation Work Hours Log
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Questions?
Please contact Mr. Robert Bulsza, Career Services Internship Coordinator to post an internship, to help find a student intern, or for any additional information regarding internships at Coastal Carolina University. Office: (843) 234-3450 Fax: (843) 349-2718 rbulsza@coastal.edu [TOP]