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Experiential Learning: Internship and Career Center
Internship, Clinical Practice, Student Teaching, and Careers
Endicott College Internship and Career Center
Endicott is a pioneer in offering required experiential learning opportunities in every program of study. The founders of the College believed that students should gain insight into their intended career fields by acquiring practical experience and developing their professional skills. Experiential learning at Endicott takes several forms, including internships for the majority of students, student teaching in the early childhood and elementary programs, and clinical education experiences for nursing and athletic training majors. The Endicott College Internship and Career Center supports the experiential learning programming that permeates all four years of the College curriculum and that enables students to graduate “career ready” with robust resumes and dynamic employment opportunities.
The Internship: A Professional Experience
The Internship Program
Bachelor’s degree candidates complete a sequence of internship courses: two 120-hour internships (two credits each), one course to prepare for the semester-long internship (one credit), and one full-time, semester-long internship (12 credits). Transfer students entering Endicott with 30 or more credits are exempt from the first 120-hour internship and must make up the credits.
Internship Coordinators assist students in identifying appropriate sites, which must be approved prior to the start of each internship. Coordinators and students work with internship site supervisors to develop “learning agreements” that outline the personal and professional learning experiences each student would like to gain through his or her internship. Since internship at Endicott is integral to each program of study, often helping students fine tune their choices of majors and careers, the academic component of the experience is vital.
120-Hour Internships
The 120-hour internships are completed during the January or summer breaks in the first and second years of study, and most students complete these internships near their hometowns. Students complete pre-internship seminars, INT 010 and INT 020, to prepare for INT 100 and INT 200.
First year students participate in INT 100 Internship I, which includes a series of required classes and assignments that begin in the fall semester in preparation for the internship itself. This first internship affords students the opportunity to experience a workplace in their chosen major and explore options and potential career paths.
Second year students participate in INT 200 Internship II, which includes online assignments and meetings with internship coordinators as well as site supervisors. The goal of the second internship is to provide hands-on experience in a chosen field.
At the conclusion of each 120-hour internship, the site supervisors complete evaluations of their interns, keeping in mind the “learning agreements” for the experience. Students are also required to write a reflective essay, update their resumes, submit time sheets, and complete other assignments as required. Upon return to the College, all students meet with their academic advisors to discuss their experiences and field-related trends and to reassess or confirm their academic and career goals.
The Semester-long Internship
Semester-long internships are usually completed in the fall semester of the senior year, with preparation beginning in the junior year with a course titled Semester Internship Strategies. This one-credit course, offered in fall and spring semesters, includes eight one-hour sessions that prepare students to search for and undertake the full-semester internship. Sessions include strategic planning, updating of resumes, applying for the internship, participating in mock interviews, developing networking strategies, and making the most of the internship experience.
The semester-long internship itself is a 12-credit course that requires students to apply academic theories to the professional work environment. The course - planned with and supervised by faculty and site supervisors - includes weekly, on-campus seminars where students reflect on their internship experiences, discuss reading and writing assignments that integrate theory and practice, and refine their job search skills. At the conclusion of the course, students deliver oral presentations that articulate their internship experiences, professional strengths, and future career directions. Prerequisites: All course requirements of the freshman, sophomore, and junior years must be completed or the school dean must grant permission. Students must arrange to take Senior Thesis I either the semester before or after the internship.
To help defray travel costs for students whose internship sites are some distance from the College, a transportation subsidy of $475 is available to students for the commuter rail into Boston or $250 for one-way travel of 20 miles or more by other means of transportation.
Distance Internship
If the location of a desired internship site precludes a student’s return to campus for the scheduled weekly seminars, the student must plan his or her program of study by the fall of the junior year. In addition, the student must have a minimum cumulative grade point average of 2.5 and must submit a Distance Internship Application to the Internship Office by October 5 for the spring semester and March 9 for the fall semester. Note: Students completing a distance internship must have reliable internet access; they will be communicating with their instructors via the College learning management system or videoconferencing. Students in some majors may need to arrange to take Senior Thesis I either the semester before or after the internship and should consult with their academic advisor and/or school dean.
Clinical Education, Student Teaching
The structure of the experiential learning component is shaped by the program and individual student learning objectives. Nursing and athletic training internship credits are earned in clinical education experiences over the course of the four-year program. Education and physical education students complete 120-hour internships, but devote their semester-long experience to student teaching.
Tuition During the Full-semester Internship
The full-semester internship is an integral component of each program of study at Endicott College and is the reason that most students select Endicott over other colleges. The internship experience provides the integration of theoretical learning in the classroom with real world application in the workplace. The full-semester internship is essential to the senior academic experience, which includes career preparation and a culminating thesis project.
The full-semester internship, if successfully completed, carries 12 credit hours that are necessary to fulfill graduation requirements. Because this is a faculty supervised internship, which includes site visits and regular class assignments, as opposed to the non-credit bearing experiences offered at some institutions, the College charges published tuition fees during the semester in which full-semester internships are completed.
Career Services and Resources
The Internship and Career Center
The purpose of the Internship and Career Center is to provide services, resources, and educational opportunities that will support students and alumni in their career exploration, planning, and job search efforts. The Center works closely with the Internship Program. To achieve these goals, the Internship and Career Center offers the following services and resources:
Career Advising
Individual assistance in career exploration, career planning, job search skills, (i.e., resumes, cover letters, interviewing, negotiating offers), graduate school options, and career transitions is available to all students and alumni.
Career Assessment
The Internship and Career Center offers the career assessment tools, SkillScan, TypeFocus and YouScience. These self-assessment resources allow students and alumni to explore career options that relate to their personality, skills, interests, and values.
Resources
A wide variety of web-based and video career resources are available to students and alumni. In addition, students, faculty, staff, and parents may access many career and job search resources on the Internship and Career Center’s page on Endicott’s website. Resources include Interview Stream software that allows users to prepare for and practice interviewing; and a wide variety of useful links and downloadable handouts related to professional skill development.
The Nest
The Nest is an online community for Endicott alumni, students, faculty, staff and friends of the College. Students can reach out to alumni and other community members for informational interviews, career advice, networking and more; all communication is managed through the online platform. Students also have the opportunity to be mentored by alumni via the Gull2Gull Mentoring Program, which is managed through the Nest.
Job and Internship Postings
Full-time, part-time, and seasonal job postings, along with a calendar of career events, including area job and career fairs, are accessible to students and alumni through our online job board, Handshake, which is linked to the Internship and Career Center page on the Endicott website. Internships are also posted here. The site also includes a searchable employer database and the ability to upload resumes, cover letters, and portfolio materials. Students can also schedule appointments with career advisors via Handshake.
Recruiting and Networking Opportunities
The Internship and Career Center sponsors Meet the Firms each fall, which features premiere finance and accounting firms recruiting for internships and jobs, as well as an Internship and Career Fair each spring. The Internship and Career Center also coordinates on-campus interviews and employer information and recruiting tables at various locations across campus. Additional opportunities to network with employers and alumni include Industry Night panels, and other events offered throughout the year.
Professional Skill Development
Presentations offered throughout the school year are designed to provide assistance with writing professional resumes, preparing job search correspondence, building a LinkedIn profile, developing effective job search skills, acquiring successful interviewing skills, and applying to graduate school. These presentations are offered in classes as well as through the Career Lab program series offered each fall that features employers and alumni as guest speakers on additional topics including evaluating and negotiating job offers, preparing for life after graduation and managing personal finances.
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