Experiential Learning: Internship and Career Center

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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 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

Internship Faculty assist students in identifying appropriate sites, which must be approved prior to the start of each internship. Faculty 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 their 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 typically completed during summer after the first and second years of study, and most students complete these internships near their hometowns. Students may also complete these internships during the January intersession. 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 faculty 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 short-term 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 (visual and performing arts majors complete a portfolio course). 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 typically 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.

A transportation stipend of $550 is available to students for the commuter rail into Boston or $325 for one-way travel of 20 miles or more by other means of transportation.

Distance and Internship Semester Internships

Distance Internship Definition: A distance or international semester internship is one in which the internship’s location precludes the student from returning to campus for the weekly internship seminar. This includes students whose semester internship schedule (rather than the distance from campus) prevents them from returning to campus for the weekly internship seminar. 

Distance Internship Application: To be approved for a distance internship, students must submit the Distance Internship Application. 

Completion of Required Courses: Students considering a distance internship should discuss their plan with their internship faculty, academic advisor, and school dean as far in advance as possible to ensure they are able to meet all course requirements by their planned graduation date. 

SEMESTER INTERNSHIP & SEMINAR - Students enrolled in Semester Internship are requested to participate in a semester internship seminar. Students completing a distance internship will enroll in a distance section of the class allowing them to take the class online.

SENIOR RESEARCH/SENIOR THESIS/SENIOR CAPSTONE - Most students complete Semester Internship while also completing either Senior Research or Senior Thesis/Senior Capstone. Students who are not able to participate in these classes in person must develop a plan, in consultation with the dean and faculty member teaching the course(s), about how these requirements will be met. This may include taking the course through an online section (when available), taking the course a different semester, or taking the course remotely.  In most majors, an online section of the course will be an option to help students stay on track to graduate.  However, there is no guarantee that a course will be offered in a remote or online format. Therefore, these options must be carefully planned and approved in order for a student to stay on track for graduation.  

GPA Requirements: To be eligible for a distance internship, students must have a GPA of 2.50 or above. To be eligible to take an online or remote section of Senior Research, Senior Thesis/Capstone, students must have a GPA of 2.70 or above. Students with a GPA below 2.70 should plan to take Senior Research, Senior Thesis/Capstone in person during a semester other than the one in which they plan to complete a distance internship, for instance spring of  junior year. Alternatively, distance internships can be completed junior year when Senior Research/Senior Thesis/Capstone are not required as long as the student has completed the prerequisites.

Clinical Education, Student Teaching

The structure of the experiential learning component is shaped by the program and individual student learning objectives. Nursing internship credits are earned in clinical education experiences over the course of the four-year program. Education students complete clinical field based experiences.

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 the Strong Interest Inventory.  These self-assessment resources allow students and alumni to explore career options that relate to their personality, skills, interests, and values.

Resources

Students, faculty, staff, and parents may access many career and internship/job search resources on the Internship and Career Center’s page on Endicott’s website. Resources include Gulls@Work, a platform for viewing and applying to internships and jobs and proposing internships; Big Interview software that allows users to prepare for and practice interviewing; and a wide variety of useful links and resources related to professional skill development.

Gull2Gull Mentoring Program

Students can connect with alumni for assistance with job and internship searches, career exploration and advice, as well as networking, through the Gull@Gull Mentoring Program. Students apply through the Internship and Career Center in fall or spring, and are matched with an alumna/us based on their interests. 

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, Co-op and Career Fair each spring. The Internship and Career Center also coordinates on-campus interviews and employer information and recruiting events 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 programs offered each fall that feature employers and alumni as guest speakers on topics including evaluating and negotiating job offers, preparing for life after graduation and managing personal finances.