Definition
An internship is a supervised work/learning experience that exposes a student to professional responsibilities in a career field of interest. Internships are further defined by the acknowledgement that the student intern is the primary beneficiary of the relationship and that the supervision provided by the sponsoring organization offers both structure and evaluation to the student intern.

Timeframe
Internships occur throughout the year, in accordance with the academic calendar: fall semester (Sept. - Dec.),  spring semester (Jan. - May) and summer break (June - Aug.) 

Hours
Specific internship hours are negotiated between the student intern and the sponsoring organization. Academic year internships (fall/spring semesters) are part-time with a weekly time commitment between 8-15 hours. Summer internships may be either part or full-time.

Compensation
Internships that offer financial compensation are highly attractive to students, especially during the summer months.  Providence College expects sponsoring organizations offering non-paying internships to adhere to the legal criteria established for volunteer internships.

Eligibility
Providence College junior and senior level students in good academic standing are eligible to pursue academic credit for internships. Students are responsible for the timely coordination of academic credit.

Supervision
All students participating in academic internships are required to have a faculty supervisor and a site supervisor. The faculty supervisor oversees the academic learning components of the internship while the site supervisor oversees the student intern’s work setting learning and performance while at the internship site.

Learning Agreement
All students participating in academic internships must complete a Learning Agreement for Internships and Field Experiences.  The Learning Agreement  is to be completed by the student intern in consultation with his/her faculty and site supervisors and signed by all parties. 

Hours
Academic internships specify a minimum number of hours to be worked during the academic semester and typically average 8-15 hours per week.  A summer academic internship can be full time.

Compensation
Most academic internship courses will allow a student intern to be paid and receive academic credit. It is the responsibility of the student intern to be fully informed on the details of his/her academic internship course.

The PC Internship Service acts as a clearinghouse of internship opportunities and is not involved in the screening or placement of any Providence College student. The college expects all sponsoring organizations to comply with all state and federal laws and regulations, including but not limited to Title VII, Equal Employment Opportunity laws, Fair Labor Standards, Workers’ Compensation laws, and the Americans with Disabilities Act.  

The Providence College Career Planning & InternshipServiceis a member of the National Association of Colleges and Employers (NACE), and adheres to the "Principles of Professional Conduct” for Colleges and Employers as stated in their users guide.

Appropriate internship opportunities are advertised on the Career Services’ website in a system known to students as eFriars. Student’s have unlimited access to this system throughout the year. It is preferred that sponsoring organizations EMAIL internship description(s) to interns@providence.edu.  If unable to email, please FAX the description to the Office of Career Services at 401.865.1516.

Please include the following in the internship description:

• Organization name/department with complete street and web address
• Name of contact person with job title, phone, email and fax
• Internship title(s) with DETAILED DESCRIPTION(S) of tasks/projects/responsibilities (This is the most important section of your listing. It should thoroughly describe the nature of the work. Please take the time to accurately describe your opportunity - please do not send one line descriptions.)
• Qualifications/Requirements and hours per week
• Hourly rate of pay or stipend allowance, if applicable
• Timeframe: for Fall, for Spring, for Summer (any/all combinations apply)
• Application procedure and deadlines, if applicable
• State in advance if your organization requires that the student intern receive academic credit. (Note: This preference will limit the range of eligible applicants to juniors and seniors only.)

Thank you for your interest in Providence College students!

Providence College Office of Career Services
Slavin Center, Room 111
Providence, RI 02918
401-865-1516 (fax)
401-865-1530 (phone)