Internships
Students gain practical experience in their major field of study through internships. These supervised experiences provide students opportunities to apply knowledge and skills in an operational setting, while testing interest in a particular profession. Settings for professional opportunities include academic institutions, government agencies, private companies, commercial and philanthropic organizations, and opportunities abroad. Though internships are typically pursued for academic credit, the Career Center and the Center for Global Engagement may also arrange non-credit opportunities.
All academic divisions are required to follow guidelines as published in this Catalog and divisional guidelines that more specifically define the experiences. In order to make the most of these experiences, students receive mentoring and preparation that supports positive outcomes for both students and internship sites. The mentoring and preparatory process is provided by the faculty advisor/internship coordinator in some majors and in other majors is provided Career Center staff. Students and supervisors must follow procedures related to application and approval of the experience, the range of accepted experiences, methods of reporting and verifying experiences, and the duties of the faculty supervisor and the internship site supervisor.
Students may enroll in internships in the fall, spring, or summer terms. Although tuition or a fee is required for all such experiences to be listed on the transcript, summer internship tuition is discounted for credit bearing internships. Summer internships for zero credit hours are available to students who are using the experience in fulfilling their Maryville College Works significant practical experience (SPE) requirement. Although students are required to register for them, there is no tuition required. Students must register for the internship courses prior to the internship experience and the activity must take place in the term for which the students are registered for them.
Internship experiences (courses numbered 337) are allotted 0 to 15 credit hours and are intended to give students significant practical experiences in a work, service, or research setting. Credit earned for internships is allocated in proportion to the scope and duration of the experience. Divisional guidelines for internships vary, but for each credit hour granted, students are expected to be involved in at least 45 hours of approved activity. The duration should normally occur over a minimum of three weeks. Zero-credit hour internships can only be done once and must be undertaken as the significant practical experience (SPE) of Maryville College Works. Furthermore, the zero-credit option requires a minimum of at least 45 hours of approved activity for a duration of a minimum of three weeks. Internships are graded on a Satisfactory/Unsatisfactory basis. Internships that satisfy a major requirement must meet the required credit hours specified for that major.
While all majors offer internships, some major fields restrict enrollment in internships to students majoring in the field; therefore, special qualifications or circumstances may warrant application to the appropriate academic division chair for a waiver permitting enrollment by a non-major.
Remuneration may be permitted insofar as Catalog and Divisional guidelines for the learning experience are followed and faculty supervisors work closely with organizations and internship site supervisors to protect students and ensure the quality of the experience as an extension of the College curriculum.