The specific requirements for registration of both internships and field terms include:

• The position must be paraprofessional in nature. That is, the work must be substantial in terms of the quality of work performed (not simply clerical, food service etc.) to provide students a chance to apply and expand upon their classroom learning; and the student should be working "at the side of" a professional. That professional must be willing to provide adequate training and regular on-site supervision of the intern.
  
• The student must be in good academic standing (minimum 2.0 GPA).
  
• The position should relate to the student's major or career goals and interests. In the case of international students, the federal government requires that the work have a direct tie to the student's academic program (see "Guide to Practical and Academic Training for International Students" for more details).
  
• All registered students must work a minimum of 90 total hours for the term. If a student is pursuing academic credit, he or she can earn ½ unit of credit for 90 hours of work and 1 unit of credit for 180 hours of work. Note: Students may earn a maximum of 2 units of field term/internship credit during their entire enrollment; up to 4 units with approval from the dean of the College.

WHY ARE INTERNSHIPS IMPORTANT?
While attending a great school, getting a high GPA, and taking appropriate coursework are all important to employers and graduate schools, they are not enough. The fact is, both expect more from our students than just a college degree. They expect to see evidence that they can apply what they've learned in the classroom in a real-world setting off campus. We recommend students complete an internship every summer of their undergraduate experience. We understand that most students must also save money for college and we can help them find paid internships or combine a paid job with an unpaid internship. It can be done!

Aside from these practical considerations, there is a much larger benefit to participating in internships. They can transform a student's life and career in ways we can't even imagine. It is only by doing the work associated with a particular career interest that students can feel confident about their choices.

Other advantages of completing an internship include:

HOW DOES FACS HELP STUDENTS LOCATE INTERNSHIPS?
Our staff have put together an Internship Guide that covers the process, various search strategies, and a wealth of resources both on-line and in our library.

We receive hundreds of internship and entry-level openings each year from faculty, staff, employers, government agencies, and non-profit organizations. All of these are posted on-line at My TurtleSearch for students to access 24/7.

We offer a number of other supporting programs and services to help students including:

WHAT ARE THE REQUIREMENTS AFTER REGISTRATION?
Registering an internship is very similar to enrolling in a class. In fact, it carries the same financial (if for-credit) and learning obligations complete with a pass/fail (for credit) or satisfactory/unsatisfactory (non-credit) grade.

In both cases, students are required to set learning goals (Statement of Purpose), check on the progress of those goals midway through the experience with a FACS staff member (Progress Visit), and reflect on what they've learned at the end (Reflective Summary). These requirements reflect the close tie internships have with Beloit's academic program, a quality shared by only the best internship programs in the country. Beloit's current model has served as an example to other colleges and universities nationwide since its inception in 1964. We've listed below a brief description of each of the components involved in completing an internship at Beloit.

Statement of Purpose
As the name suggests, a Statement of Purpose, is a student's discussion of exactly what he/she brings to and takes from the experience. We've found that by being purposeful about setting goals, students gain a better understanding of what they've learned and how to adjust to external forces that sometimes require a change in direction on the job site. We strongly encourage students to develop their Statement in conjunction with their work supervisor so as to assure that the goals set forth in the document are realistic and measurable. This 1-2 page paper is turned into FACS at the end of the second week on the work site and should include:

Learning Contract
A Learning Contract is the academic component of a for-credit internship and is required only for students who wish to receive credit.

The first step is for the student to write an outline detailing exactly what he or she will be doing for an academic project over the course of the term or Summer. This outline is developed in conjunction with you, the faculty sponsor, who must sign it before it is turned in at the FACS office (along with the student's Statement of Purpose), no later than the end of the second week on the job.

The second piece is the actual research paper or project which must be turned in to both the faculty sponsor and to FACS no later than the student's last day on the job site. Note: It is important that students turn in all papers before the end of the term so that final grades can be calculated and submitted in a timely manner.

Faculty expectations for the content of the Learning Contract vary widely by major and department and is up to you and the student to determine. Often, it involves writing a research paper, but we encourage you and the student to be creative and to relate the project to the internship. For example, some students have put together art exhibits, campus-wide or symposium presentations, etc. For samples of each of the papers required, go to the Internships page in the Student section.

Progress Review
Whenever possible, a FACS staff member will touch base with the student and site supervisor by visiting the site or conducting a meeting via conference call about midway through the internship. We do this as a way of supporting the student's experience. At this time, we encourage students to reflect on what they've learned and what they can achieve in their time remaining. This has the dual benefit of helping us to establish stronger, long-term relationships with our employer partners so that additional Beloit students might intern there in the future. We encourage faculty to join us whenever possible in conducting site progress reviews.

Reflective Summary
Upon completion of the internship, we ask students to reflect on their overall experience in terms of what they've learned and how they will use that knowledge in the future. This summary is turned in at the same time as the Academic Project.

Final Evaluations
We ask both students and employers to complete a final evaluation of one another. We strongly encourage employers to sit down with their intern to discuss their impressions and provide feedback on work performance. In the case of the student's evaluation of the employer, it can help us to determine if further discussion or education may be necessary with that particular worksite. It also serves as a means of knowing if this would be a good internship site for future Beloit students.

Grade Reports
If the student is completing the internship for credit, their faculty sponsor must submit a grade report to FACS before we can close the student's file. If you have misplaced the copy sent by our office you can download a blank Student Grade Report.

WHAT PROGRAMS ARE UNIQUE TO BELOIT COLLEGE?