WHAT IS AN INTERNSHIP OR FIELD TERM?
You may have heard the term field experience programs and wondered exactly what it meant. Simply put, it is an umbrella term used to describe all of our experiential offerings in FACS including externships (job shadowing), internships, and field terms. You can find out more about externships by visiting the Career Exploration section of our website. An internship is a part-time, para-professional work experience completed during the school year or summer. A field term is also para-professional, but is a full-time work experience either during the school year or the summer usually includes an academic component (Acaademic Project).

Internships and field terms are typically away from campus, but consideration is also given to well-planned on-campus experiences that meet all of the internship requirements.

Both internships and field terms may be registered on a student's transcript as either a for-credit, or non-credit experience. Of course, students may locate and participate in an internship entirely independently without any official recognition by the College. PLEASE NOTE: There is NO relationship between earning academic credit and earning a salary. Some internships/field terms are paid, others are not. It is entirely up to the employer to determine issues of wage, stipend or salary. A student may earn credit for a paid internship.

In order for students to register an internship or field term with FACS and receive a transcript notation (either for credit or non credit), they must meet briefly with a counselor to complete the registration card (similar to an add card) and Student Agreement Form (or complete the registration process via email if away from campus at the time of registration). We routinely set aside a week each term as "Registration Week" when we hold group orientations to help them get the experience registered quickly without having to make an appointment. Once registered, we provide on-going support and assistance in tying the work experience to the student's academic program (see requirements section below).

Internships or field terms already completed usually cannot be retro-actively registered, unless the student can offer documentation for the planning, evaluation, and reflection expected for the applicable Beloit College program.

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

WHY ARE INTERNSHIPS IMPORTANT?
The secret that a lot of students don't know is that while attending a great school, getting a high GPA, and taking appropriate coursework are all important to employers and graduate schools alike, they are not enough. The fact is, both expect more from you than just a college degree. They expect to see evidence that you can apply what you'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 you'll also need to earn some money to pay for your education and living expenses. You can do both! Think about it. When you graduate, you're going to be competing with graduates from colleges and universities from all over the U.S. and beyond. Do you want to come out ahead, or start out several steps behind?

Aside from these practical considerations, there is a much larger benefit to participating in internships. They can transform your life and career in ways you can't even imagine. It is only by doing the work associated with a particular career interest that you can really know if it's right for you.

Other advantages of completing an internship include:

The real question is why not do several internships?

HOW CAN FACS HELP ME TO FIND AN INTERNSHIP?
Our staff have put together the Internship Search Guide that covers the process, various search strategies, and a wealth of resources on-line and in our office.

We receive hundreds of internship openings each year from faculty, staff, alumni, employers, government agencies, and non-profit organizations. All of these are posted in our on-line jobs database (MonsterTRAK) for you to access 24/7. To view our postings, go to the "Search Job Listings/Internships" section of our site. There you will also find directions for how to use the system and how to get registered with FACS. This is a great page to bookmark so you can browse through our listings regularly.

In addition, we offer a number of other supporting programs and services to help you secure just the right position including:

MAXIMIZE YOUR INTERNSHIP EXPERIENCE!

WHAT ARE THE REQUIREMENTS AFTER I REGISTER?
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 credit/no credit, equivelant to pass/fail (for credit), or satisfactory/unsatisfactory (non-credit) grade.

To help you get the most out of your experience, we ask that you reflect on what you bring to the internship and set learning goals (Statement of Purpose)at the beginning, reflect on the progress of those goals midway through the experience (Progress Review), and reflect on what you learned at the end (Reflective Summary). This is the same type of arrangement you'd find in a class (syllabus containing learning goals, mid-term, final exam) but it focuses on hands-on learning and building relationships rather than on testing. It also reflects 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 (it was a pretty radical idea back then). We've listed below a brief description of each of the components involved in completing an internship at Beloit as well as samples along each step of the journey.

Statement of Purpose
As the name suggests, a Statement of Purpose is a student's discussion of exactly what he/she brings to and would like to take 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 internship site. We strongly encourage students to develop their Statement in conjunction with their work supervisor so as to ensure 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 a student's second week on the internship site and should include:

Academic Project
An academic project is required only if you are seeking College credit for your internship. Your project is due at the end of the internship or the end of the academic term, whichever is sooner.

Academic Project Outline
An outline describing what you will be doing for an academic project is due in the FACS office no later than the end of your second week on the job. Talk to your faculty sponsor for ideas/feedback and submit a copy of your approved project outline to us (must have signature or email approval from faculty sponsor). You are earning credit based upon what you demonstrated though your academic project; not for the internship itself.

In your outline, you must:

1) Develop a project question or topic.
In developing your project, you may find inspiration by considering
• What interested you in this internship?
• Is there a specific question you have related to your career field that you would like to find an answer for?
• If you could add one job task to your internship, what would it be?
• Are there things you have learned in the classroom that you would like to have confirmed through your internship?
• What do you find curious about this field?

2) Determine your research methods or means for completing the academic project
• Conduct library or online reserach (most students rely upon these types of research, but we encourage you to think more broadly.)
• Attend a workshop or lecture on the topic
• Interview professionals in the field
• Design and conduct a survey
• Job shadow a professional in the field
• Tour another company in a related industry
• Write a series of vignettes which analyze different elements of the work culture

(click here for Academic Project Outline Sample 1)
(click here for Academic Project Outline Outline Sample 2)
(click here for Academic Project Sample 1)
(click here for Academic Project Sample 2)

Progress Review
Whenever possible, a FACS staff member will touch base with you and your worksite supervisor by visiting your internship site or conducting a meeting via conference call about midway through your internship. We do this as a way of supporting your experience, helping you to address any concerns or problems you or the employer may have. At this time, we encourage you to reflect on what you've learned and what you can achieve in your time remaining. If your internship is distant from campus, this quick check in will be conducted via conference call. If you're within driving distance, we will typically come and visit with you and your supervisor at your work site. If you're doing the internship for credit, your faculty sponsor may opt to participate in the progress review as well. The review has the dual benefit of helping us to establish stronger, long-term relationships with our community partners so that additional Beloit students might intern there in the future. It is the student's responsibility to work out a time that works with both their schedule and their supervisor's and to contact FACS with that date and time. We urge you to schedule this meeting right at the start of your internship. Remember, we will be trying to schedule well over 100 of these visits into a few short weeks during the summer months so it is very important to get it entered on everyone's calendar early in the process.

Reflective Summary
Upon completion of your internship (or at the end of the academic term, whichever is sooner), we ask that you reflect on your overall experience in terms of what you've learned and how you will use that knowledge in the future. Your 2 page summary, due your last day on the job, should address the following points:

(click here for Sample 1)
(click here for Sample 2)

Final Evaluations
We ask both students and employers to complete a final evaluation of one another. We strongly encourage employers to sit down with you to discuss their impressions and provide feedback on your 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. You should receive an evaluation form in the mail. If for some reason you do not receive it, or misplace it, you can download one here.

Please keep in contact with FACS throughout your internship experience and, don't hesitate to call or email us if you have questions or need assistance. You can reach us at: (608) 363-2673 or facs@beloit.edu

(Click here for evaluation form)

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ONLINE SUBSCRIPTIONS
ArtSearch
Internships.com
Internships-usa.com
NACElink

SPECIAL INTERNSHIP PROGRAMS UNIQUE TO BELOIT COLLEGE

College-to-Work (CTW)
This exciting program is a collaboration between the 20 private non-profit colleges and universities in Wisconsin and the Wisconsin Foundation for Independent Colleges (WFIC). This is the same group that puts together the WorkForce Career Fair each spring. While most of the private colleges in Wisconsin are not large enough to attract many employers to their campuses to recruit interns, through this state-wide collaboration, we can successfully connect our students to the same types of opportunities available at larger schools. This unique arrangement makes it possible for Beloit students (and those from the other private schools) to have exclusive access to these specific internships at the Wisconsin companies, such as these listed below. All internships are paid (average stipend is $1,500) and include a scholarship (average award is $3,500), similar to the Kemper Scholar Program. Any Beloit student who secures one of these opportunities will be required to register the experience with FACS as either a for-credit or non-credit internship. Some of the companies that have partnered with us in the past have included:

Alzheimer's Support Center - Janesville
Banta Corporation- Menosha
Blue Cross/Blue Shield of Wisconsin- Milwaukee
Community Foundation of Souther Wisconsin, Janesville
Council for the Performing Arts - Jefferson
Domestic Violence Center- Manitowac
First Stage Children's Theater- Milwaukee
Hedberg Public Library - Janesville
Jockey International, Inc.- Kenosha
Johnson Diversity, Inc.- Racine
Johnson Financial Group- Racine
Lutheran Social Services- Manitowac
Marsh- Milwaukee
Milton Historical Society - Milton
Opportunities, Inc. - Fort Atkinson
Rock County Habitat for Humanity- Janesville
The Post Crescent- Appleton
The Reporter- Fon du lac
Wausau Benefits- Wausau
West Bend Mutual Insurance Company- West Bend
YWCA of Rock County - Janesville

To apply:
The application process for the College-to-Work program usually begins in late fall and selections are finalized in mid-to late spring. Go to the WFIC website: http://www.wficweb.org/4.html and read about the requirements for the internships that are avaiable each year. If you qualify, pick up an application in FACS.

Remember, you are only competing with applicants from the 20 private schools in Wisconsin which means you have a much better than average chance of getting hired!

Kemper Scholars Program
Beloit College is one of only 14 colleges and universities nationwide to be selected as a partnering institution in the Kemper Scholar Program. One first-year student from each of the 14 Kemper Scholar institutions is selected each year to participate in this prestigious program. Selection at Beloit College for the program begins in late fall term. Sponsored by the James S. Kemper Foundation of Chicago, Illinois, the Kemper Scholar Program prepares students for leadership and service. The Foundation believes that undergraduate study of the liberal arts is the best preparation for life and career; thus the program aims to promote education in the liberal arts while providing opportunities for career exploration and practical experience.

Scholarship
Kemper Scholars must maintain at least a 3.00 grade point average. They receive annual scholarships of $3,000-$8,000 during the sophomore, junior, and senior years of college. All Scholars receive a minimum award of $3,000/year; if there is financial need, they can receive as much as $8,000/year.

Summer Project Support
Kemper Scholars receive $6,000 stipends for work in major nonprofit organizations in Chicago during the summer following the sophomore year. After discussions with Foundation staff, Scholars are placed in full-time administrative positions where they can learn about financial management, organizational strategy, fund-raising, and non-profit administration. Scholars live together in furnished apartments and participate in a weekly seminar while having many opportunities to explore a major metropolitan area.

During the summer following the junior year, Scholars are eligible for summer independent project grants ranging from $2,000 to $6,000 (level of support depends on expenses associated with the internship or project). While the Scholars’ summer activities must relate to their educational or career goals, Scholars have great latitude in designing their summer projects. Typically they focus on a summer learning opportunity in an internship or another form of experiential learning.

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COLLEGE-SPONSORED FELLOWSHIPS
Field and Career Services administers two fellowship programs designed to provide financial support to students in unpaid or low-paying summer internships. They were made possible through senior class gifts to the College. Students receive their fellowships and public recognition for their award during Honors Day late in the Spring term.

Selection for both programs occurs in the spring term and both are designed specifically for summer internships. Stay alert for more information on both fellowships in February each year. Interested students should have a general idea of where they might be working during the summer months at the time of application. The deadline for application is typically in March. Both fellowships are awarded based on the student's expected compensation, the quality of the student's application, letters of recommendation, and the nature of the experience they are considering. Both fellowships are open to students from all majors and include a requirement that the winner(s) determine a method of sharing their experience with the larger campus community upon their return to campus.

Class of 1986 Field Experience Fellowship
Open only to juniors, this fellowship is also designed for unpaid, or low-paying summer internships. No community service component is required. The amount available varies each year but is typically in the range of $1,200. This award may be given to one student or divided among several depending on the number and type of applications received.

Class of 1996 Service Learning Fellowship
This fellowship is open to any student who will be participating in an unpaid or low-paying summer internship that has a substantial community service component. The amount awarded each year varies, but is usually in the $500 range. This award is typically given to one student each year.

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MINORS REQUIRING INTERNSHIPS
Four minors at Beloit College require students to participate in an internship prior to graduation. In these cases, it is vital that the student register the internship with FACS prior to beginning the experience. Each minor has a unique set of requirements which may not exactly match those outlined above. Students in any of the minors listed below should meet with a counselor in FACS as soon as they declare to determine requirements and processes.