Internships
Purpose
Finding a good job is the number one reason that students, parents, and the public value higher education. Gallup research shows that graduates who had a relevant job or internship experience while in school were more than twice as likely to acquire a good job immediately after graduation than their peers who did not complete an internship (see Busteed and Auter, “Why Colleges Should Make Internships a Requirement,” 2017). Internships give Ensign College students opportunities to apply lessons learned in the classroom, develop professional skills in a real-world environment under supervision from an employer, and interact with a faculty member through associated academic coursework. In addition, internships expand a student’s professional network.
Definition
An “internship” is an academic, curriculum-based, practical work experience in a particular field of study that enhances student learning and development of professional skills. An internship is not a component of a course; rather, it is an applied work experience that includes related academic assignments. An internship requires the supervision of a professional who supervises the work of the intern/employee. Except for rare expectations, the supervisor should not be a relative of the student.
Internship Requirement
To graduate from Ensign College, degree-seeking students are required to complete at least one internship or medical practicum related to a certificate or degree studied at Ensign College.
A student earning an associate degree is required to complete one internship or medical practicum. A student earning a bachelor’s degree is required to complete at least one internship. A student earning only a certificate is not required to complete an internship unless specified as a certificate requirement. A student who applies directly to a bachelor’s degree program is required to complete only one internship unless their program of study requires two internships. If an associate degree program includes two certificates, completion of only one internship is required.
A student who graduates with an associate degree and later enrolls in a bachelor’s degree program at Ensign College will be required to complete two internships—one at the associate degree level and one at the bachelor’s degree level unless otherwise noted.
Internships are primarily off-campus experiences. On-campus internships (working for Ensign College) are strongly discouraged and must be approved by the Internship Exception Committee. Ensign Center for Employer Connections (EC2) internships are internships working for an employer partner who has an office on our campus. The companies are separate legal entities from the College and are approved internship experiences.
All Bachelor-level internships (CAR 499, etc.) must be Off-Campus Internships. Any exceptions must be approved by the Internship Exception Committee.
Internship Standards
Ensign College internship experiences must meet these standards:
1. Relates directly to a student’s certificate or degree program.
2. Provides the student with supervised practical application of previously studied theory.
3. Focuses on real-world projects and problems serving employers or clients who are external to the college.
4. Is administered through enrollment in an academic internship course.
5. Internships are supervised by experience providers rather than faculty.
Ideally, internship experiences will expand a student’s professional network and business relationships.
College-Wide Capabilities (CWC)
An internship experience at Ensign College should include further development of the College-Wide Capabilities that are related to skills that employers are seeking in good candidates, namely:
1. Teamwork and Leadership
2. Communication
3. Technical Skills
4. Problem Solving
5. Professionalism
Time Commitment - Minimum Hours and Weeks
A minimum of 70 hours of total work in the internship experience is required, with a minimum of 10 hours of work per week for 7 weeks in a row. Other scheduling arrangements are acceptable if the minimum requirement is met (for example, a student may complete 40 hours of work per week for 14 weeks).
Most internship providers expect interns to work 20-40 hours per week for at least one semester.
Students must enroll for a minimum of 1 credit hour and may elect to enroll in up to 3 credits. Only 1 credit hour is required, even if total work hours for the internship exceed 70 hours. Work hour requirements by credit hour are as follows:
1 credit = a minimum of 70 work hours during the semester
2 credits = a minimum of 140 work hours during the semester
3 credits = a minimum of 210 hours during the semester
Students wishing to enroll for 2 or 3 credit hours must submit their request in the Internship Class Application Form. If the student is applying for more than 1 credit their application must specify the number of hours, they will complete during their internships according to the formula above.
Internship Preparation and Resources
International students are limited to 20 hours per week unless they are on an official break/vacation semester. Please consult the International Student Office for details.
Students are encouraged to work with Career and Internship Services at least one or two semesters before they need an internship. Career and Internship Service staff are actively looking for and posting Internship Opportunities on our social media platform, Ensign Connect; and are happy to assist students in their search for an internship opportunity. However, the student is ultimately responsible for finding and securing an internship that matches their interest and skills and the college-wide outcomes.
Internships for International Students
International students are limited to 20 hours per week unless they are on an official break/vacation semester. Please consult the International Student Office for details.
All international students pursuing an internship must coordinate with the International Student Office and the Career and Internship Services before accepting job offers or starting to work off-campus.
To learn more and receive help with your internship, please visit the Career & Internship Services website: https://www.ensign.edu/internships