Internship Expectations

The Department of Finance and Economics Internship program is a broad based effort to provide opportunity to students meeting the enrollment requirements for exposure to professions and areas utilizing, in some specialized way, the curriculum of either finance or economics. Due to the diversity of applications, the Department does not utilize any specific mandatory criteria, but rather approaches each internship on a case-by-case basis. In a general sense the Departmental expectation is that an internship will provide the student with mentoring and insight as to the specific job / profession through first-hand observation and hopefully, albeit limited, participation. Specific examples of activities which are perceived as beneficial to the intern and which would be encouraged would include: 

• attendance at meetings or conferences of supervisors or managers; 
• attendance in sales presentations or client interviews (with due regard for confidentiality); 
• participation in research projects; 
• participation in analysis and comment on financial or economic decisions; and, 
• training in client production and client or interpersonal communication.

An internship should have no less than 200 contact hours during the course of an academic semester. 

During the course of the internship the intern should have, essentially, daily contact and interaction with the assigned employer-supervisor. Dependent on the circumstances, however, it is feasible that an intern might be placed on various projects and therefore have less frequent contact with the named supervisor, yet have daily interaction with supervisory managerial personnel. In this regard, it is important that the employer- supervisor recognize that the intern and their efforts need to be valued. It is likely that this internship is the first “real world” experience of the intern in their chosen field, and that first impressions are lasting. The professionalism and respect displayed by the supervisory personnel is of enormous importance to the long term perceptions and success of the intern. 

Prior to approval of any internship, a minimum of a summary of the internship activities will be requested by the Department. During the course of the internship the Department Internship coordinator will be in contact with the employer-supervisor for analysis of the progress of the intern. The employer-supervisor will be expected to provide an evaluation of the intern upon completion of the semester for the purpose of review and as an element of the decision of whether or not credit for the internship should be granted. 

The Department recognizes that every job has its clerical and mundane tasks, and that some of those will be assigned to the intern. However, internships should not be part- time jobs, but rather should be a legitimate learning experience wherein the student has the opportunity to see and participate in the application of the precepts of their major field of study.