What is an internship?

An internship is a carefully monitored work or service experience in which a student has intentional goals and reflects actively on what he/she is learning throughout the experience. Internships vary in length and may be part-time or full-time. They can take place in any work or service setting. They may be part of an educational program and carefully monitored and evaluated for academic credit, or they can be part of a learning plan the intern develops. the important element that distinguishes an internship from a short-term job or community service is the "intentional learning agenda" that the intern brings to the experience.

(National Society for Experiential Education, USA, 2015)

Internship Criteria

To ensure that an experience -- whether it is a traditional internship or one conducted remotely or virtually -- is educational, and thus eligible to be considered a legitimate internship by the NACE definition, all the following criteria must be met:

• The experience must be an extension of the classroom: a learning experience that provides for applying the knowledge gained in the classroom. It must not be simply to advance the operations of the employer or be the work that a regular employee would routinely perform.
• The skills or knowledge learned must be transferable to other employment settings.
• The experience has a defined beginning and end, and a job description with desired qualifications.
• There are clearly defined learning objectives/goals related to the professional goals of the student's academic coursework.
• There is supervision by a professional with expertise and educational and/or professional background in the field of the experience.
• There is routine feedback by the experienced supervisor.
• There are resources, equipment, and facilities provided by the host employer that support learning objectives/goals.

(National Association of Colleges and Employers, USA 2015)