Internships
At Valpo’s College of Business, we expect you to have a meaningful internship experience. In fact, we require it.
We’ve designed our internship program to help every student make the most of this invaluable opportunity for on-the-job learning. All Valpo business students must complete an internship, plus a required concurrent class. The program provides the structure you need to excel and the time you need to reflect on what you learn.
Although students are responsible for securing their internship, you can get support from our Advising and Practical Experience Coordinator and from Valpo’s Career Center.
Valpo students find that their internships allow them to specialize more in their chosen industry. They also learn the technology and jargon of their field, and they learn to adapt to the professional culture of their workplace. Many of our students also receive job offers from companies where they have interned.
So go ahead — get your foot in the door.
Finding an internship is a real job search, so you should start this process early! The following resources can help you identify opportunities that match your career goals.
Valpo Connect is an e-recruiting tool that allows you to search internship postings from companies specifically seeking Valpo students. Upcoming Career Center events are also highlighted.
The advising and practical experience coordinator, Deborah Singer, can help College of Business students jump-start their networking efforts. You can contact her at deborah.singer@valpo.edu, or by phone at 219.464.5969. You can also schedule a meeting online.
Valpo’s Career Center staff can provide full support on the internship search — from brainstorming ideas to writing resumes and cover letters. You can contact the Career Center at career.center@valpo.edu, or by phone at 219.464.5005.
Most Valpo students find their internships through networking, rather than online job boards. If you’d like to look online, though, sites like indianaintern.net, internships4you.com, and internshipcrossing.com are reputable sources.
All for-credit internships and co-ops must be pre-approved by the Advising and Practical Experience Coordinator. Credit cannot be awarded retroactively.
Pre-approval requires the completion of the Internship Description form, Release of All Claims form, and Student Self-Transportation form. These forms are available through the Advising and Practical Experience Coordinator.
To earn credit for your internship, you must complete it while taking MGT 395: Internship in Business Administration I. Enrollment in MGT 395 is open only to juniors and seniors who have had their internships pre-approved. To satisfy the course requirements, you’ll need to:
- Complete at least 100 hours of on-the-job work experience
- Submit reflective journal posts online throughout the internship
- Turn in an employer evaluation of the student’s performance
- Fill out a performance self-evaluation
All students are encouraged to complete multiple internships to develop the practical, resume-building experience necessary to secure full-time employment in their field upon graduation.
Students are welcome to complete additional internships for academic credit, following the same pre-approval process. For a second internship, enroll in MGT 397. For a third internship, enroll in MGT 398.
However, once students have met the requirement of completing one internship or co-op for academic credit, they are free to pursue additional internships independently (not for academic credit). For non-credit internships, students do not need pre-approval and do not need to submit official paperwork.
If you aren’t sure whether to seek academic credit for your subsequent internships, please speak with the Advising and Practical Experience Coordinator.
Internship Inspiration
Our students intern with exceptional organizations in the United States and around the world. Recent internship placements include:
- American Family Insurance
- American Red Cross
- Bank First National
- Dow Corning
- Federal Bureau of Investigation
- Illinois Tool Works
- Northern Energy
- Pin An Life Insurance Company of China
- Tecnología de Reciclaje (Mexico)
- U.S. Steel
- Walgreens
- Wallsigma International Service Co. (China)
For-credit internships can be:
- Completed in the junior or senior year.
- During the academic year or during the summer.
- In any desired industry, or with a non-profit or government organization.
- Part-time or full-time.
- Paid or unpaid.*
- Located wherever works for you: in your hometown, in a new city, or internationally.
* Cooperative Education experiences (full-time, paid, professional work experience for academic credit) must meet other criteria. Please see the catalog for more information.