An internship is an opportunity to integrate career related experience into an undergraduate education by participating in planned, supervised work.
Characteristics of internships:
- contributes to the student’s personal and professional development through challenging work assignment
- is completed before the student graduates from the university although in some cases internships can be completed the summer between the student completing the undergraduate degree and before beginning a graduate degree program
- is planned and scheduled through consultation with the department or college so as to fit into the undergraduate experience
- involves a supervision component that is mentoring and educational
- includes career related experiences that complement what is learned in the classroom
- will have a reflection and evaluation process at the conclusion of the internship
- builds upon the relationship the department/college/university has with employers
- is most successful when the student, the department/college, and the employer all share responsibility in making it a valuable experience
http://polisci.osu.edu/sites/polisci.osu.edu/files/What%20is%20an%20Internship.pdf