Don’t Just Go to Class! Get an internship—or two or three. How about working with the PGA Tour in Florida, like Rowena Pedrena, C’05, who is pursuing sports law? Or joining several Mount grads at Deloitte & Touche, where Christina Donovan, C’05, interned and was offered a full-time position? (A year before she graduated!) The Mount’s Career Center will tell you everything you need to know. Here’s some insight from senior Trish Dadura, who interned with Merrill Lynch: “My internship was exciting, and I enjoyed gaining knowledge about the world of business. It can be time consuming, but as long as you apply yourself, it will pay off in the real world. With a business degree, the sky’s the limit. There are a lot of avenues you can take.” In addition to the general internship information and FAQ's below, click these links to check out the Mount's specialized internship opportunities: What Is an Internship?
Why Do an Internship?
How Do I Get Started?
Am I Eligible to Earn Academic Credit?
How Do I Apply for Academic Credit?
What About Tuition?
Where Do I Go for Assistance? What Is an Internship?
Internships are hands-on experiences that relate to a specific major or career interest and usually involve training and responsibilities for which the student has already completed appropriate coursework. An internship may be full time or part time for the duration of a semester or summer. Internships are often nonpaid although a stipend or some pay may be provided by some organizations. Students may receive college credits for an internship. Why Do An Internship?
Internships: - Are the best way to get an inside view of a company, an industry, and try out a career field.
- Offer an opportunity to apply what you have learned in the classroom to the "real" world.
- Offer on-the-job experience, which builds your resume and makes you more marketable.
- Provide the opportunity to network and gain professional mentors.
- Can provide academic credit toward your degree.
- May lead to permanent employment with an employer.
How Do I Get Started? - Attend an Internship Information Session. Click to view schedule.
- Meet with your advisor, department chair, or Career Center staff to discuss what you want to learn from an internship.
- Determine if you want to earn academic credit. If so and you meet the eligibility requirements. Then see How Do I Apply for Academic Credit.
- Begin to research internship opportunities.
The following is useful information for your internship search: - Search internship postings on College Central.
- Review internship books, postings, and company files in the Career Center.
- Attend area and on-campus Internship and Job Fairs.
- Network with Mount St.Mary’s alumni, friends, family, professors, etc.
- Search the Internet by visiting company websites or internship search websites such as:
Here are some helpful internship search/application tips: - Narrow your choices to 5-10 organizations.
- Prepare a resume and cover letter.
- Schedule a videotaped Mock Interview with the Career Center to practice your interviewing skills.
- Write a thank you letter after all interviews.
- Follow up with the organization to check on the status of your candidacy.
- Accept or decline offers within a reasonable time period.
- Contact other employers with whom you have offers pending, to thank them and to tell them that you have accepted another offer.
Am I Eligible to Earn Academic Credit for An Internship?
To earn academic credit for an internship, students must meet the following requirements: - Be a junior or senior (freshmen and sophomores may not apply unless they have officially designated their major and obtained the approval of the dean of academic services)
- Have a cumulative GPA of 2.0 or better
- Meet the department internship prerequisites
- Not be on academic or disciplinary probation
- Transfer students must have successfully completed at least one full-time semester (12 credits) at the Mount prior to the start of the internship, in addition to meeting the above criteria
How Do I Apply for Academic Credit?
To apply for academic credit for an internship, students must meet the eligibility requirements and complete the following steps: - Review the Experiential Education Policies and Guidelines.
- Select a faculty sponsor and discuss your plans with him/her.
- Search for and secure an internship placement.
- Complete a Learning Agreement upon securing an internship. Or print a pdf.
- Submit the Learning Agreement, with all signatures, to the Career Center at least three weeks prior to the start of the semester during which the internship will take place.
Students are responsible for ensuring that all information on the Learning Agreement is complete and accurate. Failure to submit the completed Learning Agreement by the final add/drop deadline date of the semester during which the internship takes place will result in credit being denied. What About Tuition?
Internships for credit are considered a course, and as such, credits earned through an internship must be paid. - Credits earned during a regular semester as part of the full-time 16 hour maximum are not billed separately. Credits earned in excess of 16 credit hours are billed at the supplemental tuition rate.
- Summer semester is a distinct term and all credits earned for this period are billed at the summer school rate and will include a registration and technology fee. Students must complete a summer school registration form for internships taken during the summer.
Where Do I Go For Assistance?
Please feel free to contact the Career Center at (301) 447-5202 or career-center@msmary.edu if you have any questions or need assistance at any stage of the process. The Mount in Washington Internship Semester Have you ever wanted to work side by side with the people who are running America? The Mount in Washington is offering students a chance to do just that. The Mount gives students the chance to spend an entire semester interning in Washington, DC in whatever field they want that correlates to their field of study (internship sites not guaranteed; most require interview). Whatever major or minor you may be in pursuit of, you can be sure that Washington, DC will have an abundance of opportunities to further expand your knowledge and give you a wealth of invaluable experience. Whether it’s government, politics, science, business, news and entertainment media, the arts or international service…the opportunities are virtually limitless in our nation’s capital. Through this internship offer, not only can you fulfill a semester long internship for which you will earn up to 15 academic credits, but you will also gain practical work experience that not only builds your resume, but builds your skills. Not only that, but it’s a great opportunity to get your name out in the world and gain networking opportunities that may open up doors for you. Some past internship sites have included: Mount in Washington Frequently Asked Questions: What does the program involve? Students will intern, live, and learn in Washington, D.C., for a semester. You typically work at an internship four days a week as well as attend a coordinating class or seminar. The program provides fully furnished apartments (for a housing fee) with easy access to public transportation. Will I receive credit for the program? Students can earn 12-15 credits from the Mount. Who can apply? Juniors and seniors in any major are eligible, as well as second-semester sophomores with special permission. A minimum 2.50 GPA is required. How much does it cost? The cost is equal to that of the regular Mount University tuition. The Mount housing fee, however, is waived and students pay the Washington program directly for their housing. What about financial aid? Any scholarships that have already been granted to students will still be received. You can apply for additional scholarship funds from the program when you apply for your internship. What are the deadlines? Contact the Mount’s Career Center in January in order to plan for the subsequent Fall semester, and in September for the Spring semester. Some of the internships in the Washington, D.C. area take some time for background checks to clear and other procedural things of that nature. I’m interested! What do I do next? Contact the Career Center – the earlier the better (Phone: 301-447-5202 or Email: career-center@msmary.edu). They can help you research the best program for you and make sure that you can receive credit from your department. You can also view the Mount in Washington brochure by clicking on the link. International Internships Not only does the Mount provide students with excellent opportunities for internships on and off-campus; it also offers a host of both study and intern abroad programs as well. An internship is a wonderful opportunity that allows students to do as they learn. While overseas attending classes for credit, those students who choose to participate in an internship also get practical experience that cannot be taught in classrooms. In London alone, the Mount will offer chances for students to intern in such competitive fields as Advertising, Public Relations, and Marketing; Business; Charities; Education; Law; Journalism; and Media. While all internships involve a great deal of personal commitment, an international internship promises to be even more challenging and rewarding. Many international organizations offer students significant responsibilities. Former Mount students who have interned abroad have regarded these higher levels of responsibility and expectations to be some of the best experiences of the trip—outside of the chance for traveling and exploring a different country. Interning abroad will help students develop personal strengths and skills that will be useful in marketing themselves on paper and in person when seeking future job opportunities. Words from a Former Mount Participant One advantage that an international internship has over a U.S. internship, says Mount alumnus, Eddie Wright, is that it “takes you out of your comfort zone, and throws you into something strange and new.” Eddie was then quick to say that the school at which he was placed eased him into the new changes. “They also taught me their system which allowed me to succeed at my duties and gave me a new outlook on my professional field.” Upcoming Study Abroad Locations Dublin(Fall 2007) and Florence (Spring 2008) | 
