The purpose of the internship program is to provide you with a career experience and to help you develop skills appropriate to work and the work environment. In some cases you will receive a basic introduction, and in others you will receive an in-depth understanding and/or working knowledge of a specific employment area in adult continuing education. In general, internships require 120 hours of field experience. Internships tend to be directed at six major types of institutions/organizations: 1) Educational Institutions; 2) Health Care Delivery Institutions; 3) Business and Industry; 4) Associations and Voluntary Organizations; 5) The Media; and 6) Libraries and Museums.
Whether it is research, teaching, program development, administration, or marketing, the internship program offers you a reality against which to test the knowledge you have gained in graduate study.
The primary focus of the internship is to provide you with a professional experience. To achieve this goal it is recommended that you engage in an internship situation that will provide you:
- the opportunity to develop a working knowledge of the overall structure and function of the program or department in which the internship takes place;
- participation in some of the day to day activities;
- specific employment responsibilities and/or projects to complete which will be not only beneficial to you but will also benefit the cooperating institution.
After preliminary discussions with your NIU Internship Coordinator and Field Supervisor, you should outline your learning objectives for the internship. Be as specific as possible. The learning objectives will be reviewed by your Field Supervisor and NIU Coordinator. After negotiation and adjustments, if any, these learning objectives will guide your total internship experience.
It is the responsibility of your field supervisor to guide you in achieving these objectives, to provide a context for significant learning, and to act as professional mentor. It is your responsibility to arrange meetings, make regular status reports, have forms completed, and request evaluations and letters of recommendation. Arranging a time frame within which the internship will be pursued will be a concern for you, your field supervisor and your Internship Coordinator alike.
Examples of professional experience undertaken by students in the Graduate Internship Program in Adult Continuing Education at Northern Illinois University include: the development of a continuing professional education program; administration of an office for continuing education; the teaching of a college or university credit course; the preparation of training modules for a human resource development program in industry; the internationalization of a curriculum area; the production of a television program; the application of functional literacy materials to new areas of work; the evaluation of a vocational education activity; and the creation of a public health or Higher Education program with the health care delivery system.
The purpose of the internship program is to provide you with a career experience and to help you develop skills appropriate to work and the work environment. In some cases you will receive a basic introduction and in others you will receive an in-depth understanding and/or working knowledge of a specific employment area in adult continuing education. Internships tend to be directed at six major types of institutions/organizations: 1) Educational Institutions, 2) Health Care Delivery Institutions, 3) Business and Industry, 4) Associations and Voluntary Organizations, 5) The Media, and 6) Libraries and Museums.
Whether it is research, teaching, program development, administration, or marketing, the internship program offers you a reality against which to test the knowledge you have gained in graduate study.
Selecting a site and developing appropriate learning objectives are tasks usually undertaken in consultation with your NIU Internship Coordinator and field supervisor. Objectives should reflect a desire to:
- Become familiar with the overall structure and function of the program and or organization in which the internship will take place;
- Participate in some of the day to day activities;
- Assume some specific responsibilities or project(s) as the appropriate medium for realizing personal and organizational goals.
The Graduate Internship Program is an ideal form of experiential learning, a way to get to know a segment of the field, and an opportunity to enhance professional skills. It may become the most important avenue for you in career planning and placement. In general, the internship requires 120 hours of field experience.
Upon completion of all internship requirements, students will receive the grade of “S” or Satisfactory. No letter grades are awarded for internship.
The internship experience is generally a field experience that allows students the opportunity to gain field experiences in adult and higher education. Generally, for 3 credits, students will complete 120 hours of field work.
The first step is to meet with your Field Supervisor and to develop a written set of goals and objectives that are to be accomplished during the course of the internship experience. The written goals should be submitted to the NIU Internship Coordinator prior to start the internship and should be signed by both you and your Field Supervisor. Contact with the NIU Internship Coordinator will be most helpful so that the coordinator can become more familiar with the exact nature of the experience you have planned.
The attached materials are for use during the course of the internship and include:
- The Field Supervisor Information Sheet that you give to your Field Supervisor so he/she will understand the process and the responsibilities of being a field supervisor.
- The Action Worksheet.
- The Internship Agreement Form that is signed by all three principal parties, and should accompany the written statement of goals and objectives.
- The Status Reports that are to be submitted at designated intervals.
- Two Assessment Forms that are submitted at the conclusion of the internship. Form A is to be completed by the intern and Form B is to be completed by the Field Supervisor.
Additionally, you are required to maintain an activity journal that will detail hours and activities during the course of your internship. Your journal is to be submitted with the Status Reports and will be returned to you at a later date if you so desire. And you are required to submit a synthesis paper about your internship experience.
When all requirements are met you will be awarded the grade of “S” or Satisfactory. No letter grades are awarded for internship.
The primary purpose of the internship program is to provide the student with a professional experience in the field of adult continuing education. To achieve this goal it is recommended that the intern have the opportunity to:
- become familiar with the overall structure and function of the program or department in which the internship takes place;
- participate in some of the routine activities;
- assume some specific responsibilities or project(s) to complete which will also be beneficial to the participating institution. This project should allow the intern a chance for intensive involvement in one activity.
The intern, after discussions with you and the NIU Internship Coordinator, will outline the mutually agreed upon learning objectives and activities/strategies for the internship. This outline will serve as a learning contract to guide the experience.
It is your responsibility as the field supervisor to guide and assist the intern in fulfilling the contract, and to provide the intern with appropriate and valuable learning experiences.
You will be expected to sign or complete the following forms and participate in the following meetings:
- Internship Agreement Form
- Review and finalization of Intern’s Learning Objectives
- Intern’s Learning Objective
- Internship Status Reports
- Mid-term Assessment (meeting with the NIU Internship Coordinator)
- Final assessment paperwork (Form B) of internship and final meeting with NIU Internship Coordinator
- Letter of Recommendation (if requested by Intern)
It is the responsibility of the intern to arrange meetings, have forms completed, and request evaluations and letters of recommendation.
The NIU Internship Coordinator is a resource for any assistance or guidance needed in providing a mutually satisfying internship experience. See the Contact Us Page for information about the current internship coordinator.
Thank you for taking the time and effort to contribute most significantly to our graduate program. Our graduates tell us that the internship is one of the most important elements of our graduate degree programs.
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