Business Internships

 

An internship may be one of the most important investments you can make in your future! Consider taking advantage of the opportunity to apply the knowledge you learned in the classroom and build skills you will need to be successful in today's business world.

At the Seidman College of Business, internships are strongly encouraged and are considered a necessity in order to start a successful future business career. Many internships are paid, giving you the ability to earn money while you gain valuable business experience. Internships are offered in every business discipline and can be scheduled around your other classes. You may even receive a full-time employment offer from your internship experience!

Internship Eligibility

• An internship must be a new learning experience. An internship at a current place of employment may qualify for internship credits. It is at the discretion of the department chairperson in the discipline of the internship whether or not an internship at a current place of employment will meet the internship eligibility criteria for a for-credit internship and the amount of work time that can be applied retroactively. You cannot do more than one internship at the same organization. To avoid potential conflict of interest, a student can not intern for immediate family members, and can not work in a personal residence. 
  
  
• You must be eligible to be admitted into the Seidman College of Business, and completed at least 9 hours (3 classes) of business core requirements.

Internship Structure

The internship program is based on the following criteria:

• You may use from one to six credits for internships/independent study, but the combined total must not exceed six. An internship can only replace one class, regardless of the number of credits taken. Therefore, in order to replace two classes, you must complete two internships, at two different companies, for a total of six credits.
  
  
• The Director of Seidman Undergraduate Business Programs and Internship Supervisor will decide whether a potential internship will qualify for academic credit and how many credits each internship is worth. Internships without credit are not permitted.
  
  
• Minimally, you must work 50 hours for each academic credit granted. Three hours of academic credit is equivalent to 150 hours of work, or approximately 10 hours per week for a 15-week semester.
  
  
• The Seidman Internship Supervisor oversees the internship, which includes a site visit to the employer (arranged by the Internship Supervisor - you may or may not be present).
  
  
• You must submit your application packet BEFORE your start date, and no later than the Wednesday prior to the first day of classes for each semester. Summer internships must start no later than the Monday of the second full week in June.
  
  
• Seidman internships are graded as Credit/No Credit. The internship employer retains hiring and dismissal authority. Interns who are dismissed will be given no internship credit.
  
  
• You are required to complete course requirements listed on the Internship Syllabus, including log sheets, participation in a Blackboard discussion forum, performance evaluation forms, and a final report. We understand that employers do not necessarily think in "semester" time frames and because of this an opportunity may present itself after the beginning of a semester. You may still be able to receive credit for this position - talk to an Internship Supervisor for details. If you do join the program late, you are responsible for completing the necessary assignments to "catch up" to the rest of the program participants.
  

Position Search Options

• Look for available internship postings at the following locations:
  
  
  1. Seidman Undergraduate Student Services, 1st floor, DeVos Center (pre-approved)
     
     
  2. Seidman web-site. This link will take you to the internship postings page.
     
     
  3. Career Services Office, 206 Student Services Building, Allendale campus and 101B DeVos (verify approval with Seidman)
     
     
• To search for an internship yourself, use your networking skills, talk to other students, faculty, and acquaintances. The Internship Supervisor must approve the job description, signed by the prospective employer, before you complete any of the internship paperwork.
  
  
  
• If you need help with the internship search process, schedule an appointment with the appropriate Internship Supervisor.  

 

• If you want our assistance, you will also need to forward a copy of your resume to Alexandra Schmid, Internships Supervisor, or for accounting internships, to Dori Danko, the Accounting Internship Supervisor. If you need help preparing your resume, contact the Career Services Office, 206 Student Services Building or 101B DeVos Center.

Internship Process

• Secure the internship by following the guidelines listed under "Position Search Options" on this page. For internships by Career Services, you must verify that Seidman has pre-approved the internship. For internships not posted by Seidman, you must submit a job description signed, by the prospective employer, before completing the internship packet. Remember, you may not intern with an immediate family member.
  
  
• Pick up and complete an internship packet. They are available on-line by clicking here.
  
  
• Develop your learning objectives for this internship with a faculty member in the discipline of the internship. You need to bring the entire internship packet, including a copy of the job description to the faculty at this time. The faculty member must sign the learning objectives. If you are doing an internship outside of your major, a faculty member in your major must also sign the learning objectives.
  
  
• Turn in your completed paperwork to the appropriate Internship Supervisor. This will include:
  
  
  1. Original application signed by the employer.
  2. Three (3) copies of the signed learning objectives.
  3. Three (3) copies of the approved job description.
  4. A copy of your current resume.
     
     
• Once the completed application packet receives final approval, you will be registered for the internship by the Seidman College of Business, which will then contact you to confirm your registration. You will receive your internship confirmation letter by mail in a few days.

Internship Contacts

• Students interested in accounting internships should contact the Accounting Office at 4th floor, DeVos Center, telephone 331-7397, to arrange an appointment with Accounting Internship Supervisor, Dori Danko.
  
  
• Students interested in all other business internships should contact Alexandra Schmid, the Internship Coordinator. She can be reached by calling 331-7500, or via e-mail: schmiale@gvsu.edu 

Contact us:
Seidman Undergraduate Student Services
go2gvbiz@gvsu.edu
(616) 331-7500