Internship/Co-op Credit

Internships

An internship is an interest- or major-related short term work experience with a learning component. Internships are a great way for you to learn more about your career interests, to develop business skills in a professional, on-the-job environment, and in some cases, to gain academic credit. Experiencing the internship process-from resume writing and interviewing to developing contacts and gaining work experience-will infinitely prepare you for your first full time professional job.

In the management department, students are encouraged to explore and experience a variety of internship opportunities. For qualifying internships, management students may earn academic credit toward the management electives. Other students in Mays Business School should contact their departmental advisor for details about internship credit opportunities.

Earning Internship Credit – MGMT 484 Eligibility

Steps for Determining Enrollment Eligibility
The steps below must be followed in order to be considered for enrollment in the MGMT 484 internship course.

1) Obtain Documentation

• Offer letter from employer indicating that the student has been offered the internship position (must be on employer stationery; emails or other electronic documentation will NOT be accepted).
• Documentation from employer indicating that the internship is at least 10 weeks and no more than 15 weeks in length with at least 300 clock hours to be worked over that duration. This information can be included in the offer letter or job description.
• A job description, description of the internship program, and/or training to be completed during the internship. Specific job requirements should be included. Click here for general guidelines.
• It is the student’s responsibility to request that the employer provide these details in the documentation the employer provides to the student.

2) Submit Documentation

• In person, provide the internship course instructor with both an original and a copy of the required documentation. You will be told immediately if your internship qualifies based on the documentation presented. Upon review, the original employer documentation will be returned to you.
• Internship documentation will be reviewed for course eligibility beginning March 1 for summer internships, August 1 for fall internships, and November 1 for spring internships.
• Deadlines are listed below.

3) Plan to Attend Mandatory Internship Orientation

• If approval is granted for the internship, student must attend a mandatory 90-minute internship orientation to learn the academic requirements associated with the internship and to be enrolled in the course.
• Orientation dates are listed below. Time and location will be provided at the time the internship is approved.
• Because this will be the only face-to-face meeting all semester, no exceptions will be made for this requirement.

Deadlines
To be considered for taking the MGMT 484 Management Internship course, students must submit the required documentation (see above) PRIOR to beginning the internship. Course prerequisite is MGMT 363 and open to MGMT majors only.

Spring 2008 Internships
Documentation deadline – January 7
Mandatory orientation – January 10

Summer 2008 Internships
Documentation deadline – April 29
Mandatory orientation – May 1
Make-up deadline – May 21
Make-up orientation – May 22

Fall 2008 Internships
Documentation deadline – August 18
Mandatory orientation – August 21

For more information or for internship documentation review, contact Kristi Mora, MGMT 484 course instructor. See office hours / appointment information on home page.

Cooperative Education (Co-op)

Cooperative education is another way students have to gain more knowledge about their chosen career while gaining valuable work experience. A co-op work experience allows for alternating semesters of work and school, and requires a minimum of two semesters with the same employer. As a Management major, you will typically be allowed to use hours earned in the BUSN 392 Cooperative Education course to count toward your management electives.

For more information about cooperative education and earning academic credit, please visit the Texas A&M Cooperative Education web site.

What is the difference between an internship and a co-op?

Co-op
Always paid
Always earn academic credit
More than one semester
Maintain full-time student status
One-on-one job search assistance

Internship
Unpaid or paid
May or may not earn academic credit
One semester (usually summer)
May or may not maintain full-time student status
Not coordinated through one central office