Definition of an Internship

• An internship at MUM is an academic and practical learning experience related to a student’s major or minor or a field a student intends to pursue after graduation.
• The internship supplements what students are learning in class and/or provides further practical work experience in the field of interest.
• A student who has gained prior academic knowledge in the area of employment and now wishes to apply it to a real-world situation, may take an internship in which the on-site supervisor is like a “client” who is providing the opportunity and supervision, but not an extension of learning in the particular internship area (the faculty advisor in this case, provides the learning and mentoring in the area of the internship).
• An internship is not just a job unrelated to student’s area of interest and academic training.

Advisors and Supervisors

• Primarily a qualified on-site supervisor in the reputable organization where the internship is taking place conducts the daily learning experience.
• The student is also supervised by a faculty advisor who has academic knowledge or practical expertise in the field of the internship who sets the learning guidelines and deliverables and is in touch with the on-site supervisor to insure a meaningful experience for the student.
• Faculty may offer advice and guidance as the mentor (in lieu of the on-site supervisor) outside the university if the organization does not have an on-site supervisor who can offer guidance in the subject area of the student’s activity. (Example: website development for an education provider).
• Adjunct faculty at MUM may also be on-site supervisors.
• Students are not on-site supervisors.
• All on-site supervisors are approved through DOF office the same as guest speakers at the University
• Faculty should turn in a grade within ten days of completion of the internship. If the student has not turned in the internship deliverables within that time, the faculty can give an Incomplete or a No Credit, as appropriate.

Setting the Learning Outcomes

• For all types of internships, Faculty can create in their departments a rubric of learning outcomes that can be applied to each internship situation, so that academic credit is justified and awarded based on standards set in the department (and approved by the Academic Standards Committee for each internship).
• An internship course and number should be created that is available in the MUM Catalog for undergraduate internships and one for graduate level internships (as applicable). This is particularly important for processing International Student internship requests.
• The second page of the internship form allows the faculty to specify the learning deliverables and outcomes that the students should achieve to fulfill the academic credit-bearing aspect of the internship. This second page should be discussed with the student for maximum agreement and understanding of the format the outcomes will take. The outcomes can include reports, blogs, presentations, etc.
• Each faculty should oversee that the student incorporates SCI principles into the internship and into the outcomes.

International internships

Due to regard for health and safety of student, international internships are allowed if all the usual procedures of approval for internships are followed and:

• They are with branches of the Transcendental Meditation Organization
• (or) They are supervised by an approved member of the Transcendental Meditation Organization
• (or) They are in the student’s home country
• (or) The internship is with reputable organizations that:
  • Offer international internships routinely
  • Meet the other criteria for academic content and mentorship outlined in this document
  • Are not in countries which 1) are on the U.S. State Dept. risk list or 2) are seen by MUM Success Center and/or MUM Faculty and/or MUM Administration to have appreciable health or safety risks
  • Offer reasonable housing, food, and transportation options for the student

International Internship Agreement Form

An International Internship Agreement Form must be signed by the student prior to any international internship.

• This form is available through Mary King, room 105 in Dreier and Rachel Goodman, room 113 in Dreier. The original signed form must be returned to Rachel Goodman.
• Students under age 18 must have the form signed by a parent.

Students must have health insurance coverage for both the round-trip travel and the duration of the international internship, whether the student is a U.S. or an international student.

Additional Administrative Points

• International students (F1 Visa holders) must speak to Nancy Watkins, the International Student Advisor, before starting any internship, in the U.S. or abroad, and she will discuss the internship in terms of student visa requirements. She must sign the internship form in order for final approval to occur.
• A maximum of 16 units derived from any combination of Directed Studies and Internships may be applied to degree requirements. Some departments have advanced projects (with a catalog course number) that are not included in this 16 credit total.
• A student should have completed their first year at MUM or have several courses in CBE (such as STC, Physics, Physiology is Consciousness, Higher States) and in their major at MUM before applying for an internship. This applies to all students, including transfer students, but is essential information for F1 visa holders.
• A student choosing to do an internship off-campus during the summer may receive academic credit for up to four credits of tuition waived, if all above points are satisfied.
• A student planning to do an internship and stay on-campus during the summer must make arrangements to pay for room and board through the Enrollment Center.

Applying for an Internship

• The student downloads the Internship Proposal Form
• The student fills out the top portion, noting how many units of academic credit have already been awarded for a combination of internships and directed studies
• If an F1 visa holder, the student sees Nancy Watkins when the form has been filled out
• The student states information about the internship organization and the on-site supervisor on the form
• The student meets with a faculty advisor and they together fill out the second page of the internship
• The faculty advisor and the Department Head sign the form. If the Department Head is away, they can email their approval, or the Associate Chair can sign the form.
• The student or faculty advisor brings the form to room 105 of Dreier (the Success Center), or drops it under the door of room 113 of Dreier (Career Strategies Office).
• The student should be aware that the minimum processing time might be two weeks from the time they turn in the form to the internship coordinator in Dreier Building. If they choose to go ahead before a decision is reached about the internship, they should be aware that they might not get credit for that internship, if the internship is not approved.

Approval of an Internship

The internship coordinator:

• Checks to be sure all aspects of the form are filled out with required signatures
• Checks to see that the internship has a reasonable academic content and outcomes
• Sees that the locale for the internship provides a reasonable measure of health and safety for the student
• Sees that the student has not already acquired 16 units of internships or directed studies that can be applied to a degree
• Fills out a guest speaker form (for the on-site supervisor) with information essential for the Dean of Faculty’s Office approval and awaits that approval
• Then brings the form to Academic Standards Committee, which meets every Tuesday afternoon
• Notifies the student and faculty advisor of the approval/denial, or
• Returns to the student and faculty advisor with further questions from ASC
• The student signs an agreement form if they are going to be out of town for the internship

Procedures for Extension of an Internship

In an extension of an internship request, a new internship form is filled out with all signatures from faculty advisor, and department head.

• The faculty and student write a summary or a set of bullet points to attach to the form describing the achievements of the previous block of the internship, and
• Then on the second page of the internship form, describe what the new set of deliverables will be.
• The summary of the previous block is for the purpose of conveying information to the ASC, so they can make a determination if the new block will be used for further achievements, and if the student made enough progress in the previous block.
• If the student is an International F1 Visa Holder, the International Student Advisor (Nancy Watkins) must agree to the extension and sign the extension form before it is approved by ASC.