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Academic Internships

Student working in an officeInternship experiences that earn academic credit not only provide students with valuable experience in a professional field connected to academic learning objectives, but also distinguish students with “real world” experience in the community. The staff of the Center for Experiential Learning helps students through the internship search process and connects them to organizations relevant to their course internship requirements. In collaboration with faculty, the Center’s staff helps identify relevant internship opportunities, foster relationships with employer partner organizations and provide internship course support, as well as other services as needed. The Center reaches out to employing organizations to ensure that their partnership with Loyola meets their needs.

To contact CEL's Academic Internship Coordinator, click here.

   


General Internship Guidelines

Most undergraduate academic internship experiences require approximately 10 hours/week of student commitment, for a total of 100-150 hours/semester.  Such internships may be paid or unpaid, but their focus is on student learning, with the on-site internship supervisor functioning as a co-educator (along with the student's supervising faculty member) to enhance students' "real-world" knowledge of a discipline.

The academic internship experience:

  • Provides meaningful work experiences for the students, directly linked with the student's major or academic program
  • Is academically rigorous, resulting in a defined project or product benefiting the organization and student learning
  • Provides the student with individualized attention through a mentor at the organization to enhance student learning and student development
  • Provides formal and informal evaluations throughout the experience and a final assessment from both the student and organization mentor
  • Supports the academic experience of the student, while rooted in the curriculum, the Jesuit mission, and the core values of Loyola University Chicago

   
Information for Employer Partners

The Center for Experiential Learning serves as a resource for employer partners and organizations seeking Loyola students as interns. The Academic Internship Coordinator, working with other CEL staff, helps connect students to internship opportunities relevant to their course internship requirements. The staff also helps communicate relevant internship opportunities to appropriate departments, maintains relationships with employer partner organizations, provides internship course support through site visits, and other support services as needed.

Interested in becoming an employer partner?  Click here.

Loyola uses its online RamblerLink system to maintain an interactive, searchable database of employer partners, internships, and qualified student intership-seekers.  Employers wishing to establish a Ramblerlink account should contact the Career Developement Center.

   Managing the Best Internship Experience:  Some Suggestions for Employers

  • Provide a defined job description with clear responsibilities for the intern.
  • Establish clear expectations of job performance, dress and work environment for the position.
  • Set expectations for work hours and establish a schedule for work (e.g., 10 - 20 hours a week).
  • Understand that the internship experience is an educational experience and, in addition, that the student is likely taking multiple courses each semester.
  • Schedule times for periodic review and a final evaluation of performance. Feedback is essential to the learning process.

Further Internship Resources for Employer Partners

The National Association of Colleges and Employers (NACE) offers a number of helpful resources for Employer Partners.

Still more resources and information are available from related professional organization Websites:

Loyola's Career Development Center also works with employers seeking Loyola students and graduates as interns and for other employment opportunities.  For more information, consult their website.

   
INFORMATION FOR FACULTY

As a resource to faculty, the Center for Experiential Learning helps identify relevant internship opportunities, foster relationships with employer partners and organizations, provide internship course support through site visits, as well as other support services as needed.

Further Internship Resources for Faculty

For more information about internship and career-related experiential learning opportunities, check out the following resource: 

Still more resources and information are available from related professional organization Websites:

   
Information for Students

The staff of the Center for Experiential Learning helps students search for the right internship and connects them to organizations relevant to their course internship requirements.  CEL also sponsors and teaches a 3-credit, elective internship course (UNIV 390) for students who are interested in an internship experience not directly connected to one of Loyola's main academic programs.

Students are highly encouraged to search for available academic internship positions through Loyola's RamblerLink online job and internship posting system maintained by the Career Development Center in cooperation with CEL.  Students can use RamblerLink to search for posted academic internship positions, identify relevant agencies and employers, post resumes and other relevant documents, and apply for jobs and internships.

Center for Experiential Learning
Loyola University Chicago · 1032 W. Sheridan Road, Chicago, IL 60660
Shipping address: Sullivan Center for Student Services · 6339 N. Sheridan Rd., Chicago, IL 60660
Phone: 773.508.3366 · Fax: 773.508.3955 · E-mail: experiential@luc.edu

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