Internship in Philosophy

These guidelines are based on the procedures and requirements of the Illinois Wesleyan University Career Center and Registrar, with special stipulations added by the Philosophy Department.

I. Overview.

1. Internship provides you with a unique, experiential learning opportunity in a professional, activist or social organization. These opportunities are expected to meet the learning objectives established jointly by the faculty, the sponsoring organization and you, the student. Through the internship you may:
   
   • apply concepts and skills learned in the classroom;
   • explore career interests and employment possibilities;
   • enhance your use of interpersonal skills in a professional environment;
   • practice initiative and self-discipline.
   
   

2. Internships are normally undertaken with business, public service and other social organizations and may be paid or unpaid. Since you will be granted academic credit for the internship, it must be designed as an intellectual experience -- and not just a job!

II. Preparation for an Internship in Philosophy.

A. Eligibility.

1. To be eligible for enrollment, you must have completed at least 4 course units in the Philosophy department. While registration in Philosophy 397 is open to any IWU student, we will give priority to majors and minors.

2. It is expected that the internship will be undertaken in the junior or senior year. You may also be asked to complete CE 300Y, the non-credit Career Planning course offered by the Career Center.

3. Internship in Philosophy may be taken only by students whose academic record in the major merits such independent work—with a grade point average of 3.0 or better.

B. Planning.

1. You must have an internship faculty supervisor. If you do not have a supervisor in mind already, talk with your Philosophy Department advisor.

2. Plan ahead! It’s a good idea to begin considering an internship more than one semester in advance.

3. You must find an internship. Thorough information about internships is available in the IWU Career Center in Gulick Hall; the Internship Coordinator, Ann Harding, can help you at any point along the way. In the Center you will find information on currently available internships in blue binders in the Library; the programs listed in the categories of "Government and Public Service" and "Not-for-Profit" are especially appropriate for our field. You may, of course, also use your own initiative in securing an internship in an organization with which you are already familiar, or whose activities are of interest to you.

4. Do not expect your prospective faculty supervisor to create a new internship program for you -- he or she will be working with you once you’ve identified your interests.

III. Forms and Procedures of the Official Internship Process.

A. Registering for an Internship in Philosophy.

1.Complete an "Intent to Participate in an Academic Internship" form, available from the Career Center. STEP 1 is your portion -- fill it out, have your advisor sign it, then submit it to the Registrar. Then you may begin the process in earnest. (As part of your preparations, your faculty supervisor may require that you enroll in CE 300Y, or add other special requirements.)

2. Identify the internship programs that interest you and are suitable for Philosophy 397. You may make an appointment with Ms. Harding or one of the internship peer counselors in the Career Center. Be sure to consult with your advisor to determine if the sponsor and the program you like best can indeed provide the environment that will be conducive to a credit-worthy learning experience. The Philosophy Department faculty will make the final decision for approval.

3. Apply for the internship program through the Career Center, or interview directly with the prospective employer. Since you will be pursuing academic credit, be sure to keep the academic side of the internship program in mind.

4. If you receive an offer, discuss the internship with your faculty supervisor and arrange a meeting or phone conference with the faculty and the prospective employer. During the meeting, be sure that expectations of all parties are made clear -- this precaution can be invaluable!

5. Once you have accepted the offer, complete the "Internship Learning Contract" available from the Career Center; that form spells out all of your responsibilities connected with the internship. You must fill out the portion concerning your "Learning Objectives" (as well as the section on medical insurance). Together with your faculty supervisor, create a work plan that includes the following:

• the schedule for the internship, and for additional meetings with the advisor;
• the duties and responsibilities of the student; and
• additional academic work to be completed in conjunction with the internship, including reports, journals or papers.
• Once the contract is filled out and signed by the employing supervisor as well as by your faculty supervisor, you should sign it and submit it to the Registrar.

6. Register for Philosophy 397.

B. Internship Requirements.

1. All interns are required to write a paper before the internship begins; that paper will summarize the background and history of the sponsoring organization and the objectives to be achieved through the internship. Explicit connections to philosophy are part of the analysis.

2. All interns must work a total of 140 hours during the Internship. In the May term, students may work full-time (40 hours per week) with the sponsoring group; during the Fall and Spring semesters, the work should not exceed 15 hours per week. While routine activities may be part of your internship -- as they are part of all jobs -- such tasks may not be more than 30% of your work load.

C. Evaluation and Credit.

1. The internship will be evaluated on a credit/no credit basis.

2. The faculty supervisor will contact the sponsoring agency at least twice during the Internship to be sure that expectations are being met and to address any concerns that may arise; except where impossible, he or she will make those contacts as on-site visits.

3. At the end of the Internship, the employing supervisor will submit to the faculty advisor an evaluation of your efforts during your work. This, together with the submitted paper, report and any other required work designated in your "Internship Learning Contract," will be the basis for assigning academic credit. Failure to submit work or to meet a deadline agreed upon in the contracts will eliminate the possibility of receiving academic credit for your internship work.

Adopted by the Philosophy Department