Internship Integration: Career Competencies and Professional Development

A class designed for internship experiences outside of a student’s major or within the major if a student has already taken a required, major-related, internship class.

This asynchronous online course is designed to be taken concurrently with an approved internship experience, providing students with the opportunity to intentionally connect their liberal arts education to the professional world. The course emphasizes career exploration and integration, professional communication and conduct, emotional intelligence, and intercultural competence. Students will reflect on how classroom knowledge, personal aptitudes, and new workplace experiences intersect to shape professional growth and post-graduate goals.

Assignments and assessments are structured to foster both practical skill development and critical reflection. Students will participate in professional readiness activities such as mock interviews, résumé writing, and supervisor feedback/evaluations, while also engaging in reflective writing and discussion to articulate how their internship experience informs their long-term career trajectory. The central focus of the course is identifying, developing, and articulating National Association of Careers and Employers (NACE) Career Competencies—including critical thinking, teamwork, professionalism, communication, career management, leadership, equity and inclusion, and technology—demonstrating how these skills are grown through the internship.

As part of their career development, students will also identify at least one potential post-graduate job opportunity and connect it to relevant tasks or accomplishments from their internship. Through written reflection and practice interview responses, students will learn to effectively articulate these experiences to prospective employers.

Elon University’s internship integration course is an academic course taught by the CAS Director of Internships, Nancy Carpenter. The program is designed for students who want to explore career options, as well as for students who may have already experienced an internship in their majors/minors, yet want more work opportunities where they can learn and earn academic free elective credit. Employers have said that students who have more than one internship experience are more marketable for graduate schools and future employment. The internship experience provides students with the opportunity to network with industry experts who provide a different vantage point in contexts outside of Elon University; therefore, the internship experience should be with an employer external to Elon University.

Students are required to meet with Nancy Carpenter prior to and before the registration deadline to discuss the internship course content and the secured internship experience.  Make an appointment through the Elon Job Network or call 336-278-6538 to request the appointment be scheduled for you.

The class is credit bearing, focused on preparing students to connect their academic work with the professional world of work. Students collaborate with their internship site supervisor to develop strong goals and objectives to be achieved during the work period.

Prior to the work experience, the CAS Director of Internships, who will teach the course, prepares students for their professional experiences and discusses academic assignments which will facilitate the learning. Students are awarded academic credit once they have completed the academic assignments as stated in the syllabus. The co-op program is noted on the academic transcript and the Elon Experiences Transcript. This class does NOT earn ELR units (credits).

Tuition/fees: A internship class is a regular course for credit with a letter grade. Regular tuition charges apply.

Who is eligible for this class?

Students who have Sophomore, Junior or Senior status with 2.0 minimum GPA, and completion of departmental prerequisites are eligible. NOTE: Retroactive work experiences do not qualify for class credit .

Approval of the CAS Director of Internships, Nancy Carpenter is required.
For an appointment call: 336-278-6538. Office location: SPDC: Career Services, Moseley, 140.

Credit Hours Awarded

Students must work a minimum of 40 hours for every credit received during the term. Students may engage the internship class more than once. Students will receive elective credits only (not in their majors/minors). Students who find an experience that relates to their major/minor are first referred to faculty members in the respective departments to approve the experience as an internship. If approval is not granted, this class is an option for students. Most students utilize this class as a career exploration experience. Students may engage this class during any semester and the class is included in students’ full-time tuition.

Next Steps

  • Students first meet with the CAS Director of Internships to review program eligibility and requirements.
  • Students will establish strong learning goals and objectives with their work site supervisor for the co-op experience.
  • During the class, students reflect upon their experiences and will receive feedback from the director. Students will meet with their site supervisors several times during the term to receive valuable and documented job performance feedback. Other practical assignments designed to enhance narrating the experience in light of future goals and expand on integrating the larger Elon experience are included.
  • When possible, site visits may be done by the CAS Director of Internships.

How Students are Evaluated and Graded

Students are evaluated based on completion of assignments as well as a site supervisor evaluation.

For more information contact Nancy Carpenter, CAS Director of Internships.