The Case for Course-Based Internships

Academic internships for undergraduate students combine experiential learning outcomes with an opportunity for pre-professional development. Internships allow students to gain real-world experience with the added benefits of supervision from professionals in their desired field of work. Embedding these internship experiences into a designated course allows students to intentionally integrate their in- and out-of-classroom learning while gaining direct experience in a workplace setting. This session will cover the pedagogical approach of the high impact practice of internships and the benefits on student learning as related to the NACE Career-Readiness Competencies. Participants can expect to walk away with tangible arguments for advocating for this experiential education at their own institutions. They will learn how to identify key differences between academic and non-academic internships, understand the pedagogical theory and approach of the high impact practice of academic internships and the NACE Career-Readiness Competencies and be able to advocate for them as a measuring tool in their work and for academic internships at their own institutions.