Please note that the specifics of this Course Syllabus are subject to change. Instructors will notify students of any changes and students will be responsible for abiding by them. Even if you print this syllabus, please check the online version often.

Description

IST 495: Internship (1-18 credits) - Supervised on or off-campus, nongroup instruction including field experiences, practica, or internships. Written and oral critique of activity required.IST 495 is offered as an internship for a student within a company. Faculty and industry collaborate to specify the duties of the intern. The course facilitator responsible for the course then approves the internship. The internship must consist of a minimum of 300 hours of meaningful information and technology-related tasks. The student must successfully complete 300 hours of work and all deliverables assigned in the IST 495 Canvas course and receive an average grade of 70% or higher to receive an SA for the course. If the student receives a grade above a 70%, but has not met the hourly requirement, credit cannot be given for the course.

Course Goals

An internship is a career-related professional work experience that enhances your education by giving you experience applying your knowledge and skills in the workplace. The advantages of taking an internship are endless. Internships serve as stepping stones for your future.

Internships can be part-time or full-time, paid or unpaid, credit-earning or noncredit-earning. Students fulfilling their internship requirement must complete their 300 hours and course work in one or two consecutive semesters. As an IST student, you must take at least one internship, with a minimum of 300 hours of career-related work experience, to meet degree requirements. You may earn academic credit toward your degree with each IST internship you complete. If you are enrolled in an IST Bachelor’s degree program, you may participate in as many as 3 internships.  

Nothing enhances your education, prepares you for professional life, or helps you make good career decisions like an internship experience. That is why it is a required part of the IST program. As a student intern, you set your professional development in motion and take charge of your future. You are essentially test-driving a particular set of job duties, a company, or a career path to see if they truly suit your interests and skills. All bachelor's and associate degree students in IST must complete at least one internship prior to graduation.

Prerequisites

• Prior approval of the proposed assignment by the internship coordinator.

Objectives

With an Internship you can:

• Explore Your Career Opportunities: An internship helps you focus on and evaluate your academic and career choices. It helps you answer these questions: Am I focusing on the right areas of IST in my education? Is this the kind of work I want to pursue?
• Develop Yourself Professionally: An internship helps you polish the skills it takes to succeed in the workplace. You also learn the value of networking and how to search for a job.
• Enhance Your Maturity and Self-Confidence: Experience what it means to be a professional. Know how to get a job done and done well. Get a handle on what it takes to take care of business – relocation, housing, transportation, and financial obligations.
• Improve Your Marketability: Build a solid resume with hard evidence of successful work experience. Broaden your skills. Get the knowledge you need to convince an employer that you are the candidate of choice.
• Further Your Education: An internship gives you the opportunity to gain and practice important technical skills in the real-world work environment while you improve your oral and written capabilities. You also may earn academic credit.

Instructor

• TBD

Office hours

• Schedule and location of office hours

Materials

• none

Assignments & Grading

Course Grading Scale

• This course uses a Pass/Fail grading system.

In order to receive an SA (Satisfactory) grade for IST 495, the final average score must be 70% or higher. Students who do not meet the minimum requirement (695 or below) will need to take IST 495 again for a conventional letter grade as per University Policy 49-60 and receive a C or better to receive the required internship credit to graduate.

Deferred Grading Option

If you need additional time to complete your hours or evaluations past the last day of class, please contact the instructor to request a grade deferment. This will not impact your GPA.

Course Policies and Expectations

• Logging into Canvas - Students are expected to log in regularly to check for course updates, announcements, emails, discussions, etc.
• Emailing through Canvas - Students are expected to use Canvas for all course email communication.
• Attending virtual meetings - Students are expected to use a specified virtual meeting tool(s) for collaboration, meetings, presentations, etc., as needed.