Ella Osuzoka, business student, standing in investment center smiling for portrait.

Internships

Find an internship that aligns with your major, interests, and career goals.

Many majors at Houghton University recognize a field placement experience as an integral component of professional preparation. Internships are considered quality experiential learning opportunities, generally in off-campus, nonacademic settings. They are intended as highly structured, professionally supervised experiences and usually occur during the junior or senior year.

No matter what kind of experience you are looking for, the Office of Vocation and Calling can help.

Internship Academic Agreement FormOff-Campus Liability Form

Internship Planning Guide

If you are seeking academic credit for your internship, the Office of Vocation and Calling can support you through that process. Review the steps for Registering Your Internship on Handshake for Academic Credit below.

Here are some tips to keep in mind as your approach your senior year.

1

Start Dreaming

Begin thinking now and as you take each course about what kind of internship experience would most interest you. This is, perhaps, the only time in your life when someone will ask you what might be your dream job and then will go out and get that job for you. Talk to your advisor if you need help thinking about this.
2

Make a Plan

Lay out a semester-by-semester plan for all of your courses between now and graduation. You will probably make some changes along the way but you will want to be sure you can get in all of your course requirements and still do your internship.
3

Track Credit Hours

Plan to complete a total of 125 hours between now and the semesters you have left.
4

Keep Your Grades Up

To be eligible for the internship you will need a 2.5 GPA.
5

Embrace Variety

Take as wide a variety of courses as you can before your internship. This will give you a broader understanding of more areas for choosing the kind of internship you’d like and to make your internship experience more meaningful. Depending on the type of internship you hope to do, your advisor may recommend other courses.
6

Find the Right Fit

Talk with your advisor and professors about what kinds of opportunities they might suggest for you, given your interests. You also might seek the assistance of the Office of Vocation and Calling staff. They can help you with an assessment that can show what type of work might fit you best. They might suggest something you’ve never even thought about.
Contact Us

Registering Your Internship on Handshake for Academic Credit

Be sure to communicate with your academic advisor about the course code, required or recommended credit hours, and other details. If you have any questions, please contact the Office of Vocation and Calling.

From desktop view:

  1. Log into Handshake https://houghton.joinhandshake.com/
  2. Select “Career Services” in the upper right-hand corner
  3. Select the “Experiencesà” button
  4. Click the blue “Request an Experience” button

From the mobile app:

  1. Select “Account” in bottom right-hand corner
  2. Select “Career Center” at the top
  3. Select “Experiences” button
  4. Choose “Create Experience” option