What is an Internship? An internship is career-related professional work experience that enhances your education by enabling you to apply your academic knowledge and skills in a practical setting (the workplace). There are many advantages to taking an internship. Internships can be part-time or full-time, paid or unpaid, credit-earning or noncredit-earning. Penn State York IST students usually schedule part-time internships that span multiple semesters (maximum of three) or schedule full-time internships during the summer. All baccalaureate degree IST students must take at least one internship (IST 495), one credit with a minimum 300 hours of career-related work experience, to meet degree requirements. Baccalaureate degree IST students may participate in as many as three internships for credit. In essence, a student can gain the equivalent of a full year of career-related experience before graduation! Associate degree IST students are strongly encouraged to take a one-credit internship (IST 295B – a minimum of 150 hours of career-related work experience). However, associate degree students may take a one-credit project class (IST 295A -Distributed Team Project) instead of an internship experience.

As a student attending Penn State York, I realized that the most important time of my life are the years that I spend in college. I realized that during this period, which only happens once in a person’s life, the comprehension of working hard and doing the best that I can are at the forefront. The experience that I have obtained attending college is indescribable. In addition, the expertise and knowledge that I have gained from completing my IST 495 internship at Harley-Davidson in York, PA gave me the opportunity to be an excellent candidate in the Information Technology job market upon graduation. Joseph Hawkins IST – Integration and Application Option Help Desk Support Specialist Harley-Davidson

An internship enhances your education, prepares you for professional life, and helps you make good career decisions. There is no replacement for practical, on-the-job experience. The workplace environment cannot be fully simulated in the classroom.

Some of the benefits of an internship probably seem obvious. Others -- such as learning how to manage projects, set priorities, and network with other professionals -- may not be as obvious but are important to career success.

Some of the many benefits students will gain from an internship experience are listed below.

• Career-Related Experience: An internship will provide career-related experience prior to graduation. This experience will help to determine future career paths, technical and related elective choices, provide direction for determining IST options, and provide valuable insight into the challenges of a career in IST.



• Professional Development: An internship will enhance the “softer skills” required to become a successful employee, such as networking, effective communication, setting priorities, time management, professional etiquette and dress, and will provide opportunities to develop technical writing and presentation skills.



• Practical Application of Your Knowledge: An internship will provide opportunities to apply academic course work to practical workplace problems.



• Help With Your Job Search: In the internship program, the job search process is made easier for you. The Penn State York Career Counselor and IST Internship Coordinator work with companies to locate internships that may provide full-time job opportunities.



• Job-Search Skills: You will gain valuable experience in résumé writing, interview skills, job search processes, and many other skills that will be important in your future employment searches.



• Better Job Prospects: Students with career-related experience typically obtain more interviews, job offers, and higher starting salaries when seeking full-time employment.



• Your Internship May Lead to Your First Job: Some employers offer students who have interned with them full-time employment upon graduation. Some employers use the IST Internship Program as a recruitment tool for attracting and retaining new graduates. The IST Internship Program is a way for organizations to establish and maintain a candidate pool from which they can identify talented and diverse individuals to meet future business needs.

The IST Internship Program is open to all Penn State IST Students.

• All baccalaureate degree IST majors must take an internship.
• All associate degree IST majors are strongly encouraged to take an internship.
• All internships must be career-related.
• Many internships are paid positions.
• Students earn one academic credit for each internship.
• Students gain from three months to more than a year of work experience prior to graduation.
• The IST Internship Coordinator helps students every step of the way from the creation of a résumé to completing the work experience.
• Penn State IST faculty advise and supervise students and act as liaisons with employers.
• The IST Internship Program is a three-way partnership among students, employers, and Penn State York.

Initial Student Responsibilities

• Submit a résumé to the IST Internship Coordinator.
• Become familiar internship requirements IST 295B/IST 495 Course Requirements.
• Apply for internship positions

Students are expected to enter the workforce as professionals who are responsible for specific tasks and assignments while maintaining a good academic standing.

All students participating in the IST internship program at Penn State York must follow the steps listed at www.yk.psu.edu/~sg3/ist295b.

IST at Penn State York

• Internships - General Information
• Penn State York IST Home Page
• IST 295B/IST 495 Course Requirements
• Professional Dining Etiquette Program

Last updated February 3, 2006