Internships and student jobs

Guided business internship: B BUS 497

The UW Bothell School of Business is committed to providing students with the opportunity to earn internship credit for experiential learning in the business community. Well-designed and implemented internships contribute practical experiences to a student’s curricular education thus enriching their preparation for the workforce.

The guided internship (B BUS 497) is more than a job, it is a structured, academic learning experience involving the student, an academic sponsor, and a field supervisor. Students have the opportunity to apply and expand classroom knowledge, explore relevant theories, and produce academically assessed outcomes that ensure students expand their business knowledge and skills.

Eligibility:

  • Core courses (300, 307, 310, 320, 340 and 350) must be completed prior to applying for internship credit.
  • Students must be in good academic standing. 
  • Internship can be paid or unpaid for non-profit or for-profit organizations.
    • If the internship is unpaid and with a for-profit organization, the organization must meet Department of Labor criteria, and a letter obtained from the employer stating that the internship adheres to the guidelines set by the U.S. Dept of Labor Fair Labor Standards Act.

Benefits

Career exploration: Learn more about a field, a company or a particular type of position. Your experience can help you to hone your career direction.

Skill building: Gain a better understanding of specific work functions, skills, and knowledge that will be valuable as you begin your business career post-graduation.

Networking opportunities: Meet employees in your field of interest and their colleagues. These professionals are part of your professional network.

Registration

It is recommended that students seeking to do a guided internship should start the process 6-7 weeks prior to the quarter the internship is to take place. This allows for sufficient time to secure an internship, develop and complete the Learning Contract and obtain the approval needed to be registered for BBUS 497. Please be aware that registration for BBUS 497 follows the registration deadlines in the Academic Calendar for the quarter and will be subject to late registration procedures and fees. Therefore, students should submit their Internship Application Form at least two weeks prior to the start of the quarter.

Process and Requirements:

  • Submit an Internship Application Form.
  • As part of the form, the Internship Offer Letter and Learning Contract must be uploaded. These items are described below.
    • The Internship Offer Letter must be on the company letterhead and include the name of your Field Supervisor, position, schedule, responsibilities, salary, and start and end dates.
    • The Learning Contract must include the following elements:
      • Learning Goals – What do you want to learn as a part of this internship
      • Job Description – What will you do as an intern with this organization? How will these responsibilities help you to fulfill your learning goals?
      • Academic Experience – How will you support this experience academically? Include readings, discussion, projects, and writing assignments.
      • Expected Outcomes – What will you do to support the learning goals? CR/NC is based on the agreed upon outcomes, project, assignments, final paper, etc. established between the student and academic sponsor.  Expectations for these items should be documented.
      • Field Supervision – Who in the organization is managing your internship? Document the training and assistance you will receive. How will your academic sponsor keep in contact with your field supervisor (e.g. weekly phone calls or email check ins)
      • Academic Structure – How will you work with your academic sponsor (e.g. weekly meetings, interim reports)?
  • Once submitted, the Internship Application Form is reviewed and the information verified with academic sponsor and employer.
  • Final approval comes from the Associate Dean or Designee. If approved an email will be sent to the student and their academic advisor and the student will be registered for B BUS 497 for the number of credits approved and outlined in the Internship Application Form.

Note: Registration for BBUS 497 follows the registration deadlines in the Academic Calendar for the quarter and will be subject to late registration procedures and fees. If you have not heard back within 5-7 business days of submitting the Online Application, contact the Director of Undergraduate Academic Success.

Internship Partners

The student intern

The following outlines the responsibilities of the student intern:

  • Identify the internship and academic sponsor*.
  • Initiate and complete the Learning Contract with the academic sponsor. Submit the Internship Application Form.
  • Complete all assignments, projects, papers as outlined in the Learning Contract, meeting mutually agreed upon criteria.
  • Adhere to the responsibilities and duties as outlined in the Internship Offer Letter.
  • Provide a copy of the Learning Contract to the field supervisor and seek guidance and feedback as needed.

* It is highly recommended that students work with a business faculty member who has an interest in or expertise in the area that you want to learn more about.

The academic sponsor

Your academic sponsor needs to be a UW Bothell faculty member that is teaching in the same quarter that your internship is to take place. The role of the academic sponsor includes:

  • Assist the student in developing the learning goals and completing the Learning Contract.
  • Meet with student on a regular basis to discuss the internship and provide feedback on the items outlined in the Learning Contract.  
  • Assess student deliverables as outlined in the Learning Contract.
  • Submit grade (CR/NC) by grade deadline.

The field supervisor

The person at your internship site who will know what and how well you are performing will be your field supervisor. This person is typically your manager. Prior to and throughout the internship you should work directly with this person to discuss and arrange overall goals, projects, duties, hours and other expectations. The field supervisor should work in tangent with your academic sponsor to ensure that you are learning from your experience and making progress on your Learning Contract. The field supervisor will be asked to submit a Student Internship Performance evaluation form at the conclusion of your internship.

Securing an internship

It is the student’s responsibility to plan the internship. Students should secure their internship and academic sponsor at least a quarter before registering for the internship credit. In the search for an internship, students are encouraged to check the internship postings on Handshake. A good internship site should offer a learning experience with clear duties, substantive work and adequate supervision.

Credits and time commitment

Guided internships typically last for an entire quarter. They can be taken for a variable amount (1-10) of credits. If you wish to receive internship credit, you must submit your Internship Application Form two weeks prior to the quarter you want to do your internship. Note – we cannot retroactively apply internship credit. Things to consider when choosing the number of credits for your internship are 1) the amount of time you have each week to spend working at an internship, 2) how you want the credits to apply to your degree program, and 3) maximum number of internship credits allowed.

A student can earn up to 10 credits toward their degree elective requirements. For most students it makes sense to do an internship for 5 credits so that the internship credit can take the place of one 5-credit elective course. Credits are determined by the number of hours a student intends to work.  Each credit hour = 3 hours/week.

For example:

  • 5 Credits = Work 15 hours/week and 150 hours/quarter.
  • 10 credits = 30 hours/week and 300 hours/quarter.

Completion criteria and grading

Your academic sponsor will grant academic credit when you have fulfilled the expectations outlined in the Learning Contract. Internships are graded on a credit/no credit basis only.

Student jobs

Contact Career Services

Employers

If you have a job opportunity for our students or if you are looking to find out what resources are available to you, contact the UW Bothell Career Services.