President's Leadership Program

Internships are one of the most effective ways to gain experience and insights into professional life after college. Through internships, you can enhance your professional network, gain a better appreciation for the types of opportunities in a field and obtain a foundation for starting your career. More specifically, internships provide an excellent opportunity to see how organizations operate and apply leadership theories and concepts to address challenges.

Students can fulfill complete their Professional Development Experience through either a formal internship or a work-based learning project.

Internships

For the purposes of PLP, an internship is a paid or unpaid experience that allows you to observe and/or participate in a professional environment. The experience does not need to be formally titled an “internship,” nor does it need to directly relate to your academic major. Students are encouraged to select an experience that supports their professional interests, goals, or development. Past PLP students have fulfilled the internship requirement through experiences such as serving as an Orientation Leader or Resident Assistant, working as a historical site tour guide or summer camp counselor, and employment with government agencies and other organizations. To fulfill the PLP internship requirement, the experience must:

• Include a minimum of 120 working hours (roughly equivalent to working full-time for three weeks).
• Be completed in a maximum of 12 consecutive months, during your four years in PLP and CNU.
• Be completed with one internship placement (For example, you may not complete 60 hours with one organization, then 60 hours with another organization and consider it one internship).
• Be supervised by a non-immediate family member.
• Be documented according to PLP internship procedures.

Work-Based Learning Experiences

In place of an internship, students may fulfill the requirement through an approved work-based learning experience. This option is designed for substantive professional experiences that provide meaningful career exposure and skill development but may not reasonably reach the 120 hours required of an internship. Examples may include shadowing a medical or other professional, conducting research with a faculty member, or completing a substantial project in partnership with an organization or employer. To qualify, a work-based learning experience must:

• Include at least 50 hours dedicated to the experience with a specific organization, employer, or faculty member.
• Include structured activities, responsibilities, or projects that deepen your knowledge of a career field or industry.
• Provide opportunities to apply knowledge or skills gained through coursework
• Support the development of professional or transferable skills, such as communication, teamwork, problem-solving, or field-specific competencies.
• Be guided or supervised by a professional or faculty member with relevant experience in the field.

Complete the three required forms to successfully document your internship experience with PLP. All forms can be found on the PLP Scholar page.

1. Internship Information Form: This form lets the PLP Staff know where/when the internship will take place, the type of work being done and contact information for the internship supervisor.
2. Supervisor Evaluation Form: Students are responsible for sharing this form with their supervisor and ensuring it is completed. This is an opportunity for the supervisor to provide feedback on the student’s performance and tell us more about their experience.
3. Post-Internship Reflection Form: This reflection is intended to help students make meaning of their experience and connect back to the mission of PLP.

Check the PLP Scholar page under the Program Progress tab to monitor the completion of this requirement.

If you feel you are able to better understand how an organization operates and see leadership in action, absolutely! In our experience, most part-time jobs fit into this category.

Your internship can be paid or unpaid – whichever makes the most sense for you.

No. You only have to log one internship during your time in PLP. However, some students opt to log multiple internships because it provides a guided process to receive feedback and make meaning of your experience.

Since you were not enrolled at CNU, an internship experience before attending the institution will not count toward your PLP requirement.

As long as it fits the requirements outlined above, you are able to double count the internship to fulfill the PLP requirements as well.

The supervisor evaluation form and post-internship reflection only need to be completed one time. The discretion of when you want to complete the forms is up to you. We have found that it is popular for students to submit the two forms halfway through their experience at the end of a semester to receive feedback or at the end of their internship all together.

Students are encouraged to utilize the Center for Career Planning and their Academic Advisors if they need assistance in finding an internship opportunity.

If you have questions or concerns regarding internship requirements or reporting, please contact the President’s Leadership Program at preslead@cnu.edu.