Formal Internship Program

Department of Chemical Engineering
Montana State University - Bozeman

The Chemical Engineering Department at Montana State University -- Bozeman has a long history of working informally with our friends in industry to provide summer work experiences for our students, and we will continue to do so. However, in recent years there has been increased interest, by both students and industry, in formal internship experiences. A formal internship requires some planning and evaluation of the student's performance, and allows the student to receive academic credit for the internship experience. Internships do not involve the repeated work periods of a co-op, and thus provide the flexibility some firms need to respond quickly to short-term opportunities.

PROGRAM HIGHLIGHTS

• Internships may be offered at any time, although summer terms are the most common and least disruptive to the student's academic schedule.
• Student interns may be at any level, freshman through senior. The needs of the company will generally dictate the academic level required of the intern.
• Companies can bring in a student intern to work on a project which will provide professional experience and development in the student's chosen field.
• With a formal internship, the Department works with companies to assure that the internship provides a valid educational experience.
• Interns provide written reports to both their project supervisor and their academic internship advisor. The reports include a goal statement, developed with the project supervisor at the beginning of the internship, and a final report.
  

PROGRAM DESCRIPTION

Preparation for the internship involves a description of the proposed project by the project supervisor, and review by a member of the Department's faculty, assigned as the intern's academic internship advisor. The departmental advisor will work with the project supervisor to evaluate the suitability of the proposed project as a professional development experience, as well as the academic level needed by the intern for the project.

Student Selection is handled by the company. In the past, the following selection mechanisms have been utilized:

• on-campus interview
• on-site interview
• telephone interview
• selection from resumes

Reporting forms the principal means of evaluating the student's academic performance, and the following reports are required:

• goal statement, developed in consultation with the project supervisor
• final report of activities

Evaluation of the intern's performance and professional development should be performed by the project supervisor and provided to both the student and the faculty contact. The academic internship advisor will assess the intern's academic performance.