OAAS: Career Counseling

Internships

Hendrix College encourages and requires experiential, hands-on learning as a part of every student’s education. The Hendrix Internship Program gives students the valuable opportunity to acquire direct, practical work experience paired with intentional, academic learning components. This combination provides a rich setting for academic, personal, and career-oriented growth and reflection, and we encourage all student interns to create a positive and meaningful experience with their internship site.

Internship Requirements and Information

To participate in the Hendrix Internship Program, students must be at least sophomore level and in good academic standing with the College. Additionally, they must complete at least eight weeks and 120 hours of work at an internship site off campus, work with a Hendrix Faculty Internship Sponsor who will provide the academic framework for the internship experience, and complete the Career Services Internship Seminar. Professionally related experiences that do not meet these criteria may still qualify as "professional field experiences" appropriate for Odyssey credit in the Professional and Leadership Development category. (See Odyssey Program Guide.) Students may complete internships during the fall and spring semesters, as well as during summer break.

All internships completed through the Hendrix Internship Program are pre-approved for Odyssey Credit in the PL Category. In addition to Odyssey Credit, students have the option of taking their internship for an academic grade or credit as well:

Academic Grade: the internship is included in the student's schedule as a registered course for the semester and counts as a class towards graduation; upon completion, a letter grade assigned by the Faculty Sponsor. Grade shows on transcript and is figured in GPA.

Academic Course Credit: the internship is included in the student's schedule as a registered course for the semester and counts as a class towards graduation; upon completion, there is no letter grade assigned, the Faculty Sponsor assigns "Credit" or "No Credit". Credit shows on transcript.

Students may only do ONE internship for Academic credit/grade; they may do unlimited internships for Odyssey Credit. Contact the Office of Career Counseling and Internships to discuss these options in more detail.

How do I find an internship?

  • The Career Resource Library in SLTC 238 has several materials that will help you in your search for the perfect internship. Students are particularly encouraged to review the blue Internship Inventory Binder, which provides a comprehensive list of all internships recently completed by Hendrix students that is sorted both geographically and by major/interest area. Previous internship locations are great places to search because they are already familiar with Hendrix and how great our students are!
  • HireHendrix is our internal job and internship posting system, which gives you access to a wide variety of local and nationwide internship opportunities. In addition to internships, postings include post-graduate jobs, post-graduate fellowships, part-time jobs, and summer opportunities that we receive from families and friends of Hendrix, alumni, and other employers who have strong interest in hiring Hendrix students.
  • Check out the Internships Bulletin Board. Located outside of SLTC 226, our bulletin board features information and deadlines for a wide range of internship opportunities located across the country.
  • Hendrix subscribes to www.internships-usa.com. This is a dynamic and truly excellent search tool for finding internships all over the country as well as internationally. Contact our office to get Hendrix’s login information for this website.
  • Find and research the websites of professional organizations tied to the career field(s) in which you are interested in working. Most have pages dedicated to students, which often list available internships as well as resources for graduate school and employment opportunities.
  • Network! Talk your friends, family, Hendrix faculty and staff members, past employers, alumni, and people you know in the field. You never know from where the next lead will come. The more people who know you are looking for an internship, the better chance you’ll have of making a connection. Join a site like LinkedIn and connect with the Hendrix College Alumni Association group and other organizations. There are more ways than ever to connect with people in your career field of interest; use your technology to your advantage!
  • Set up an appointment to brainstorm internship possibilities and discuss your credit options with Leigh Lassiter-Counts '01, Director of Career Counseling and Internships. To schedule an appointment call or stop by the SLTC 2nd floor Student Services Suite - (501) 450-1440.

Internship Proposal Packet

All students who wish to pursue a Hendrix internship must complete an Internship Proposal Packet, which is available in SLTC 129. This packet provides all parties with important rules and information. It also requires signatures from the internship site supervisor, the faculty sponsor, the student, the academic advisor, the department chair (only if internship will count toward major), the registrar (only if internship is for academic grade or credit). The packet must be completed in full before the start of the internship.

Internship Deadlines

Students wishing to complete internships via the Hendrix Internship Program must have their completed packets turned in by the following dates each year:

  • Fall Semester: last day to add a class for Fall Semester
  • Spring Semester: last day to add a class for Spring Semester
  • Summer 2015: May 8, 2015 at 4 p.m.