Internships

Short-term opportunities with lifelong impact.

The skills that CVA majors develop — from critical thinking to visual literacy — are valuable in a variety of careers. Through internships, students apply those skills in real-world situations and simultaneously learn what work environments best fit their personality and interests.

Students can participate in internships during the academic year or summer. Internships are not required, but they may allow students to receive academic credit.

Benefits

Internships allow students to:

• build experience and work history,
• practice skills learned in the classroom,
• gain confidence in their abilities,
• connect with mentors and role models, and
• experiment with their interests without making a long-term commitment.

The CVA department faculty encourage students to find opportunities that justly compensate them for their talents.

Guidelines

Most internships may be completed for academic credit whether they are paid or unpaid. In order to be eligible for credit, students must:

• Obtain approval from the department chair to enroll in an Internship course
• Choose an on-campus internship supervisor — either in the CVA department or the Career Center
• Write and submit a final report about the internship experience

The internship may count for 1-3 credits depending on its length and other factors. If a student completes multiple internships, the course can be taken multiple times. The course does not count toward the requirements for a major or minor within the CVA department.

Opportunities

The CVA department faculty have relationships with local professionals and organizations — including organizations on campus — that have successfully hosted students as interns. Beyond this network, the faculty refer students to the Career Center, which can help students evaluate internship possibilities.

The Career Center regularly hosts workshops on finding an internship and also offers one-on-one appointments for advising. They can help students:

• brainstorm possible internships,
• contact employers,
• complete paperwork, or
• complete an evaluation.

Valparaiso University also maintains a list of internships on Valpo CONNECT (accessible only to current Valpo students). Students can visit IndianaINTERN.net, an excellent source of current internship openings in the state.