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Internships
continue to provide an edge in a tight job market
In the 1990s, when positions for college graduates were
plentiful, internships were an added value to a beginner’s resume.
In today’s competitive employment market, an internship is becoming
an imperative. For students, these can provide academic credit, workforce
experience, and a job.
During the academic year 2002-2003, approximately 300 students in the
College of Commerce and Finance engaged in internships for credit, according
to Brenda Stover, director of the Center for Student Advising and Professional
Development (CSAPD). CSAPD, which was established in August 2002, works
to develop internship relationships with local, regional and national
organizations. Many alumni have been instrumental in creating internship
opportunities. On behalf of the College, the Center encourages every business
major to participate in at least one academic internship during his or
her college career. Additionally, the Center helped to launch the College’s
first-ever cooperative education program with Johnson & Johnson. Co-ops
work in an accounting or finance area within one of J&J’s 190
operating companies on a full-time basis over a six- month period. The
first class of eight co-ops completed their assignments in December ’04,
with the second class of nine having assumed their position at the beginning
of January.
Trish Burdo, assistant director for professional development in the College
of Engineering is creating a professional development program for engineering
students. It will help students locate engineering-related work experiences,
including positions within the area of research
In the College of Nursing, approximately 30% of those who have completed
their junior year take advantage of summer externships with some of this
country’s most prestigious hospitals, including Yale New Haven in
Connecticut, Georgetown Hospital in Washington, D.C., the Hospital of
the University of Pennsylvania and Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia,
to name just a few. The undergraduates perform nursing functions at the
nursing assistant level under supervision, since they are not yet licensed.
However, as nursing assistants, they are able to obtain valuable practical
experience and they are remunerated. Yale New Haven also offers seminars
for professional nursing students in its program.
In the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences, the internship program founded
by Dr. Albert Dorley, emeritus professor of history, is in its twenty-third
year. Dr. John O’Leary, visiting assistant professor of communication,
now leads the program with the assistance of Joan Prendergast, who has
been coordinating it for more than years. The program recently placed
hundreds of internship opportunities into an on-line database, so students
can begin investigating on their own. The database can be accessed at
www3.villanova.edu/internships. The number of student interns from this
college each year averages 175 to 220.
The opportunities range from the Washington Center program, which sends
students to Congressional Office, think tanks and the White House; to
the Philadelphia district attorney’s office; even to foreign governments,
such as Britain’s Parliament. Last year, a number of students interned
in various aspects of the entertainment industry in Los Angeles.
This semester students studying abroad at the National University of Ireland
– Galway can apply for internships with the Brothers of Charity,
who care for developmentally challenged adults and children.
Additionally, O’Leary is working with the Pennsylvania Historical
and Museum Commission to develop a museum fellows program for students
of color at the Philadelphia Museum of Art and the Independence Seaport
Museum. This internship will prepare them for job opportunities in museums
and other cultural organizations.
Alumni who would like more information in creating internships, research
opportunities or paid positions in related fields for undergraduates are
encouraged to contact the program leaders in the individual colleges.
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