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Internship Credit
Trinity adheres to the NACE definition of an internship. To ensure that an experience—whether it is in-person or one conducted remotely—is educational, all the following criteria must be met and addressed in your description of the internship in the application:
- The experience must be an extension of the classroom: a learning experience that provides for applying the knowledge gained in the classroom.
- The skills or knowledge learned must be transferable to other employment settings.
- The experience has a defined beginning and end, and a job description with desired qualifications.
- There are clearly defined learning objectives/goals related to the professional goals of the student’s academic coursework
- There is supervision by a professional with expertise and educational and/or professional background in the field of the experience.
- There is routine feedback by the experienced supervisor.
- There are resources, equipment, and facilities provided by the host employer that support learning objectives/goals.
The Basics:
- Your internship must be taken during the semester in which you’d like to receive credit. You cannot receive credit for the same internship twice. You must complete the Handshake application before the deadline. And you must answer the questions fully, with as much detail as possible, and to the best of your ability.
- 1 full credit = 120+ internship site work hours; .5 credits = 60-119 internship site work hours.
- Seniors will need a faculty sponsor (whose contact information will need to be provided on your Handshake application). This can be any member of the faculty here at Trinity, but cannot be your athletic coach. It does not have to be a faculty member who is in your major, it can be any professor with whom you have good rapport and is willing to sponsor you. They will be responsible for assigning you a grade at the conclusion of the semester.
- Sophomores and Juniors do NOT need a faculty sponsor, as they are part of the new Trinity Plus Curriculum. The Center for Academic & Experiential Advising will provide a faculty supervisor, who will assign projects/assignments throughout the internship and also assign a grade at the conclusion of the semester.
- More information regarding registering for the J-Term and Summer can be found on the Registrar’s Office FAQ webpages.
Summer Internship Funding
Weingarten Cross-Cultural Internship Fund
The Weingarten Cross-Cultural Internship Fund provides funding opportunities for cross-cultural internships in the United States and abroad. Funding is available for students who commit to a cross-cultural internship during summer only. Candidates are eligible to receive $3000 to pursue cross-cultural internship opportunities to gain professional experience, and to develop industry-related skills, while defraying some of the costs associated with completing a cross-cultural summer internship.
Cross-cultural refers to situations involving people or groups from different cultural backgrounds, marked by significant cultural differences. It provides an opportunity to learn about new customs, traditions, and viewpoints, with a focus on understanding and appreciating the unique cultural aspects of others. This definition encompasses the idea that “cross-cultural” goes beyond merely being in contact with people from different cultures; it involves active engagement with those differences and a willingness to learn and appreciate the perspectives of others, even in situations where the cultural contrast may not be immediately obvious.
Trinity students had the opportunity to meet Richard Weingarten ’68 and share their summer 2022 internship experiences. Read more about it here.
Catalyst Summer Internship Fund
Funding opportunities for unpaid and low-paid internships in the United States and abroad are available through the Catalyst Summer Internship Fund. Candidates can receive up to $3,500 to pursue internship opportunities to gain professional experience, and to develop industry-related skills, while defraying some of the costs associated with completing an under or unpaid summer internship.
An unpaid or under-paid – $1,750 or less for the entire internship experience – internship that is either remote, in-person, or both.
Qualifications for Summer Internship Funding
To be considered for funding, a student’s internship must:
- Make intellectual and practical connections between skills/knowledge developed through a liberal arts education and skills/knowledge required for a particular career.
- Gain first-hand insight into careers related to or associated with your academic interests.
- Explore a career path or field in order to confirm or reject a tentative career plan.
- Acquire experience and practical skills required by employers in your chosen career field.
- Acquire hands-on experience that will enhance your graduate or professional school candidacy.
- Provide routine feedback given through supervision by a professional with expertise and educational and/or professional background in the field of the experience.
- Be an extension of the classroom: a learning experience that provides for applying the knowledge gained in the classroom. It must not be simply to advance the operations of the employer or be the work that a regular employee would routinely perform.
- Have a defined beginning and end, and a job description with desired qualifications.
- Have clearly defined learning objectives/goals related to the professional goals of the student’s academic coursework.
- Be supervised by someone other than a member of your immediate family, nor should your internship supervisor report to a member of your immediate family. (Family members may be employed at your internship company.)
- Consist of a minimum of 120 total hours.
A student can only receive funding for ONE internship, and cannot receive funding from BOTH Catalyst and Weingarten.
Additional requirements may apply to international students completing an internship for credit. Consult with Katharine Clair for the latest policies impacting international students completing summer internships.
The Summer Funding Selection Committee will evaluate your internship based on your submitted application, and determine if it adheres to the NACE definition of an internship, the guidelines of which Trinity follows. If you are selected to receive funding, the amount awarded will be based on the number of work hours that you and your internship site supervisor have agreed upon.
For the Catalyst Summer Internship Fund, there are three levels of funding:
- 120-199 hours = $1200
- 200-349 hours = $2000
- 350+ hours = $3500
For the Weingarten Cross-Cultural Internship Fund, there is one level of funding, only requiring a minimum of 120 hours of internship work.
- 120+ hours = $3000
Funding is disbursed in three installments distributed throughout the summer, so long as the requirements are met by the student (see “Participation Requirements”).
- To receive funds for a summer 2024 internship, you must be a returning undergraduate student and enrolled at Trinity College for the Fall 2024 semester.
- We recommend that international students contact Katharine Clair with questions to ensure that students are in compliance with U.S. visa requirements during summer internship period.
- Students applying for credit for their internship will need submit a separate internship contract via Handshake – please note that the College assesses a fee to register for credit for summer internships.
- Past recipients of Catalyst or Weingarten funding may apply again; however, preference may be given to first-time applicants. Additionally, funding cannot be awarded twice for the same internship.
- Summer internship funding is not based on your FAFSA nor financial aid from the College. It is appropriate, however, to describe financial need in your application materials.
- Funding cannot go towards equipment or facilities required by the employer to complete the internship.
Applications are reviewed by the Summer Funding Selection Committee, which will evaluate each application individually to determine if the student’s internship meets the guidelines. The Selection Committee uses a rubric to determine funding decisions. Funding decisions will be communicated to all applicants via email in May 2024.
- Applications for summer 2024 funds (Catalyst and Weingarten) will become available on Handshake in January 2024 in the “Experiences” section. (To apply, click on “Submit New Experience” and select the appropriate option from the drop-down menu.)
- The application deadline is in April 2024
- Recipient decisions will be announced via email in May 2024
Following the deadline, applications will be reviewed by the Selection Committee, and selections are dependent upon available funds.
- A résumé, reviewed by one of our Career & Life Design coaches (via one-on-one appointment)
- A signed Student & Employer Learning Agreement (by both the student and internship supervisor)
- Accounting form for funding purposes
- W-9 or W-8BEN
- A mid-summer check-in essay
- A detailed photo essay at the conclusion of the summer
- An end-of-internship survey
- Thank-you note to donors
- Students awarded Weingarten funding must also attend a luncheon in the fall with Richard Weingarten ’68
Financial disbursements are contingent upon timely completion of the items listed above. Recipients who fail to complete the internship or requirements of the summer funding programs must repay all funds already distributed.
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