The Internship and Field Experience Program

The following statements are excerpted from the Hiram College Catalog.

Hiram College’s internship program permits students to bridge the distance between the theory they have learned in the classroom and application of their knowledge. Further, the program enables students and the College itself to be aware of procedures, methodologies, systems, and techniques employed in working environments, and the ways these may influence contemporary liberal education tenets. Each department may offer field experiences and internships.

Field experiences are designed for students to observe a work situation, and to contribute, when possible, to the functioning of the work environment. By experiencing 40 to 80 hours at the cooperating institution, students may earn one to four semester hours of academic credit for the term in which they are enrolled.

Internships are more intense and require the active involvement of the students in the work situation at the cooperating institution for a minimum of 120 hours. A maximum of four semester hours of academic credit is given for the successful completion of the internship. Many Departments assist students in the placement process for the internship program. The departments establish prerequisites for the application procedure in setting class rank, grade point requirements, and judgments regarding social and person maturity. Prospective interns are required to have a faculty advisor who will monitor the experience, grade the academic paper and coordinate departmental efforts with the campus-wide program. Some internships, appropriate for liberal arts students, do not fall directly under the jurisdiction of one department. These opportunities are coordinated by the Director of the Career Center who also helps students plan and prepare for their internship experience.