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Internships, a form of experiential learning, offer students real-world experience to apply their knowledge and transfer learned skills with direct supervision by professionals in their field.

Internships can help develop professional skills including communication, teamwork, problem-solving, and critical thinking. Find internship resources, how to report your internship to earn a special TAMIU Intern t-shirt, and Handshake information below.

Instructions to Navigate Handshake

Instructions to use Big Interview

Internship Best Practices

TAMIU follows the National Association of Colleges and Employers (NACE) internship definition, which states:

An internship is a form of experiential learning that integrates knowledge and theory learned in the classroom with practical application and skills development in a professional workplace setting (across in-person, remote, or hybrid modalities). Internships provide students the opportunity to gain valuable applied experience, develop social capital, explore career fields, and make connections in professional fields. In addition, internships serve as a significant recruiting mechanism for employers, providing them with the opportunity to guide and evaluate potential candidates.

Following NACE best practices, an internship must:

• Be an extension of the classroom: a learning experience to apply the knowledge gained in the classroom. It must not be simply to advance the operations of the employer or replace the work that a regular employee would routinely perform.
• Have learned skills and knowledge that are transferable to other employment settings.
• Have a defined beginning and end that is mutually agreed upon and consistent with institutional sponsor guidelines and schedules. Typically a minimum of 150 hours.
• Include a position description with clear responsibilities and required/desired qualifications.
• Clearly define learning objectives/goals supportive of the student’s academic program goals and institutional requirements.
• Be directly supervised by a professional(s) with relevant expertise and educational and/or professional experience who provides productive feedback, guidance, and the resources and equipment necessary to successfully complete the assignment.
• Include reflection to connect learning and application in a professional environment in paid and unpaid experiences.

When you report your internship, you’ll have an opportunity to reflect on your experience.