Six UC Students Earn Undergraduate Certificate of the Academic Internship Program

Six University of Cincinnati students – Amara Agomuo, Taylor Clause, Emily Lang, Sara Rahrooh, Trevor Smith and Jeffrey Wren – are the first to earn the undergraduate certificate in the Academic Internship Program (AIP).

To earn a Certificate of The Academic Internship Program, students must: 1) complete exploring Academic Internships- PD3000, 2) participate in three Academic Internships, 3) successfully complete The Academic Internship Capstone.

The certificate requires the intro professional development course, nine credit hours of internships, and the capstone. The final project for the capstone is an e-portfolio that highlights their skills and experiences, which can be used to apply for full-time jobs.

“UC students who complete the Internship Certificate are more experienced in their field better prepared for the next step in their career, and more attractive candidates for a full-time position after graduation. These students have the skills they need and the tools necessary to stand out from the crowd," stated professor Brodie Theis, program director of The Academic Internship Program.

Sara Rahrooh, finance and business economics graduate, is one of the students who earned the certificate. Rahrooh, completed four semesters of internships through AIP, two semesters at ThinkVine Corporation as a lead generation strategist and two semesters at The Business Backer as a financial analyst. Rahrooh feels that the opportunity to have completed four semesters of internships during her higher education is quite unique. "This program has given me a competitive edge that has provided me with me a jump start in the work force."

Jeff Wren political science major, also received the Certificate of The Academic Internship Program. Wren completed an internship at Waycross Community Media and another at Marzulla Law through this program. Wren recommends AIP to prospective students because it provides invaluable hands-on experience.  “The Academic Internship Program allows students to see what it is like to work in their prospective profession. You learn not only factual information, but also how to communicate, write and conduct yourself in a professional manner,” stated Wren.

To learn more about the Academic Internship Program, visit The Division of Professional Practice and Experiential Learning's

website

. Students interested in pursuing a Certificate in Academic Internship can enroll in the courses below. Spring 2015 Academic Internship Program Courses Include:

PD3000- Exploring Academic Internships

Engage in career exploration, develop your resume and cover letter, learn from professional guest speakers, and be matched with a credit-bearing internship for the following semester.

PD3050- Foundations of Career Planning and Academic Internships

Tailored to help exploratory students, first-generation college students, and others who are less sure of their career direction. Professional development with more attention spent on career exploration. This course also matches students with a credit-bearing internship for the following semester.

PD5000- Academic Internship Capstone

This course provides a senior-year experience that enables students to transition to a profession or graduate school and continue to pursue lifelong learning and social responsibility. The capstone experience is designed to demonstrate proficiencies gained by the student's undergraduate internship experience with respect to effective communication, critical thinking, knowledge integration, social responsibility, and information literacy from an interdisciplinary and contextual perspective.

Additional Information

The Division of Professional Practice and Experiential Learning (ProPEL) is continually seeking internship opportunities for students. If you have an opportunity for a UC student or are interested in starting a internship program, contact ProPEL at 513-556-4535, intern@uc.edu

or

www.uc.edu/intern

.