Internship Program
Get College Credit for Your Internship
Butler Community College proudly offers online internship classes to all interested students, recognizing internships as significant learning experiences and valuable growth opportunities. Internships include specific learning objectives (goals) to help students gain industry knowledge, skills, on-the-job experience, and build relationships in their career field.
Companies that hire interns also benefit by bringing in fresh perspectives and often value the time with the student as an employment “trial run”, helping them find new employees that meet their needs and fit within their culture.
Internship Programs for College Credit
Students interested in an internship class need to have a position related to their major secured prior to enrolling in the internship class. It can be a position where they currently work (if applicable) or a new position, and can be paid or unpaid. Each 8-week internship course contains:
- Online course work to develop general work skills.
- Establishing learning objectives (goals) to be accomplished during the internship.
- Documenting work hours (IP192 is 50 work hours for 1 credit hour, IP193 is for 100 work hours for 2 credit hours, and IP194 is for 150 work hours for 3 credit hours).
See below for information regarding students that need help securing their internship before enrolling in the internship course.
Students currently employed in his/her area of study may enroll in one of the internship courses with no prerequisite. Students employed in a field unrelated to their major can work with the instructor and their supervisor to determine if their current position can be adjusted to allow for experiences and opportunities related to their major.
Employer Information and Student FAQ
What is required of the employer:
- Documented Hours - Most internships follow our 8-week course schedule and require 50-150 documented work hours during that period (depending on the section the student is enrolled in). The student will periodically provide the supervisor with a form to sign verifying the hours worked.
- Guidelines - There is some initial legal paperwork to be completed; Supervisor Guidelines will be provided.
- Goals - The student works with their supervisor to create goals related to their field. At the end of the internship, the supervisor will evaluate the student’s progress and sign the goals paperwork.
- Final Evaluation - At the end of the internship, the supervisor will receive an electronic evaluation form to be filled out relating to the student’s performance.
Benefit for the Student:
A Learning Experience
- The internship is within the student’s area of study; and they bring to the internship the knowledge they’ve acquired through their academic education.
- The internship supervisor provides guidance, evaluation, and feedback to facilitate the learning process.
- The student engages in ongoing progress toward learning objectives.
Benefit for the Employer:
A Training Experience
- Every day opens up opportunities for fresh perspectives about your business.
- Internships are a recruiting tool for you to find new employees.
- College students learn cutting-edge strategies, techniques, and technology in their field. As much as your interns will learn from you, you can also learn from them.
- Reduce overall employee workload and cover vacations.
- The retention rate for hires who had an internship is 20% higher than those hires without an internship.
Ready to Get Started?
Step 1: Contact Connie Belden at cbelden@butlercc.edu
Step 2: Develop an internship job description that we can share with our students to apply with your company.
Step 3: Interview candidates and hire the best fit intern for your company.
What Should I Expect When I Enroll in IP193?
This class is designed to help you connect what you are learning in the classroom to a real work setting. The bulk of your energy will be spent at your internship with a small portion of your time spent in our Canvas class, enhancing the experience with academic content such as Goal Setting, the importance of Attitude, Strengths you have to offer, etc. Students from many programs will be in the same class, which gives us an exciting opportunity to share experiences and see how we’re all finding our way together.
What Counts for an Internship?
The goal of the class is to give you hand-on experience and new skills you can add to your resume to make you more marketable. Which means, the internship needs to be in your field of study, it needs to give you opportunities to learn new things (to gain those new skills), and you need to be able to log 100 work hours during your time with them. You must have an internship secured by the first day of class.
Can I Use My Current Job as My Internship?
Sure, as long as you are currently working in your field of study and your current employer is willing to let you take on new responsibilities.
What is Required of My Internship Employer?
We want them thrilled to be a part of this experience so we tried to keep their effort to a minimum. They have some legal papers to sign at the beginning, they’ll sign your work hour logs, they’ll work with you to set goals for your time with them, and at the end of the internship, they’ll evaluate your performance.
What Do Students Say About the Class?
Student feedback has been extremely positive. Students often comment that they were thrilled to see that they have a lot to contribute, that they are in the right field, and that they enjoyed the opportunity to share their experience with students in other programs. They comment that they made great connections and found it to be a very valuable learning experience.
Can Butler Help Me Find an Internship After I Graduated?
Yes, Butler can! Butler uses a tool called Handshake to help all of our students find internships and employment after graduation. Handshake helps students access employment across the globe by providing 3.5 million job and internship opportunities in every industry. Students can post their resume, and apply for jobs and internships in one centralized location. Please contact Career Services for more information.
What if I Don't Have an Internship?
Let us help you! There are a few options:
- Enroll in IP100 Career Readiness - this class works with you on your resume, mock interviews, and introduces you to Aletra Chaney-Profit, Director of Career Services. (She has great relationships in our community).
- Set up a meeting with Aletra directly and see if she has leads you can pursue. She works very hard to build connections in our community for you. She can be reached at achaneyprofi@butlercc.edu
- Set up your Handshake account and see what you can find in your network. Handshake is provided by the college and is a great resource for you to explore.
- Speak to your professors and see if they have ideas you can pursue. They often have valuable professional relationships at their fingertips.
Non-Credit Kansas Micro-Internships Program Through Parker Dewey
Students enrolled in a two or four-year public college in Kansas can be selected to work for Micro-Internship opportunities. Through Micro-Internships, students can demonstrate their skills, explore career paths, and develop their professional networks. These are paid opportunities, but college course credit is NOT available for Micro-Internships. These are short term projects (usually 5 to 10 hours) and students can apply for work-based projects in their area of interest. Students can apply and may be selected for multiple Micro-Internships.
These opportunities are coordinated through Parker Dewey.
How To Apply:
- Complete the Agile Work Profiler and upload a PDF of your results into the Documents section of your Parker Dewey profile.
- Create your account on Parker Dewey. Be sure to add Kansas Micro-Internship Program to your profile in the Affiliations section.
- Apply to all projects that interest you.
Still Have Questions?
Please reach out to us at internships@butlercc.edu.