ITI Program Internship Guidelines

Course Information

ITI Internship [04:547:450]

Scope

An Internship is approximately 150 hours of workplace employment that represents a significant learning opportunity for the student. As a 3 credit course, it has a significant learning component, and through discussion with key personnel in the organization and SC&I, students are required to identify workplace learning objectives, and to establish how these learning objectives are going to be met through a range of workplace activities, and to be demonstrated – both to the workplace supervisor, and to the academic supervisor in SC&I. It generally takes place as students are completing the major. Internships are generally not approved at the commencement of the major, as it provides opportunity to apply knowledge and skills learned during the major to extend this classroom learning, to develop an understanding of the dynamics of the ITI workplace, and to contribute in a professional way to a range of initiatives and goals of the chosen organization. As a 3 credit point course, it has a significant learning component, and through discussion with key personnel in the organization and SC&I, students are required to identify workplace learning objectives, and to establish how these learning objectives are going to be met through a range of workplace activities, and to be demonstrated – both to the workplace supervisor, and to the academic supervisor in SC&I.

Procedure for applying to undertake an ITI Internship

Before an Internship can be formally approved, students are required to develop a full proposal for the Internship which outlines its nature, objectives and outcomes. This is typically developed in consultation with an academic supervisor, and discussed with the Director of the ITI Major. The proposal represents the formal agreement between the student, place of employment and SC&I, and is placed on the student’s file at SC&I. When this proposal is reviewed and approved, the student is assigned a Special Permission Number to proceed with the enrollment and to commence the Internship.

From the outset, students are encouraged to identify their own career aspirations and learning needs and to develop learning objectives and strategies consistent with those needs. In developing the proposal, students are encouraged to reflect on their learning in the ITI major, their career goals, to identify particular interests / needs / gaps in their learning, and to show how the work program will address these.

The Proposal

The internship proposal is now submitted by means of a form. Please click here for the Microsoft Word Document version.

Submit the completed form, with attachments, to the Student Support staff located in Room 214 of the SC&I Building.

Workplace Evaluation

Evaluation criteria will be provided to your workplace supervisor. You internship will be evaluated according to the following criteria:

• Summary of duties you have undertaken;
• Evaluation of performance. This might include quality of outputs, oral and written communication, interpersonal skills, workplace competencies related to ITI, and generic workplace competencies and attitudes. Eg. copes with pressure, deals with workplace issues, adaptability and flexibility in changing conditions;
• Evaluation of potential: Personal attributes / qualities, capacity to master new skills and knowledge; self development; responsiveness to feedback.

During the Internship

Interns will meet online with the faculty coordinator both as individuals and as a group throughout the semester. The discussion list will offer opportunities to describe experiences, answer questions, and learn from each other. All students will be expected to participate in substantive discussions of internship experiences.