Internship Program

Professional Internship Program (AT 293 or HRT 493, 3 credits)

Horticulture students completing Certificate Programs or Bachelor of Science Degrees are required to complete an internship before graduation.  An internship is usually 12 weeks of full-time employment during summer semester.  Three credits are earned for each enrollment, with an option for reenrolling one additional semester for a second internship experience. Students are strongly encouraged to select an employer for whom they have not worked previously.

An internship differs from most summer job experiences in that a greater variety of learning opportunities are provided, and in a more structured and professional environment. Guidance on resume preparation, job interviewing, employer selection, and internship objectives is provided by the department as part of the prerequisite course HRT 207 Horticulture Career Development.

Students, employers and faculty advisors work together to create internship experiences which are an appropriate and meaningful part of the degree program.

Employers and students create an internship plan which is detailed in the Internship Agreement form before the student begins work. The intern submits bi-weekly progress reports which are sent to their faculty advisor, who monitors the progress of the internship.  Students also complete academic requirements which include an internship project.  An intern evaluation is requested from the employer at the end of the internship.  Students are also required to present a summary of their internship experience to the students enrolled in HRT 207 in the fall semester after they complete the internship. Details can be found in the course syllabi.

 

Questions may be directed to the course coordinators:

Internship opportunities are numerous and diverse. Position announcements are posted on the Internship and Job Posting webpage.  Potential employers are invited to submit postings to Marcus Duck at duckmarc@msu.edu according to the instructions given at the top of the Internship and Job Posting webpage.

Printable versions of internship forms

 

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