Credit Internships Step by Step
This page includes all information and forms necessary for potential enrollment in the credit internship program at SMCM. If you have any questions, please contact the Career Development Center at careercenter@smcm.edu or 240-895-4203.
1. Getting Started (Learning about Internships and ELAW)
Our Intern FAQ provides essential information about the processes, policies, and academic components of the credit program and also includes information about the "ELAW" Requirement. To be eligible to register for internship credit, students must have completed at least 28 credits by the start of the internship with a GPA of 3.20 or higher (at time of application). Upper level students who will have completed 56 credits are eligible with a GPA of at least 2.5. (If you fail to meet these requirements you may submit an appeal letter.) If you are interning with an employer who has never had an SMCM intern, you should refer them to our Site Supervisor Guide. If you have not yet secured an internship, begin by exploring our internship listings.
2. Finding a Faculty Sponsor
Every credit intern must identify a faculty sponsor. The sponsor will work with you on your learning agreement and academic project, correspond with you during the internship, and ultimately assign a grade. Your sponsor should be in the department from which you are seeking credit and/or have some familiarity with the field of the internship. You may direct your faculty sponsor to the Faculty FAQ or Faculty Sponsor Guide for more information.
3. Reviewing the Syllabus and Completing the Learning Agreement
Your internship will be guided by a SYLLABUS as well as a LEARNING AGREEMENT that includes details about your unique responsibilities, objectives, and academic project. It should be completed in collaboration with your site supervisor and faculty sponsor, and will ultimately serve as a formal contract between the three of you and the SMCM CDC. The syllabus includes important instructions for filling out the Learning Agreement as well as detail regarding registration and reflective essay requirements.
4. Obtaining Online Approvals
The CDC has recently adopted an online approval process to facilitate students’ ability to secure necessary “signatures” in a timely fashion. After you have completed the Learning Agreement and specified a unique Approval Key (see p. 6), please email the agreement to your sponsor and supervisor as well as the chair of the department or cross-disciplinary area from which you are seeking credit. Kindly request that they indicate approval here through the process described in the Learning Agreement. You can check the status of your approvals here.
5. Registering for Internship Credit
Please submit your completed Learning Agreement to the SMCM CDC (211 Glendening) via email, we will alert you when all approvals have been recorded. After the entire document has received final review and approval by the CDC, the signed first page can be delivered to the Registrar to initiate registration (see important registration details on the Learning Agreement and Syllabus).
6. Registering for CORE 350 (ELAW)
If you are using the internship to satisfy the Experiencing the Liberal Arts in the World (ELAW) requirement of the Core Curriculum, you must submit a separate form to the Office of the Core Curriculum indicating enrollment in Section 02. If you are interested in using a summer experience to fulfill your ELAW requirement WITHOUT registering for internship credit, you will need to submit a petition letter in addition selecting Section 08 on the form. Please see the Intern FAQ above for details and direct any questions to corecurriculum@smcm.edu.
Additional Internship Program Documents
-Record of Hours on Site
-Intern Evaluation of Internship and Site
-Site Supervisor Evaluation of Intern
-Site Supervisor Guide
