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Academic Internship & Research Program - INP

Internship Program (INP)

Registration Deadlines (see registration directions below)*
Spring 2025: Monday, January 27, 2025
Summer 2025: June 1, 2025*
Fall 2025: September 8, 2025

*Students should register the internship at the beginning of the experience/term. If a summer internship starts in May, do not wait until the June deadline to register. If you are considering an internship that starts after a published deadline, please contact Amity Fox.
 

Program Details

About the Academic Internship & Research Program (INP/REXP)

As part of Dickinson’s Academic Internship & Research Program, the INP fosters and creates intentional pathways for reflection, assessment, and goal setting. INP students develop clearly defined goals, practice professional and networking skills, provide written reflection and receive feedback, and articulate their experience into a plan moving forward. The INP runs in the fall semester, spring semester, and summer term.

After successfully completing the INP while interning,0.25 credits is placed on the official transcript through the INTR 7xx course number. The internship and enrollment in the INP must occur simultaneously; therefore, retroactive credit is not granted.

Several academic disciplines require or allow the Academic Internship & Research Program (INP/REXP) to fulfill their graduation requirements, including: Africana Studies, Archaeology, Data Analytics, Educational Studies, Geosciences, International Business & Management, Law & Policy, Women’s, Gender & Sexuality Studies, Health Studies Certificate, and Food Studies Certificate.

Eligibility

  • Internships must be at least 8 weeks and 80 hours (110 hour for DATA majors) in length and occur during an academic semester or summer. 
  • Open to active, matriculated Dickinson students in any year or major.
  • Must be pre-professional, closely supervised work experiences that enhance your knowledge about an industry or organization.
  • Internships must be registered by the deadlines listed above, unless otherwise negotiated with the Associate Provost for High-Impact Learning & Fellowships.

* For more details, please review the Internship Program Policies

Benefits of the Internship Program

  • Receive credit for completing the INP and your internship. Upon successful completion of the INP and internship, 0.25 credits will be added to your transcript through course INTR 7xx.
  • The INP reflective course curriculum fosters critical thinking about the internship experience, articulation of what you learned and observed, and drawing conclusions about impact, next steps, and professional goals. Learning to effectively articulate your experience will make you better prepared for applications and interviews for future internships, jobs, or graduate/professional school.
  • Ensure that you are covered by professional liability insurance while you are interning.
  • Receive support from the Dickinson staff during your internship.

Register for the INP
Log in to Gateway and click on the Forms icon. The internship registration form is linked on the left-side menu.

You will know that the registration is submitted correctly when you receive an automatically generated confirmation email.  If you do not receive the confirmation email, contact the Associate Provost for High-Impact Learning & Fellowships.

Registration for the INP must occur at the beginning of the internship (usually at the beginning of the semester or summer).  Then, while you complete the internship, you also do the coursework. There are deadlines in place for each semester and summer.

The program is designed purposefully with the internship and the assignments occurring at the same time. Dickinson will not approve retroactive credit.

INP Learning Outcomes

  • Self-assessment. Intern will identify their own skills, values, and interests. They will identify areas – academic, professional, and personal – in which they need to grow and learn, as well as areas in which they are strong.
  • Self-directed learning. Intern will demonstrate the ability to set their own learning goals and find ways to meet those goals.
  • Values integration. Intern will explore their workplace values and consider their fit within their internship organization, as well as consider their fit with future career paths.
  • Career exploration. Intern will explore their current place of work as a possible career choice.
  • Professional development. Intern will apply culture-appropriate skills to the workplace. They will keep a record of their time worked, meet deadlines, and complete tasks assigned by their internship supervisor. When challenging situations arise, interns are invited to seek guidance from their INP representative to thoughtfully negotiate their approach.

 

FAQs

Q. Where have Dickinson students interned?
A.  Students have completed the INP at internship sites across the country and the world.  For information and ideas, check out our "Interns in Action" page.

Q. After registering, what else is involved with the INP?
A. Throughout the internship, you are guided through the Program and reflective curriculum.

The progressive assignments are focused on YOU; they are designed to help you think critically about your experience and allow you to better explain what you learned and how/why it was useful to you. The reflections lead to better defined career and personal goals and help you to better articulate your experience to future employers and graduate/professional schools.

All assignments are submitted through Gateway (there are no required face-to-face meetings).

Q. Do I get a grade?
A. The experience is added to your as 0.25-credits through INTR 7xx with a "PA" grade. The credit awarded for INP will not replace one of the 32 courses required to earn a Dickinson degree.

If your department or certificate program requires or accepts participation in the INP as part of a graduation requirement, the INP staff will coordinate the initial approvals and send a full report to the department chair at the end of each term.

If you do not successfully complete the internship or the requirements of the INP, you will not receive the credit.

Q. The internship site says I must get credit for this internship. What do I do?
A. You can confidently tell the employer that you are able to register the internship with your college.  So... You should apply!  INP staff work with you and the employer to ensure requirements are met and the required paperwork is completed.  Send an email to the Associate Provost for High-Impact Learning with the details about the opportunity.

Q. I have an internship offer, but the employer requires a form/letter/confirmation from Dickinson. What do I do?
A. Send an email to the Associate Provost for High-Impact Learning with the details about the opportunity. INP staff work with you and the employer to ensure requirements are met and the required paperwork is completed. 

Q. What is the Research Experience Program (REXP)?
A. The Research Experience Program (REXP) is part of Dickinson's Academic Internship & Research Program (INP/REXP), the college's official program for recognizing scholarly academic research.  The REXP is different from the INP in that the principal activity and focus of the research experience is original investigation designed to create new knowledge in a recognized field of inquiry.

The REXP is intended to provide formal documentation of scholarly scientific research experiences that take place during the summer under the supervision of a professional researcher at Dickinson or at another institution.  Examples include student-faculty research with a Dickinson faculty member (on campus or at a field site), or participation in a summer research project at another research organization (typically a college or university, private research foundation, etc.).

For more information, see the REXP page.

Additional Internship Resources

For additional questions, contact Amity Fox, Associate Provost for High-Impact Learning, at 717-245-1760 or foxa@dickinson.edu.