See current internship and research opportunities.
Overview
How do you sign up for internship credit? The Internship Application for Academic Credit is now on-line, access the form on the Career Center website or for training on how to use the system, please contact Anne Evans at 426-4351 or AnneEvans@boisestate.edu. While completing your application for academic credit you will be prompted to designate the Department of Biological Science’s Internship Coordinator, Dr. Pete Koetsier is the Internship Coordinator (426-3817, pkoet@boisestate.edu).
You can sign up for 1 credit per 50 hours of internship work. It is best to be a bit conservative, making sure that you can easily work the hours required. Remember, though, that it is the experience that matters, not the credit. You can count a total of four internship credits towards upper division biology elective credit for your biology degree (that’s almost 10% of your total required biology credits). If you receive additional internship credits, they can be used as free electives towards your total of 128 credits required to graduate. You should sign up for credits during the time period that you will be doing the work. During the summer, that will mean that you’d sign up for summer school.
Once the form is completed online and printed have it:
- signed by your advisor, the person(s) who will be supervising your internship (if you are working off campus, you must have a professor listed as the one who will give you your grade)
- signed by the Department Chair.
- lastly turn it in to the Registrar’s office.
What exactly is an internship? An internship consists of spending time gaining biologically relevant experience. It may involve working as a technician for Idaho Department of Fish and Game, shadowing a physician, working in a research lab, being an undergraduate teaching assistant, or any of many other possibilities. If you want to receive college credit and want the internship appear on your transcript, you must sign up for internship credit through the biology department (see “how” below). An independent study is somewhat different from an internship, in that an independent study consists of a focused research project performed by the student and typically resulting in a substantial paper.
Who is responsible for finding you an internship? You are. You can get help from your advisor to find one, from your instructors, and from friends. If you know someone working in the field that you want to intern in, start there. It is important to realize that no one is going to plop an internship opportunity in front of you, no one is going to require that you partake in an internship experience, and no one is going to do the paperwork necessary for you to receive internship credit. Talk to potential internship sponsors until you find one willing to take you on and one with whom you want to work. Fill out the form with the help of your advisor. You must sign up for internship credit typically by the end of the second week of classes, however, if you receive Financial Aid you may have to sign-up for internship credit even earlier (read all financial aid requirements and deadlines).
How do you receive a grade for your work? Your grade will be based on three items:
- Progress Reports: progress reporting will assist you in evaluating your overall Internship experience as well as documenting work information that may be helpful for future interviews. Progress reports are to be submitted to the internship coordinator once every two weeks (bi-monthly) for the duration of the internship.
- Final Report: this report is submitted to the Internship Coordinator within 10 days of the completion of your internship. There is a specific guideline for each internship level (BIOL-293, BIOL-493). The final report will be the summation of what you learned during your internship.
- Performance Evaluation: your internship supervisor can offer valuable insight into your preparation and performance during your internship. Feedback will allow you to make the necessary changes or to acquire needed knowledge, skill, or abilities to succeed in your career field.
Each type of internship report is available to be saved as a Word file. Select a report, then “save file as” a Word document on your computer. Note that an ActiveX dialog may appear since Word may want to open, this is normal.
Reports may be either mailed or sent as Word document e-mail attachment to the Department of Biological Science’s internship coordinator Dr. Pete Koetsier. In addition, when your internship is finished, you will need to fill out an evaluation of your internship. This will allow us to make improvements in the Department of Biological Sciences Internship Program.