For-credit internship process for faculty and staff

An internship is a form of experiential learning that integrates knowledge and theory learned in the classroom with practical application and skills development in a professional setting. Internships give students the opportunity to gain valuable applied experience and make connections in professional fields they are considering for career paths; and give employers the opportunity to guide and evaluate talent. (Source: NACE Position Statement: U.S. Internships)

It is strongly advised students plan well in advance for internships/experiential learning opportunities if they want to receive academic credit. The recommended timeline is at least one semester prior to the internship experience as it may take time to process the required documents and ensure an internship course is available. Documents required for approval are: signed organization agreement and an approved site assessment.

Each department will determine when students enroll in the appropriate internship course. Departments may enroll students prior to when the process below is complete, or wait until after all documents are signed.

Step 1. Obtain organization contact information

Please obtain the appropriate contact information for a member of the organization, including their name and direct contact details, such as email and phone number.

Step 2. Verify partnership status

Refer to the list of community partners to verify if the organization is already a University partner. If the partner appears on the list, please move to step five.

Step 3. Submit required site assessment and organization agreement

Complete the following steps:

Complete the Site Assessment form online
- The organization must submit the site assessment form, ensuring that the appropriate University Contact's name and email are listed.
- The University’s Risk Management department will review the form for approval.
Complete one of the four Organization Agreements online or on paper
- From this list, request the appropriate organization agreement form from your University Contact:
  1. General Organization Agreement for private and non-profit organizations
  2. General—Faith-Based Organization Agreement for faith-based organizations
  3. Remote Organization Agreement for remote-only placements
  4. Interlocal Organization Agreement for Nevada state and local agencies
- Complete and sign the form digitally or on paper and submit your Organization Agreement to us for final signatures online. If you sign on paper, you'll need to scan the document and upload it into the form.

Step 4. Completed documents and required waivers

Once all documents have been accepted and signed by all parties, the faculty and organizations will be notified that they are now ready to accept students. All students must sign the appropriate waiver, release, and indemnification agreement. Faculty and staff are responsible for sending students the correct waivers based on their placement.

Step 5. Required sexual harassment and discrimination prevention training

Prior to the start of an internship, all students must complete university training on sexual harassment and discrimination prevention. This training is available in Canvas Commons. Please import the training module "UNR Internship and Service-Learning Sexual Harassment and Discrimination Prevention Training" into your Canvas Course from Canvas Commons. The training consists of readings followed by a quiz. Instructions on how to import the module from Canvas Commons can be found on the Canvas support page.