INFO/MARA 294 Professional Experience: Internships

Student Checklist – Setting Up an Internship

Important Deadline and Contact Information:

  • INFO 294: Start investigating internships at least one term prior to when you want to be doing the internship and be enrolled in INFO 294. This will give you sufficient time to review internship opportunities and find the one that.s right for you.
  • MARA 294: Students must work with the MARA internship faculty supervisor during the spring semester before their final year to determine if the internship experience is right for them.
  • Post-Master's Certificate students must have completed INFO 203.
  • You must have already identified, applied to, and been accepted by the internship site before submitting the Professional Experience: Internship – Student Application. Your information will be sent to the appropriate iSchool internship supervisor.
  • It would be best to target some time around 4-6 weeks prior to the start of classes to submit your application to the iSchool internship faculty supervisor for review. We understand this may not always be possible, but the more lead time the better.

IMPORTANT: Please read the INFO 294 Student Handbook or the MARA 294 Student Handbook to familiarize yourself with the details of the internship process and experience. This checklist is only a summary.

Checklist Instructions: Review each task for more information. When a task has been completed, you can check it off. Your completed items will remain checked when you return to the form in the future (if you are using the same computer and browser and have not cleared your browser cookies). You may wish to bookmark this page.

iSchool Student Internship Checklist
Eligibility, Preliminary Decisions, and Information
  • INFO 294: MLIS students must have completed INFO 200, 202, 203, 204, and at least 9 units of electives for a total of 19 completed units before the start of the semester in which they participate in an internship.
  • Post-Master’s Certificate students must have completed INFO 203.
  • MARA 294: Students must have completed MARA 200, 204, 210 and 6 advanced courses before the start of the semester in which they participate in an internship.
  • You must be in good academic standing (3.0 GPA or above and no outstanding incompletes).
  • The internship site may require that certain courses be taken before the internship begins. Review internships requirements in the iSchool Internship Listings Database.
  • Review additional rules in the INFO 294 or MARA 294 Student Handbook.
  • How many units will you take?
  • MLIS students can take 2 units (minimum of 90 hours of work), 3 units (minimum of 135 hours of work), or 4 units (minimum of 180 hours of work). Some internship sites will only take students for a certain number of units/hours, so be aware of specific site requirements.
  • Post master's students can take 3 units (minimum of 135 hours of work).
  • MARA students must take 3 units (minimum of 135 hours of work).
Select, negotiate, and apply for the internship with the site supervisor
  • Select an internship from the iSchool Internship Listings Database.
  • If you don't see an opportunity that's right for you, you can create your own internship, but it must meet iSchool internship requirements to be taken for credit. See the Custom Internship section for more information.
Create a rough draft of Learning Outcomes to review with the prospective internship site supervisor. (Guidelines are the same for INFO 294 and MARA 294.)
  • Contact the site supervisor of the internship you're interested in. (Guidelines are the same for INFO 294 and MARA 294.)
  • Follow the application instructions provided on the internship listing.
  • If you are contacted for an interview, review the opportunity and activities, share your expectations and understand the site supervisor's expectations.
  • Review your draft Learning Outcomes with the site supervisor.
  • Discuss the hours/number of units that you'd like to work.
  • If you're comfortable with the opportunity and the site supervisor, and have not already formally applied for the position, do so.
Receive and accept a verbal or written offer for the internship from the site supervisor.
Apply for the internship through the iSchool
  • Complete the Professional Experience: Internships – Student Application.
  • If you set up a new internship that is not listed in the iSchool Internship Listings Database, you will not be able to apply to take it for credit (INFO 294/MARA 294) until the new internship site has signed the University agreement and set up its internship in the iSchool Internship Listings Database.
  • The appropriate faculty supervisor will contact you to approve your application and instruct you to enroll in a specific section of INFO 294 or MARA 294.
  • Do not start working any hours for your internship until the appropriate faculty supervisor confirms approval of your internship.
Contact Site Supervisor
  • Contact your site supervisor once your internship is approved.
  • Review the final Learning Outcomes, hours, and specific tasks/activities/projects you will complete as part of your internship.
  • Set a date for your first official meeting during the internship semester.
Register for INFO/MARA 294
When the faculty supervisor confirms approval of your application form http://ischoolapps.sjsu.edu/internships/new/apply_new.php you will be told which section of INFO 294 to register for on my.sjsu.edu -and given a permission number.

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