MA in Economics INTERNSHIP PROGRAM

General Description:

The M.A. in Economics internship program is a controlled 3 or 6 credit hour class for M.A. students who are at least halfway through their required course of study. The internship course is designed for students who are interested in gaining career-relevant experience. The student must meet the criteria listed below to the satisfaction of the Chairperson of the Department of Economics.

For additional information, students may contact Dr. Richard Kent, Chairperson, 330-672-2366, or by email at rkent@kent.edu

Student Eligibility:

1. A grade point average of 3.0 in M.A. in Economics courses.
2. Completion of at least 4 courses by the student in the M.A. in Economics program.
3. Demonstration of the ability to work independently and an understanding of the relevance of an internship experience.

Employer Eligibility:

1. Primary responsibility for obtaining the internship position rests with the student. However, assistance may be obtained from the Department of Economics, or The Career Services Center.
2. The internship position should emphasize the use of economics. The position should be with an organization which typically hires M.A. in Economics graduates. The responsibilities, supervision, and training provided to the intern should be comparable to that which an M.A. in Economics in this organization typically experiences.
3. The employer may be a profit, a non-profit organization, or government agency. There must be a knowledgeable individual in the organization, preferably one with economic training and responsibilities, who is willing to function as the intern's supervisor.
4. For a 3 credit hour internship, the student should work a minimum of 12-15 hours per week for approximately 10 weeks. For a 6 credit hour internship, the student should work a minimum of 24-30 hours per week for approximately 10 weeks.
5. A supervisory representative of the employing firm must provide, in writing, confirmation that he or she is willing to both supervise the internship experience and evaluate the intern's performance (see the attached forms).
6. The student should obtain approval from the internship coordinator, and the Chair of the Department of Economics, prior to commencing employment.

Internship Program Requirements:

1. THE INTERNSHIP PROGRAM PROCEDURE. To obtain permission to do an internship and to enroll in ECON 62092, the student must submit to the Internship Coordinator of the Department of Economics the Request for Permission to Register form (see below) AND a typewritten one-two page proposal for the internship. The proposal must detail the job description and the specific conditions of the job, including the number of hours per week to be worked, the salary agreed upon, the reporting relationships, and how the position is expected to enhance the student's career objectives. The proposal must include the name and phone number of the student, the prospective employer and the faculty member supervising the internship. Upon approval of the internship by the Internship Coordinator, the student will be automatically enrolled in the Internship course (ECON 62092) by the Graduate School of Management.
2. THE INTERNSHIP PAPER. At the conclusion of the internship, the student is required to submit a detailed written report to be graded by the faculty supervisor. As a guideline, the report should include the following sections:

   Section I -- The Internship Experience.

   1. This section of the report presents a detailed description of the internship duties, work assignments, and projects completed. The student should include, as Figures or in Appendices, samples of projects worked on or completed (e.g., reports, projects) during the internship. Information about internship "job title," the time period (dates) of the internship, and the number of hours per day or week spent on the internship should also be included.
   2. The student must demonstrate an understanding of the significance of the work. Why/how were these tasks important to the organization? Why were they assigned?
   3. Finally, the student must report on the "results" or the "success" of the efforts. For example, if a survey was done, how good was the questionnaire, how was the data analyzed, what were the results, and what did the results contribute towards "solving" the problem?

   Section II -- Economics Courses and the Internship.

   1. In this section of the report, the student must discuss, in detail, what material in each relevant Economics course previously completed was used in the intern work assignments. What economic principles, ideas, or elements of these courses were helpful in the internship experience? This discussion should be on a course by course basis.
   2. The paper should also indicate what economic knowledge was needed for the internship experience that is not presented in the M.A. in Economic courses. Based on your internship experience, indicate how this knowledge could be included in the M.A. in Economics program.

   Section III -- The Internship and Career Goals.

   1. The final section of the report must contain an appraisal of how the internship contributed to career goals.
3. COURSE GRADING. The internship report will be graded on three criteria. The first criterion is CONTENT. The report must fulfill the requirements for the three sections detailed above. Any questions on these pages should be discussed with the faculty member who will be grading the internship paper. The second criterion is writing STYLE. The student must use proper spelling, grammar, and proper sentence structure. The third criterion involves PRESENTATION of the report. This is the equivalent of "packaging." The report must be neat, and any tables, diagrams, figures, or appendices well formatted, etc. The completed assignment should be a product that the student would be able to show to a potential employer as a demonstration of the quality of his/her work.
4. THE FINAL GRADE. The course grade for the internship is either S (Satisfactory) or U (Unsatisfactory). Your grade for the internship will be based on both the written report and the supervisor's evaluation of job performance (i.e., the Internship Evaluation Form and a written letter of evaluation). The sealed evaluation MUST be turned in WITH the report (i.e., not before the report is turned in and not afterward).

Registering for the Course:

Upon approval of the internship by the faculty advisor and chairperson of the Department of Economics, the student will be automatically enrolled in the Internship course (ECON 62092) by the Graduate School of Management. The student should not pre-register for the course. The course will be assigned to the faculty supervisor for the specified semester.

Graduate Assistants

Preferably, internships should occur during the summer. However, when an internship is only available during the academic year, those students receiving graduate assistantships should be aware of the following implications for their award:

For a student on a 15-20 hour appointment, he or she must reduce the appointment and stipend by the following amounts:

Internship requires:	Appointment must be limited to:
8-12 hours per week	15 hours per week
13-20 hours per week	10 hours per week

Application forms:

In order to apply for an Economics internship, complete the forms available at the following link: MA ECON Internship

Contact information:

For additional information about the MA in Economics Internship program, contact Dr. Richard Kent, Chairperson, 330-672-2366, or by email at rkent@kent.edu.