Frequently Asked Questions
Students
What is an internship?
What is the general process for performing an internship at UVU?
- Locate an internship
- Meet with your internship coordinator
- Complete the UVU internship Orientation
- Apply for academic credit
- Ensure your internship provider has completed the appropriate internship agreement
- Complete other tasks specific to your internship course including the Internship Completion Survey and Supervisor Evaluation near the end of your internship experience.
View and Download a full list of tasks
How do I find an internship?
Why do I have to complete an internship application for each semester I am registered for an internship?
Can I get credit for an internship I've done before the current semester?
When should I complete an internship?
What is the deadline for gettting an internship?
Deadlines vary by academic department. Students can review department-specific application pages or contact their appropriate Internship Coordinator to find out more information. Applications and Internship Coordinators
Who can help me with the internship process?
Students can contact their college's Internship Coordinator for department specific information. General questions can also be answered by contacting the Internship Services department at 801-863-6589 or online.
Do I need to pay full tuition for academic internship credits?
Yes. An internship course is like any other course and is based upon the UVU Tuition scale.
Can I get credit for working at my current job?
It depends. If students are willing to take on additonal responsibilities and additional learning objectives at their job, it may be approved if the internship is determined to have has academic merit and applies to their course of study. This merit is determined by the Internship Coordinator within a particular college UVU college.
Faculty & Advisors
How can I best help the student with the internship process?
Suggestions:
Is there any kind of list of internship opportunities that I can access?
There are a few ways in which faculty and advisors can obtain a list of internships:
- Search the UVU Handshake system by job type (internship), major, industry, and/or keyword to see a relavant list.
- Determine if your college has a list of internship opportunities. For example, there is a list for the College of Health and Public Service and the College of Engineering and Technology.
- Contact your department Internship Coordinator.
What do I need to know about late student registration?
What do I need to know about workload conversion?
Each department has three options for structuring faculty supervisor pay:
- Adjunct Instructor
- Faculty member overload
- Faculty member regular load
Refer to the information below:
- Adjunct faculty will be paid by the contact hour as outlined in Internship Services policy. For internship courses, contact hours = credit hours.
- Faculty workload will be determined by the standard USHE formula for a remote education course. This is factored as students x credit hours/20
- That calculation will then be multiplied by .6 to represent the division of workload among the faculty supervisor and the internship coordinator. Note that the internship coordinator does not receive 40% of the compensation, this is merely a representation of the division of workload. The multiplier can be variable depending on the unique division of workload for each department.
- Departments are responsible to ensure the course catalog lists contact hours that are equal to credit hours, not hours the student will be working during the internship.
- Departments are responsible to ensure the internship coordinator for their college is listed each semester as a co-teacher.
- Course enrollment should not exceed 30 students (the maximum enrollment for an adjunct instructor)
How do I access the UVU Internships Canvas Course Template?
Who can help me with Docusign applications?
Who do I contact if I have internship related questions?
Employers
- Assess the needs of your organization
- Create a plan
- Complete the UVU Internship Agreement
- Recruit an Intern/Post a position on UVU Handshake
- Hire the Intern
- Manage and mentor the Intern
- Evaluate the Intern
One of the best ways to recruit a UVU intern is to post your position/s on UVU Handshake. The system is easy to use and is free to employers.
To get started:
- Visit the following website https://app.joinhandshake.com and create your company profile.
- Create your user account and join an existing company or create a new company account.
- Select Utah Valley University as your school of choice.
- Register for events, post jobs, etc.
After submitting a job description electronically, it will be reviewed for approval. After approval students will then be able to view your position and apply.
More information can be found on the UVU Internship Services Posting an Internship Page
What are some things I can do to better recruit interns or promote internships at UVU?
- Develop a structured plan outlining what the intern will be doing over the course of their internship with defined expectations, qualifications, and responsibilities.
- Avoid being vague in the wording of your internship posting. Specific information regarding desired qualifications, job responsibilities, wage, and work schedule can go a long way to attracting a student.
- Make the internship a paid opportunity. As an example, an internship in fields like marketing, graphic design, computer science, and finance will nearly always be paid. To ensure interest in your positions, we recommend that you offer compensation.
- Participate in events such as the Career and Internship fair or STEM Fair. See the recruiting section, to learn more.
- Connect with one of our internship coordinators. There is a coordinator for every major at UVU and depending on your field of interest, we want to connect you with the best coordinator for your specific needs. If you have any questions regarding UVU schools and/or majors offered at our university, please contact Martin Overly at martin.overly@uvu.edu
What are UVU interns expected to complete during their internship?
What is the average pay for an intern?
What are the rules for paid vs unpaid internships?
Paid interns make ideal workers — hungry to learn, eager to make a good impression and willing to perform a multitude of tasks. The relatively small amount of money employers spend on intern wages and benefits is a good investment. If pay is not possible, unpaid internships must comply with the U.S. Fair Labor Standards Act ( FLSA ). This law has determined that you don’t have to pay interns who qualify as learners/trainees.
The U.S. Department of Labor has outlined seven criteria for determining trainee status. The FLSA does not limit an employer’s ability to hire paid interns or restrict a paid employee’s ability to receive college credit for their work. It also does not limit unpaid internships for non-profits who rely on volunteers for their labor. Please reference the U.S. Department of Labor Fact Sheet #71: www.dol.gov/whd/regs/compliance/whdfs71.htm
How long does a student have to work?
How many working hours do students need to complete?
Must I provide Worker's Compensation?
Unpaid Interns: Utah Valley University requires unpaid interns to receive academic credit. Unpaid interns are covered with workers’ compensation and liability insurance by the university only if they are receiving college credit.
Paid Interns: For paid internships, the employer is required to provide workers’ compensation benefits along with any other benefits required by law. A stipend is considered a paid position and the employer is responsible for providing workers’ compensation. See the Master Internship Agreement (page 19) that a site provider signs prior to hiring an intern.
Do I need to sign an agreement with the university?
I am a 1099 Independent Contractor. Can I hire a UVU intern?
How do I complete the Supervisor Evaluation?