Getting Experience
The Department of Animal Sciences strives to provide our undergraduates with experiences and training to develop interpersonal skills and to prepare graduates for continued personal and professional growth through life-long learning. To become leaders in their communities, all undergraduates in the Department of Animal Sciences are required to complete an internship in order to graduate.
The goals of the internship experience are to provide an experiential learning opportunity for students to apply the concepts, knowledge, and skills gained during their undergraduate education to real world situations as they connect theory with practice. Students will acquire work related experiences through employer/employee relations which will increase the marketability of the student for future employment. In addition, students develop written communication, oral articulation, and critical thinking skills to promote awareness of community, economic, and social issues in a global society.
An internship is a career-related work experience where students are temporarily employed by an organization. An internship should enable students to develop and put into practice the skills, techniques and knowledge that are important for success in the job market. Internships may be either paid or volunteer work experiences supervised by an industry, academic, or institutional person. Internships should provide students with a new experience for credit to be earned. As internships are aimed to enhance the quality of the undergraduate experience through promotion of hands-on career related experiences, shadowing and observational activities are not permitted for academic credit through the internship program. Students are encouraged to make an appointment with their academic advisor to discuss availability and acceptability of internship opportunities.
Students completing pre-approved internship experiences are eligible to register for academic credit through ANIMSCI 3191 (for Animal Sciences majors) or MEATSCI 3191 (for Meat Science majors). This course fulfills the CFAES General Education Internship course requirement. Two credits are earned for completion of a minimum of 200 hours of paid or volunteer employment under a single internship organization. The course is non-repeatable and graded S/U. Registration for 3191 follows completion of the internship experience, preferably the immediate academic term after completion of the internship. Students can look up the course through Buckeye Link under the course call number assigned to their academic advisor; however, the advisor’s permission will be needed for the enrollment.
It is a University policy that all students engaged in an internship must simultaneously be enrolled in a course related to the work for which they will earn credit. Thus, all students conducting an internship are required to enroll in FAES 3191 at the time they are on-site for their internship (FAES 3191 Enrollment Form). All students enrolling in ANIMSCI or MEATSCI 3191 must also enroll in FAES 3191 Internship for 0 cr hr prior to or in concurrence with the departmental internship courses. For example, students conducting their internship during the summer academic session need to enroll in FAES 3191 during the summer in which the internship is being pursued and then enroll in either ANIMSCI or MEATSCI 3191 during the subsequent academic period, thus preferably during the fall academic period. Students pursing the internship during the fall or spring academic sessions can enroll in FAES 3191 and either ANIMSCI or MEATSCI 3191 during the same academic period. The FAES 3191 course is graded S/U. If the 0-credit course is taken alone, with no other courses (student interning somewhere for the summer and not taking any additional classes at Ohio State), the student will be assessed instructional and student fees at the 0-0.5 cr hr rate. Factors such as the catalog year of the student, the term (summer tuition is commonly reduced), and the geographical location of the internship determine student fees. The 0 cr FAES 3191 course taken alongside any other OSU course (e.g., student interning in the Autumn semester while taking a regular course load, or enrolled in the summer with another course) will have no impact on student fees or credit hour limits. To enroll in FAES 3191, contact your academic advisor for the form, complete the form with their signature, and then it must be dropped off in 100 Ag administration.
Students should determine an area of interest he/she would like to pursue for the internship. The student’s academic advisor serves as a reference to aide discussions of internship selection and will provide academic guidance during the internship experience. When selecting an internship organization, consider:
- Internships must provide students with a new, hands-on experience that connects academics with career prospects;
- Employment under supervisors for whom students have worked, volunteered, or shadowed previously are not permitted;
- Internships under home and family operations are not permitted;
- Hours must be accumulated under a single internship position and combinations of hours from more than one position are not allowed.
When a potential internship opportunity has been identified, the student should contact potential employment supervisors to discuss opportunities within the company or institution. Prospective employers may be initially contacted via phone or in writing. The student should schedule a meeting to discuss internship possibilities and employer/employee expectations for the internship experience. Additional information regarding internship search strategies, including resumes, interview skills, and salary negotiations, can be found at OSU CFAES Career Development Office.
Where Can I Find An Internship?
The Student Success Center in Plumb Hall 120 provides files of hundreds of internships, color-coded based on your species or area of interest. However, this is not a comprehensive list. Refer to the College’s career resources for additional information.
Does My Internship Need To Be Approved?
Yes! Your Internship Agreement Form and Proposal will need to be approved by your academic advisor at least 10 days prior to your proposed start date in order to count your experience for academic credit.
Students that elect to use their internship toward academic credit must fulfil the following two criteria:
- Satisfactory completion and submission of program documents (Agreement Contract and Supervisor Evaluation) as outlined above
- Completion of internship responsibilities and duties as discussed between the student intern and employment supervisor
Individual academic advisors may have additional requirments beyond the minimum requirments stated above. Visit with your academic advisor to discuss prior to beginning the process of completing an internship.
Requirements, Responsibilites, and Paperwork Needed To Complete an Internship
- At least three weeks prior to starting an internship, you should visit with your academic advisor. Prior to your advising appointment, you should familiarize yourself with the contents of this page.
Responsibilities of Internship Participants
- find the most suitable internship opportunity to explore and advance career goals;
- discuss with academic advisor intentions for completing an internship for academic credit;
- complete the Internship Agreement Plan and submit to your academic advisor 10 days before beginning the internship;
- perform duties as described in the Internship Agreement Contract and as assigned by the employment supervisor and represent OSU by performing quality work and maintaining standards of professionalism;
- be safety conscious while on the internship, following all safety rules and directives of the internship supervisor (the student assume full responsibility for the consequences of his/her actions);
- request supervisor to complete and discuss Internship Evaluation Form
- verify with the academic advisor that requirements for course completion have been fulfilled;
- enroll in ANIM SCI 3191 or MEATSCI 3191 to receive academic credit for the internship experience.
- discuss expectations of the internship and skills and knowledge to be gained;
- review and sign Internship Agreement Plan;
- students must report on the Agreement Plan if they have worked, volunteered, shadowed, or observed with the supervisor or organization previously;
- employers should retain copies of the Agreement Plan for their records;
- provide the intern with a variety of career-building work experiences in accordance with the students objectives outlined on the Internship Agreement Plan;
- provide the student intern the necessary training to perform internship responsibilities/duties;
- outline the safety precautions and job techniques of which the student intern should be aware;
- communicate with the intern to discuss current performance, progress and future work assignments (it is important that the employment supervisor and student intern both understand assignments, expectations and concerns);
- complete the Intern Evaluation Report and discuss with the intern his/her strengths and weaknesses;
- contact the academic advisor of concerns or issues concerning the student or the internship program.
- assist the student in seeking an internship experience that cultivates career interests;
- evaluate the suitability and appropriateness of the internship experience for academic credit;
- review and approve the Agreement Plan;
- serve as a liaison between the student, the employment supervisor, and OSU to provide academic guidance during the internship experience;
- assist the student with questions/concerns as they arise;
- review and assess the intern evaluation form.
- assign earned grade for ANIM SCI 3191 or MEATSCI 3191.
- Internship Agreement Plan
- Internship Evaluation Report
- CFAES 3191 Enrollment Form
- University Course Enrollment Form (use for enrolling in ANIMSCI 3191)
- Directions for completing screen fill-able forms