Internships

Internships support the program's vision of connecting theory to practice and support students' development as higher education professionals. Read more about waiving the internship requirement, the internship course (MSHE 485), steps to securing an internship, and internship funding.

Internship Overview

All students are required to complete an internship experience and an internship course (MS_HE 485) as part of their degree curriculum. [*Note: Only matriculated (i.e., degree-seeking) students are eligible to enroll in the internship course or engage in an internship experience.]

You can read more about the specifics of internships here: Internship Handbook.pdf

Waiving the Internship Requirement

For those students who have significant work experience in the field, there is a form for waiving the internship course requirement; however, that does not preclude students from engaging in an internship experience and/or taking the course if they would like to. If you are considering waiving the requirement, please contact your academic advisor as soon as possible.

Internship Course: MS_HE 485 Canvas Site

All students who are doing an internship should have access to the the MS_HE 485 Canvas course site (even if they are not getting credit for in that quarter.) The Canvas course site has valuable resources that can help you make the most of your internship experience. Having access to the Canvas site also ensures that you are receiving communications about meetings and reminders about the types of documents you should be gathering to include in your internship portfolio and paper. If you have been placed in an internship but do not have access to the internship Canvas site please contact ms-highered@northwestern.edu.

Steps to Secure an Internship

New Students

Some of you may have participated in admitted student ‘Preview Days’ in order to interview for internships. If you did not participate in preview days then you should have a conversation with our office staff to discuss a desired internship (e.g., what type, in what quarter(s), etc.).

Current Students

For current students, there is not a similar process as preview days; rather, students should contact Senior Career Advisor, Carla Cortes at carla.cortes@northwestern.edu, to alert her of a desired internship (e.g., what type, in what quarter(s), etc.).

MSHE staff keep track of what internship opportunities are available for current students, and students should also check their NU email regularly, as openings are also sent through the MSHE student Listserv.

1. Reflect on what type(s) of internship experience(s) you hope to gain.
2. Contact Senior Career Advisor, Carla Cortes at carla.cortes@northwestern.edu to discuss your interests and/or contact Dr. McCann to alert her that you decided to apply to a given opportunity you saw advertised.
3. Email and/or meet with the Director, Assistant Director, or Career Coach to discuss your application and/or interview.
4. After applying for, interviewing for, and securing an opportunity, alert your supervisor(s) that you are required to complete an Internship Contract (PDF) and that you will eventually need your supervisor(s) to complete an Internship Evaluation (PDF) about your performance–whether the experience is for credit or not, both documents are required.
5. Complete the Internship Contract WITH your site supervisor(s).
6. Submit a copy of the Internship Contract to the MSHE office–(Attn.: Senior Career Advisor).
7. We recommend that you submit an internship evaluation quarterly to the office; however, if your supervisor only has time to submit an evaluation at the end of the internship experience (such as after two or three quarters), that is acceptable. Nevertheless, we highly recommend that you gain structured feedback from your supervisor on a regular basis to assess your progress in your internship.

Internship Funding

Federally Funded Internships

Federally funded interns will work approximately 20 hours per week during each quarter of the internship and are required to register full-time (three or more courses) during each of the internship quarters. Internship positions may be in a variety of functional areas/departments. Compensation is $4,500 per quarter ($22.50 per hour). Internships may last between one and five quarters, and no federal internship funding is available during the summer months. These positions are awarded on the basis of previous academic achievement and an interview.

Federally funded internships are paid through federal work-study funds. To be eligible for consideration, candidates must be United States citizens or permanent residents and complete and submit a Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA), which is online at www.fafsa.ed.gov. Applicants should indicate that they would like to be considered for federally funded internships on the Financial Aid section of the online application form. A limited number of federally funded internships are available, so applicants are encouraged to apply by the early admission deadline. Internship placement is coordinated by the MS in Higher Education Administration and Policy Program. If you have questions about federally funded internships contact your academic advisor.

Departmentally Funded Internships and Graduate Assistantships

In addition to federally funded internships, other paid internship and assistantship opportunities are available to Higher Education Administration and Policy students. These internships are assigned on the basis of an interview and the intern’s skill set and previous experience. Compensation and duration of departmentally funded internships vary. Students who are interested in paid internship experiences are encouraged to apply by the early application deadline, but internship postings and placements occur throughout the year. Internship placement is coordinated by the MS in Higher Education Administration and Policy Program.

MSHE Graduate Assistantship

Every year the MSHE program employs a few full-time students in the program as graduate assistants working about 15 hours a week each. They help recruit prospective students, provide administrative support to staff and faculty, and work on research projects for the program office. For each quarter of work they are compensated with tuition remission for one course and a $2,100 stipend. Assuming a four-quarter appointment, the total value of the award is approximately $21,000.