Information For Employers

Partner with the Credit-Bearing Internship Program

How can I host a Millersville University intern?

  1. Post your position openings in Handshake, our comprehensive recruiting platform.  Employers create or update their company profile and post available internship positions and the application process.
  2. When approved as academically viable, the internship position is advertised to students.

    • Please note: Internship opportunities with home-based businesses/organizations are not accepted. If you require any further clarification of this policy, please contact our office directly.

  3. Students apply directly to you, following the instructions you provide in the internship job posting.
  4. You screen, interview and hire as you would any new employee.
  5. During the course of the semester, the employer will guide the student by:
  • Provide a supervised learning experience that helps the student grow their field.
  • Encourage professionalism by assisting the intern with developing communication, interpersonal, decision-making and other skills.
  • Provide opportunities for increased responsibility, keeping the intern student directed toward accomplishing her/his learning objectives.
  • Assignments should be meaningful, challenging and related directly to the student's curriculum and career goals.
  • Maintain an open channel of communication with regular meetings.
  • Expose the student to professional surroundings.
  • Have a genuine interest in the progressive development of student potential.
  • Meet with the student's faculty supervisor during the semester.
  • Prepare and return a final evaluation of student's performance approximately two weeks prior to the student's departure date (may also use employer-established standard evaluation methods).
  • Allow for student leave time to attend university-sponsored programs and academic, registration functions.

For a detailed list of roles and responsibilities, please click HERE.

General Requirements

  • Employers are strongly advised to advertise positions and recruit students at least one semester in advance of the experience.
  • Employers may host an intern during the fall (August/September to December), spring (December/January to May) or summer (May/June to August) semesters.
  • Student participation in a credit-bearing internship generally occurs over a period of 12 to 15 weeks, for a minimum of 120 hours, although some majors require more hours.
  • As long as the internship is within 100 miles of Millersville University, the employer is expected to meet with the faculty internship supervisor and the student (scheduled by the intern at least 8 or more weeks into the internship.)
  • Employers are asked to review the intern's performance through an online evaluation process. We highly recommend the supervisor reviews the evaluation with the student before submitting the completed evaluation.

For a complete set of guidelines and information for employers, please refer to our Employer's Guidebook.

Contact us at careers@millersville.edu for more information on partnering with the credit-bearing internship program. 

The Benefits of Hiring Interns

Internship programs offer a competitive edge in retaining educated talent. Connecting, engaging and eventually converting interns to full-time, permanent employees will help keep educated talent in Pennsylvania and positively impact migration trends and skilled workforce shortages. 

Each year more than 230 companies and organizations benefit from the talent, energy and knowledge of Millersville University students.

A few of those benefits include:

  • Year-round source of highly motivated pre-professionals.
  • Visibility of the company/organization is increased on campus.
  • Quality candidates for temporary or seasonal positions and projects.
  • Flexible, cost-effective workforce not requiring a long-term employer commitment.
  • Proven, cost-effective way to recruit and evaluate potential employees.
  • Employer’s image in the community is enhanced, as the organization contributes expertise to the educational enterprise.
  • Employers establish a productive, ongoing relationship with Millersville University.
  • Employers contribute to the professional growth and development of the next generation.

National Association of Colleges and Employers (NACE) internship research consistently shows that students who have completed an internship are more likely to stay with their employer—even if the internship was done with another company (www.naceweb.org).

Compensation and the U.S. Department of Labor

Experiential Learning and Career Management strongly encourages for-profit employers to pay their interns.  It is Experiential Learning and Career Management's position that an internship is a legitimate learning experience primarily benefiting the student and not simply an operational work experience that just happens to be conducted by a student. 

Students participating in an internship set out to gain knowledge and skills or to further their understanding of a particular industry.  At Millersville, the student intern completes the internship in their major or minor field of study, bringing the classroom knowledge they have learned to the workplace. The employer supervisor provides supervision, mentorship and feedback to facilitate the learning process and the student engages in ongoing reflection of learning objectives throughout the course of the internship with their faculty and employer supervisors.  Academic credit is not considered compensation.

This U.S. Department of Labor, Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) Fact Sheet provides general information on intern compensation.  

The National Association of Colleges and Employers (NACE) also provides insight into employer compensation for interns.