Archie W. Dunham College of Business

Dunham College of Business Internship Program

What is an internship?

The Internship Program is an excellent way to gain career experience in your chosen field while working at least 10 hours a week during a semester for a company or organization. Each intern is paired with a mentor from the company who guides the student’s learning program and supervises all projects and activities. The interns apply their classroom knowledge to practical business situations and also each earn three hours of business elective credit.

What are the benefits of having an internship?

  • Apply classroom knowledge to practical business situations
  • Establish networking contacts that may lead to a full-time job after graduation
  • Earn three hours of upper-level business credit: BUSA 4340 or MKTG 4340
  • Practice interviewing and explore various career options
  • More than 50% of interns are offered a part-time or full-time job with the sponsoring company
  • Build your resume with documented experience and interview for a full-time job with confidence

What are the class requirements for an intern?

As an intern, you will work 10 to 20 hours per week gaining experience. Keep a journal of your activities and samples of your work, make e-mail or verbal progress reports, write a summary paper at the end of the semester, and finally, make a 15-minute PowerPoint presentation.

Who may have an internship for credit?

The Dunham College of Business has established the following internship eligibility requirements for all undergraduate business students:

Accounting

  • 3.0 GPA in Accounting
  • 2.7 overall GPA
  • 9 upper level hours of Accounting (six of which are intermediate accounting) OR permission of an Accounting instructor

Finance

  • 2.5 overall GPA
  • Completed 6 hours of Finance courses at HCU
  • 2 recommendations from faculty in the area

International Business

  • 3.0 GPA in International Business
  • Approval of Management Faculty
  • Completed 80 hours of coursework
  • Completed 12 hours of International Business courses

Management

  • 3.0 GPA in Management
  • Approval of Management Faculty
  • Completed 80 hours of coursework
  • Completed 12 hours of Management courses

Management Information Systems

  • 2.8 GPA in MIS
  • 2.5 overall GPA
  • Completed 80 hours of coursework
  • Completed 12 hours of MIS courses

Marketing

  • Completed 80 hours of coursework
  • Completed 12 hours of Marketing courses

When can I do an Internship?

In one of HCU’s academic semesters – fall or spring – and even during the summer.

Are internships paid?

Many internships are not paid, but some are. The organization providing the internship determines whether or not an intern will be compensated and at what rate.

When should I begin planning for an internship?

As soon as possible, but no later than six to eight weeks before the beginning of the semester in which you would like to have an internship. Deadline for application and submission of all requested materials will appear on the door of Hinton 304B. You will also need to make sure that you register for either BUSA 4340 or MKTG 4340to earn course credit for your internship.

How can I find an internship?

HCU Business students generally find internships in one of three ways:

  1. Through resources available in the Internship Director’s office, such as listings in the internships notebooks, previous internship sponsors and new contacts made on behalf of students
  2. Through contacts a student has made on his or her own in an organization of particular interest to the student
  3. Through a career fair held on HCU’s campus

A few companies that interns have worked for include:

  • Houston Rockets
  • Merrill Lynch
  • Deloitte and Touche
  • Landry’s Corporate Office
  • Waste Management
  • ADV Films
  • ESX, Inc.
  • Grant Thornton LLC
  • Logistical Solutions, International
  • Stavis, Margolis Advisory Services, Inc.
  • Houston Aeros
  • Buffalo Bayou Partnership

What do I do next?

If you are interested, then it is time to begin the process of arranging your exciting internship position. The following are a list of steps that must be completed before interviewing with potential sponsors:

  1. Attend an information meeting about the internship program one semester before you plan to do your internship. Times will be posted on the door of the internship director’s office at the beginning of each semester.
  2. Complete and return the information sheet to the internship director’s office.
  3. Complete the optional, but highly recommended, internship application.
  4. Prepare a resume and cover letter.
  5. Prepare a list of completed business classes, with a brief description from the HCU Bulletin of each course beginning with your major courses. The list of courses will be emailed to you after you attend an information meeting, and you will delete all classes that you’ve not taken.
  6. Prepare a professional, personal statement of your career goals and interests.
  7. Complete steps 1 through 6, and then schedule a meeting to discuss your career goals and internship interests, and to turn in your application, resume, cover letter, personal statement and list of completed business courses. Email the internship director to schedule a time or a phone meeting that is convenient.
  8. The internship director will select the list of companies to contact from the internship notebook and from your own research and contacts. This begins the process of submitting your resume and cover letter.
  9. Interview with interested companies and accept an internship position!
  10. Register for the internship course during priority registration or during add/drop for the semester.