Sophomore Internship Program
The Sophomore Internship Program (SIP) is designed to provide students with an opportunity to apply their academic coursework in a paid internship experience. Students are placed in professional internships with local industry partners. This program targets sophomore students of all majors and provides supportive services throughout the application process and internship experience.
Interns:
- Interact with career services professionals and industry partners
- Clarify career and academic goals
- Connect with professionals working in their future career fields
- Engage in firsthand, career-related experiences
Mission statement
To inspire IUPUI undergraduate student success through high-quality, structured internship experiences that encourage career exploration, skills development, and professional growth. This is accomplished through partnerships with local employers and campus-industry collaborations.
Vision
To be a model program for high-impact practices through sophomore-level internships in engineering and technology fields that promote student success by engaging, retaining, and graduating IUPUI undergraduates.
Goals
It's not enough to just do an internship, you have to also gain something from it and be able to talk about what you learned. Interns will:
Apply and articulate transferable and career-related skills
Internships are about gaining (and sharpening) skills and relevant experience. By the end of this experience, you should have gained important skills that you can take with you to any job or field. You should also be able to talk about the skills you gained and have concrete examples of the outcomes of applying those skills. What did you learn? What were you able to accomplish?
Demonstrate an emerging professional identity
Even if you've had a job before, you were probably told what to do and when to do it, following exactly what you were told to do. An internship will likely be your first opportunity to be more independent, think critically, make your own decisions about what to do next to accomplish a task or project, and grow a professional network. This internship is your opportunity to not only grow as a professional but also to figure out who you are as a professional. What do you value? What is your work style?
Explain and analyze their career goals
Use the internship to explore your career field and options. Whether you're just beginning to explore a major or career field or you've decided on a pathway but want to learn more, internships can help get you there. Being able to explain why you've chosen a particular field or job and how you know you're sure is the key to a good interview, whether for a job or graduate or professional school. Why did you choose this field? How do you know it's the right one for you?
Prospective interns
Eligibility
- In second year at IUPUI (at time of internship) OR actual sophomore at time of internship (30 credit hours)
- Minimum overall GPA of 2.0
- 10–15 hours of available time per week Monday–Friday during the semester
Student and application timeline
- Students must apply by October 4, 2019, for spring 2020 internship consideration.
- Eligible students will be invited via email for mandatory workshop on October 15, 16, or 18 (does not guarantee an interview with employer).
- Students who attend workshop and submit an updated resume move on to the interview process the week of October 24.
- Employers conduct interviews and select desired interns (not all students may be selected).
- Students notified of spring 2020 internship placement November 12–13.
- Students begin internships in January 2020.
What if I don’t qualify for this program?
Don't worry, the SIP isn't the only opportunity for you to gain skills and experience. Check out other internship opportunities through career services and the Office of Student Employment!
- IUPUI Career Services: Visit your school-specific career services to learn about other internship opportunities.
- IUPUI Office of Student Employment: Learn about part-time and internship opportunities on the IUPUI campus.
How to apply
The SIP online application (along with most internships) requires:
- Student information (contact info, credit hours completed, GPA, major/minor)
- Unofficial transcript in PDF format (We cannot accept an official transcript.)
- Two professional references
- Resume and cover letter
- Responses to short answer questions
Before you apply
We've compiled a few resources on applying for the program. Review the tip sheets below about writing your resume and cover letter and general application hints. Follow all directions on the application to receive as many points as possible!
- Review resume tips
- Learn about cover letters
- Use action words to powerfully describe your experience and in a fewer amount of words
- Visit your school’s career services office for a review of your materials before submitting the application
Sign up for more info
FAQs
Click here to see the companies/internship opportunities available in the program.
Students in the past have worked as automated equipment interns, mechanical/electrical engineering (and technology) interns, software and web development interns, technical publications interns, marketing interns, career placement interns, and community engagement interns. Some of the companies are associated with automotive manufacturing, pharmaceutical and medical devices, food and beverage manufacturing, energy efficiency audits, prevention of environmental disasters, luxury style aircraft engineering services, along with other mechanical, electrical, and instrumentation engineering services; journalism; social media; social work; and education to name a few.
Almost all companies are located within a 30-minute driving radius of IUPUI. Students are responsible for finding transportation to and from internship sites.
Yes! Interns are paid $7.25 per hour by the organization for up to 10–15 hours per week. Students receive a scholarship from the program in the amount of $1,200 for the semester. Students can earn up to $2,200 for the semester.
- Preliminary screening will be made on the basis of completed applications (application form, resume, cover letter) submitted by applicants. Only complete applications will move forward for screening.
- You should review the minimum requirements and additional requirements/job description of each location carefully. It is your responsibility to demonstrate on your application that you meet all of the minimum requirements to be considered. Failure to do so will result in your application being rejected.
- You will receive an email when your application is received in full and one additional email after the due date to inform you of when application decisions will be made. If you don't receive the email, contact Katie Boynton, kayboynto@iu.edu, to make sure your application was received.
- Selected applicants will be invited for professional development workshops. This does not a guarantee admission to the program.
- Once students have attended a workshop and updated their resume, they may be invited to interview with employers. After the interviews, students will be matched based on feedback from employers’ interviews and reviewed by the coordinator, Katie Boynton. Based on feedback and at the discretion of the coordinator, additional interviews may be assigned in the case of a nonmatch.
- Final matches are released upon thereafter.
- Fall Semester: End of March. Spring Semester: Beginning of October. The exact date is listed on the application page.
- You are encouraged to submit your application at least a week before the deadline. Late applications are not accepted.
Prior to interviewing with a company, all students engage in a variety of professionalism workshops, including a resume critique, mock interviews, and a session on how to be successful in an internship.
Students enroll in a credit-bearing internship course where they will regularly engage in reflection on their internship experience. Students will also compile evaluations and develop an electronic portfolio (ePDP) throughout the program, allowing them to think critically on the professional and personal skills they are developing through the internship.
It is very important when you are scheduling classes that you leave four to five hour blocks available two to three days per week during regular business hours (Monday–Friday, 8 a.m.–5 p.m.). Avoid schedules that look like this if possible:
