INT 499 – Internship Program – Students
Winner of 2019 Outstanding College Work Experience & Internship Program Award
What is INT 499?
INT 499 – Internship in Major Field / ACC 499 – Accounting Internship is a 6-unit course commonly referred to as the “Menlo College Internship Program.” It is a graduation requirement for business majors, and an elective for psychology majors.
As a student, you will be responsible for your own internship search leading up to your enrollment in the course. Please note that your specific internship dates need to align with the Internship Seminar Course that all students must enroll in while completing their internship over the summer. You can enroll in INT 499 / ACC 499 only once you have completed your junior year (typically a minimum of 80-90 units).
ACC 499 is a section only for accounting students who secure internships at a selection of accounting firms. For more information about internships at these firms and the ACC 499 cohort, email Career Services at careerservices@menlo.edu.
Key Details & Timelines
Here are some important details you should keep in mind for your participation in the program:
| • | 6-unit class (internship + seminar course) |
| • | Summer ONLY |
| • | Internship must be 280+ hours (28+ hours weekly) for 10 weeks |
| • | Offered to rising seniors (summer between junior and senior year) |
Below are the critical dates you’ll need to be aware of for the summer 2024 internship cohort:
| Session 1 – May 28th, 2024 – August 2nd, 2024 |
| Session 2 – June 3rd, 2024 – August 9th, 2024 |
| Deadline to secure an internship is June 3rd, 2024 |
| • | For ACC 499 contact Career Services at careerservices@menlo.edu. |
Joining an Internship Cohort
To join an internship cohort (and fulfill the internship requirement as a business major), you must successfully complete each of the steps below:
1. Internship Prep Module: Required | Pre-requisite
Students who are identified as junior-level in unit standing will be asked to complete a prep module to introduce them to the program and key dates/requirements.
2. Internship Pathfinder Session: Required | Pre-requisite
All students will be invited to attend an Internship Pathfinder Session, which will provide further detail on the program as well as set students on a path to building a strategy.
3. Internship Kick-Off Meeting w/ ICS: Required | Pre-requisite
All students must schedule an individual meeting with a member of the Career Services team to review their resume, develop a job search strategy, and to have a general discussion of each student’s goals.
4. Apply to Internships:
The average student will apply to more than 100 internships before securing one. The College will not place you in an internship or assign you an internship. It is your responsibility to secure one!
5. Internship Details Form: Required | Pre-requisite
When a student receives an internship offer, they must notify the ICS team by completing an Internship Details Form. Upon completing this form, the ICS will contact the student’s site contact to confirm the internship meets all for-credit eligibility requirements.
6. Course Registration: Required | Pre-requisite
After receiving approval of your internship for participation in the program, you will be given instructions to register for the summer course.
7. CPT Authorization & Social Security Number (SSN): Required for students on F-1 visa
For students on an F-1 visa, they must request authorization for Curricular Practical Training (CPT) from a Designated School Official (DSO). To request authorization, the student must provide an internship offer letter typed on company letterhead. Students cannot begin working without authorization.
| • | Internships can be either paid or unpaid. If the internship is paid, international students must apply for a Social Security Number. |
| • | The CPT DSO is Jessica Nguyen: jessica.nguyen@menlo.edu |
8. Seminar Session & Class Assignments: Required
Students will be assigned a session (Session I is May to July and Session II is June to August) and a class (either a Tuesday, Wednesday or Thursday evening) based on their internship start date. Registering for the internship program is separate from being assigned a session and class.
Preparing for Your Internship
What steps are you taking to ensure you’re competitive with your peers? Here are some points to consider:
| • | Maintain a high GPA – Competitive internships often require a 3.0 or higher. |
| • | Get involved – Employers want to hire well-rounded students who demonstrate initiative, curiosity, and leadership in and out of the classroom. Join or start a student club, run for office in student government, and volunteer locally! |
| • | Attend Career Services events – Each year, our office hosts workshops, guest speakers, company tours, and an annual career fair. View all events here. |
| • | Gain work experience – Prior work and/or internship experience is one of the most important factors in any employer’s decision-making process. Use your summer and winter breaks to gain work and/or internship experience! |
| • | Start networking – Create a LinkedIn profile to connect with your professors, classmates, and Menlo College alumni. Want to learn more about a specific company or career path? Request an informational interview with someone in your network! |
Confirming an Internship for Academic Credit
There are many ways to find an internship, and students are encouraged to use all available resources to search for them. However, before a student can start an internship, it must first be reviewed and confirmed for academic credit by the Internships & Career Services team.
Students should not accept any internship offer until it has been confirmed for credit by ICS.
To ensure that an internship is educational, and thus eligible to be considered a legitimate internship, Menlo College has adopted the National Association of Colleges and Employers (NACE) criteria for a quality internship:
| • | The experience must be an extension of the classroom: a learning experience that provides for applying the knowledge gained in the classroom. It must not be simply to advance the operations of the employer or be the work that a regular employee would routinely perform. |
| • | The skills or knowledge learned must be transferable to other employment settings. |
| • | The experience has a defined beginning and end, and a job description with desired qualifications. |
| • | There are clearly defined learning objectives and goals related to the professional goals of the student’s academic coursework. |
| • | There is supervision by a professional with expertise and an educational or professional background in the field of the experience. |
| • | There is routine feedback by the experienced supervisor. |
| • | There are resources, equipment and facilities provided by the host employer that support the learning objectives and goals. |
ICS will not approve for academic credit any internship that is:
| • | Located outside of the designated pre-approved regions communicated to you by the ICS team. |
| • | Located in a non-commercial office or non-professional setting (e.g., home offices, cafes) |
| • | In a family-owned business or in an organization where a family member is supervising you or is in a position of authority over you.span> |
| • | In an organization where you have previously volunteered, interned, or worked (Some exceptions can be made; contact the program administrator to learn more). |
| • | Incompatible or not aligned with the internship seminar schedule. |
| • | Does not meet the 280+ total hours on-site requirement. |
| • | On-campus. |
About the Internship Seminar
The internship seminar meets weekly during the summer. The seminar will meet in the evenings to accommodate internship work schedules.
As part of the internship, you will create a Learning Plan that will help you gain knowledge and skills specific to your major, interests and internship organization. As a participant in the internship seminar, you will gain knowledge and skills that are valuable to leaders in any organizational setting. At the end of the internship experience, interns will be able to:
| • | Create goals that are specific and measurable in order to develop lifelong learning strategies |
| • | Analyze the fit between an organization and its structure, human resource strategies, resources and culture, and external environment |
| • | Present organizational issues in a succinct, clear and persuasive way |
| • | Clarify career interests and goals |
| • | Articulate achievements and new skills and knowledge gained through the internship |
Internship Criteria
Since the Internship Program’s inception in 2014, more than 800 students have completed internships at hundreds of different companies and not-for-profits, everywhere from YouTube and the Forty-Niners to the American Red Cross and the City of Menlo Park.
Visit the Menlo College Alumni Directory to see where our students are interning and working today.
Our Team
Jocylen Ashton
Executive Director of Internships and Career Services
jocylen.ashton@menlo.edu
Maria Mendoza
Associate Director of Employer Relations & Career Services
maria.mendoza@menlo.edu
Jessica Loi
Associate Director of Internship and Career Services
jessica.loi@menlo.edu
