An internship is, above all, a “learn by doing” experience that allows a student to:

• Explore the challenges and benefits of a specific profession
• Affirm or reassess career goals
• Gain practical experience and enhance specific skills in a real work environment
• Learn more about one’s own abilities, work style, and preferences
• Develop important professional contacts and relationships that may be beneficial in the future
• Improve one’s prospects in today’s competitive environment (both for the job market and graduate school)
• Ease the transition from full-time student to full-time employee

• Mentors are an important element of a strong internship—there should be significant contact with one person who will guide the student’s work. Some mentors view internships as a way of screening future employees.
• A successful project brings together employers, artisans, researchers, and others looking for able and intelligent assistants with students who want to gain experience that complements or supplements their education.
• Students may apply for established internships, or they may develop their own.
• The internship should be relevant to a student’s career aspirations, post-graduate plans, and/or personal interests—the stronger the connection, the more compelling the case.

The Career Development Office has a variety of information about established internships that may help you in your internship search.

We strongly recommend that students interested in developing an internship consult with the Career Development Office in the early stages of their planning.

• Students are responsible for researching, applying for, and securing the internship. The Career Development Office is available to provide advice and guidance to students applying to all internships.
• Students apply directly to the business or organization for an established internship OR develop an internship in consultation with a mentor of the student’s choice. In either case, the student is responsible for arranging an interview and following up on the status of employment.
• Students are responsible for the accuracy of all information contained in the application and post-internship materials and for notifying Career Development promptly of any changes in the internship program. Students should understand that misrepresentations in the application or post-internship materials is a very serious matter and may be referred to the Assistant Dean. Such dishonesty may be grounds for discipline up to and including expulsion or for requiring repayment of some or all of the stipend.

Mentors have a crucial role in St. John’s College Internship Funding awards.

Mentors enhance the value of the internship experience by providing close supervision and guidance. It is essential that mentors understand their responsibilities, and students who develop their own internships are largely responsible for ensuring that they do.

• The mentor must supply a proposal that clearly describes the work of the internship and mentions any applicable internal deadlines and required application materials. The proposal may be written by the student along with the mentor but must be signed and submitted by the mentor on official letterhead or sent directly from the mentor’s email address.
• The Mentor’s Letter, also described under Application Components, should clearly state the mentor’s willingness to engage the applicant for the proposed internship. Where it is practical, the internship proposal and mentor’s letter may be combined.
• Interviews with students are conducted by mentors to discuss job responsibilities and necessary skills.
• The mentor agrees to act as both a supervisor and a mentor who will educate and train the student in a particular field. The mentor’s role as supervisor includes tracking attendance and absences to ensure that the minimum required hours of the internship have been met.
• The mentor must sign a general release form and a contract with the terms of the internship outlined, which will be provided by the intern.
• The mentor agrees to complete a mid-summer student evaluation and to allow a college representative to conduct at least one informal telephone conference, email or site visit to confer with the student and his or her supervisor during the internship.
• The mentor agrees to complete a final student evaluation at the conclusion of the internship. This form should be forwarded to the St. John’s College Career Development Office by a pre-specified date to ensure that the student is eligible for their final stipend.

Request recommendations and your unofficial transcript well before the application deadline. Provide recommenders with your resume and letter of interest, and allow sufficient time for completion. Submit your complete application by the deadline communicated by the Career Development Office. Application review begins after the deadline.

Eligibility

• Students enrolled at the Annapolis campus are eligible to apply for internships during the summer immediately following any of their four academic years at the college.
• Students must be on the Annapolis campus during the full academic year immediately preceding the internship. Students must return to either the Annapolis or Santa Fe campus in the fall immediately following the internship, unless they have graduated.
• Financial aid status does not affect the selection process; however, students must be in good financial standing at the college to receive an award.
• Students must be in good academic standing; at a minimum this means that they must be unconditionally eligible to return to the college in the year following the internship or have graduated immediately before the internship.
• Students with serious attendance and/or disciplinary problems may not be eligible.
• Students may apply for internships each year even if they have already received a St. John’s College Internship Funding award. However, applications for subsequent internships should make clear the difference the subsequent internship would offer the applicant compared to what was acquired from the first. (See also “Letter of Interest” under Application Components.)
• The committee can supplement the stipends of paid internships under the internship funding program if the stipend offered by the organization is less than $5,100. The supplement would add to the stipend offered and together would not exceed a total of $5,100. For example, if the organization is offering a stipend of $2,000, the Hodson stipend supplement would be no more than an additional $3,100 for a total of $5,100.​​​

Restrictions

• Internship funding is not awarded for coursework. The internship award requires practical work experience and direct involvement with a mentor. Please consider applying for a St. John’s College Supplemental Course Funding award if you are interested in coursework and if you are eligible.

• F-1 students are not eligible for U.S. internships unless they apply for and are granted “Optional Practical Training” from the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS). Keep in mind that in such cases the internship must relate in some way to the field of study at St. John’s College.

  Please contact the Registrar’s Office early in the process for a new I-20 with OPT recommendation and more details—this must be done in the appropriate time frame. It is highly recommended that you apply for OPT 90 days prior to your anticipated start date. This most likely means that you will need to apply for OPT prior to receiving a decision on your Hodson application.

  The OPT start date can vary if you are applying for a pre-completion OPT (eligible after one full year of enrollment; summer only) or post-completion OPT (graduating students), and you should apply as early as possible. Students applying for internships outside a reasonable window will not be recommended for OPT.

  Students must be approved for OPT before starting their internship and receiving their stipend. OPT is not required for an internship in the F-1 students’ home country or another country outside the U.S.
• The committee particularly encourages, and has a preference for, in-person internships as they afford a wider range of experiences and opportunities for learning and networking.
• Applications for internships involving primarily clerical work or other duties (such as canvassing, collecting signatures, or cleaning and maintenance) and that may not provide the student with challenging work and learning will not be considered.
• The selection committee may be less likely to favor internship proposals in which the primary purpose of the intern’s work would be the encouragement or promotion of a particular political, social, or religious agenda. For further clarification, please consult with the Career Development Office as early as possible in the application process.
• The committee will not support internships that might interfere with the instructional program at St. John’s or that might adversely affect the pursuit of the St. John’s program by interns or other students of the college.
• Internship positions may be part- or full-time. Stipend amounts depend on type (full- or part-time) of work and length of the internship. Stipends are subject to federal and state taxes. A full-time internship is at least eight weeks in length with a minimum of 320 hours (for example, this would translate to eight weeks at 40 hours a week or ten weeks at 32 hours a week).
• Internships must be completed prior to the start of the new academic year, unless the student has graduated.
• Students do not earn credit toward a St. John’s degree by completing an internship.
• Students are generally not eligible for other employment, including on-campus, while receiving an internship funding award. Please consult with the Career Development Office if you are considering additional employment.
• Internships may not be arranged with or supervised by a close family member.
• Internship or research experiences obtained via fee-based or third-party companies or providers are not eligible for funding.
• The committee will not consider internship sites that are not included in the original application.
• Consideration of changes to an approved internship is at the discretion of the committee.

• A selection committee consisting of faculty and staff members reviews each completed application in this competitive process.
• The committee gives greatest weight to the following criteria:
  • Potential benefit to the student
  • Completeness of the application
  • Confidence in the student’s ability to represent St. John’s College well
• The committee awards appropriate funds for internships based on the mutual needs and expectations of the students and the mentors.
• Decisions of the selection committee are final.

• Attend an Information Session provided by the Career Development Office
• Attend the Summer Experience Fair to hear from previous awardees
• Visit the Career Development Office to discuss your ideas

There are two ways to approach the internship funding process:

1. Develop an internship with a mentor and an organization directly:
   • You must be accepted to the internship site by the St. John’s College Internship Funding application deadline in this scenario.
   • All of your paperwork must be complete by the application deadline—with the exception of the release forms.
2. Apply to an established internship(s):
   • You may submit an application for more than one internship site within a single desired career field (if you are still awaiting decisions from the sites by the application deadline).
   • All of your application components, except the mentor’s letter and the release forms, are due by the application deadline.
   • You will be expected to update the Career Development Office as soon as your status is known.

To receive funding, you must secure your internship by the confirmation deadline communicated by the Career Development Office.

• Your application will be completed via SurveyMonkeyApply and all of the components for a complete application are described below.
• Prepare all application materials in advance of completing the Application Form. (You must be logged-in to your SJC account to complete the Application Form)
• Plan in advance to guarantee enough time for help with technical difficulties. Please contact the Career Development Office if questions arise.
• Late, incomplete, or handwritten applications will not be accepted.
• Recommendations must be received by the application deadline. Complete the recommendation section of your application early so your recommenders have sufficient time to respond.

Application Checklist

• Application Form: Upload all of the items listed below as PDFs to your application form.
  • Letter of Interest
  • Resume
  • Internship Description(s) & Organization Information
  • Mentor’s Letter if secured (must be supplied if this is a custom internship—please upload the original document from your mentor as a PDF)
  • Unofficial Transcript
• Two Recommendations—your recommenders submit directly to the application once you've entered their names to your application form.

Application Components

Letter of Interest

When composing your letter, it is important to describe clearly the impact that this internship will have on your personal and professional goals. If you are applying to more than one internship, they must share a common purpose. Your letter should address the following points:

• Your one- to two-page letter is addressed to the St. John’s College Internship Funding Selection Committee.
• A demonstrated long-standing interest in the field of the internship, or a clear articulation of the origins of a more recent interest, is an important element of a proposal.
• A discussion of the relevance of the internship to careers you are considering is helpful.
• A description of your goals for your internship—what you hope to learn and how it will support you personally and professionally—should be included. 

If you are applying for a subsequent internship, it should be clearly distinguished from the first. Subsequent internships that build on previous ones in significant ways, or that diverge from previous internships, will be considered. Subsequent internships that would substantially repeat the kind and level of work of earlier internships are unlikely to be granted. ​​​​​​

Resume

• Seek resume advice from the Career Development Office well before submitting your internship and funding applications.

Internship Description(s) & Organization Information

For an established internship(s):

• For each internship provide the following information:
  • Copy and paste the questions below with your responses for each internship to which you’re applying.
  • Be sure to include a description of each internship (you can copy and paste the internship description from the organization’s website or other source).
  • After you’ve prepared your Word document, with information for each of your proposed internships, please upload your document as a PDF to the Application form.
  • Only internships included in this document will be considered for funding.
  • For each organization include:
    • Organization name:
    • Website address:
    • Field of the Internship (i.e. publishing, law, education):
    • Address:
    • Mentor/Onsite supervisor & their title:
    • Phone:
    • Email:
    • Is the internship onsite, remote or hybrid? Please explain your answer.
    • Is your mentor a SJC alumna or alumnus (yes or no)?
    • Does the organization offer a stipend (yes or no)? If yes, please indicate the amount.
    • Is the internship full-time or part-time?
    • Number of anticipated hours per week? 
    • Total number of weeks?
    • Estimated start date and end date?
    • Total amount of stipend requested from the SJC Internship Funding Program?

A full-time internship is $5,100 (minimum of 320 hours), less than 320 hours is calculated at $16.00/hour. Changes in hours could result in an adjustment of the stipend; therefore, fill out the hours of your internship as accurately as possible.

For a personalized internship designed with your mentor:

• Provide a proposal clearly outlining an internship opportunity developed by you in consultation with a mentor with whom you would like to work.
• Be sure to include the following information in your document:
  • Organization name:
    • Website address:
    • Field of the Internship (i.e. publishing, law, education):
    • Address:
    • Mentor/Onsite supervisor & their title:
    • Phone:
    • Email:
    • Is the internship onsite, remote, or hybrid? Please explain your answer.
    • Is your mentor a SJC alumna or alumnus (yes or no)?
    • Does the organization offer a stipend (yes or no)?  If yes, please indicate the amount.
    • Is the internship full-time or part-time?
    • Number of anticipated hours per week?
    • Total number of weeks?
    • Estimated start date and end date?
    • Total amount of stipend requested from the Hodson Internship Program?
• Proposals for internships developed by students should be signed by the mentor and should contain a description of the actual internship duties.

Mentor’s Letter (upload as a PDF)

• Letter stating the mentor’s willingness to engage you as an intern—must be on official letterhead and uploaded as a PDF to your application form.
• Where it is practical, the internship description and mentor’s letter may be combined.
• Letter can follow if the internship is not yet secured—this option is available only if you are applying to established internships.

Recommendations

• Two recommendations, at least one from a tutor, are required. Enter your recommender's name and email address to your application form well before the deadline.
• Recommenders must submit the required recommendation form by the application deadline. Request recommendations early and communicate the deadline clearly.
• Outside recommenders should be able to comment on your academic ability, professional work, or character. A recommender should be able to provide a strong and objective recommendation.
• As a general rule, close personal family friends are not appropriate.
• When you request your recommendation advise your recommender regarding your FERPA designation—to waive or not waive your rights—to review your recommendation, as they will be asked of your notification on their form. You will also be asked to complete your FERPA designation on the application form.

FERPA Waiver Details for your Reference

FERPA stands for the Family Education Rights and Privacy Act, a law that governs access to your personal educational records. Because letters of recommendation are considered part of your educational record, the law permits you to view letters of recommendation submitted to others and does not permit the recommender to restrict this access. ▪ If you DO NOT waive your FERPA rights, you WILL be permitted to view your recommendations. ▪ If you DO waive your FERPA rights, you WILL NOT be permitted to view your recommendations. If your recommenders are concerned about your request to view letters of recommendation, they may ask to have a conversation with you prior to submitting.

Application Form

Tips for Requesting Letters of Recommendation

• St. John’s tutors, supervisors and mentors, and high school teachers are examples of people who can serve as recommenders.
• Give recommenders at least 3-4 weeks to complete the recommendation forms.
• Provide recommenders with copies of your Letter of Interest so they can write well-informed recommendation letters.
• Share a copy of your resume with recommenders so they can reference it as needed.

Unofficial College Transcript (upload as a PDF)

• Submit a Records Request Form through the Annapolis Registrar’s page of mySJC well before the application deadline to allow time for processing. If you have any questions, you may contact the Office of the Registrar at annapolis.registrar(at)sjc.edu or 410-626-2513.

Additional Forms

These forms may follow if you have not yet been accepted into your program:

• Student Internship Agreement and Release
• Organization Registration & Release
• Agreement for Hodson Interns & Mentors
• Internship Acceptance Package (provided if you receive a Hodson award)

 Submit your complete application through the designated application link by the deadline communicated by the Career Development Office. Late submissions will not be accepted.

• Interns represent St. John’s College, are expected to serve as positive representatives of the College, and must adhere to the policies and procedures outlined in the Student Handbook.
• Interns will be invited to an awards luncheon where their efforts will be recognized by the internship funding selection committee members and other invited guests.
• Interns will attend a mandatory employer panel which will offer advice for a successful internship and guidance on making the most of your opportunity.
• Interns are required to read and sign the Student Agreement and Release, the Agreement for Interns & Mentors, and the St John’s College Internship Funding Acceptance Package prior to the start of the internship. Please read these documents carefully as they detail the interns’ obligations during and following the internship.
• Interns must write a one-page report and provide a photograph of themselves at the internship site. You may not include others in your photograph.
  Failure to provide a completed report and photograph by the required deadline will result in the forfeiture of the final stipend payment of $500.
• More information on stipends, taxes, and other requirements is included in the Acceptance Package you will complete when you receive your award.

Click here to complete the Application Form and to submit your application materials.

Please be sure that you are ready to submit your entire application. You will not be able to save this form and return to it later. Technical support cannot be guaranteed on weekends or on the due date. Please begin the process early. If you have any questions, please contact Jaime Dunn at jaime.dunn(at)sjc.edu or Matthew Gibeson at matthew.gibeson(at)sjc.edu.

Yes! You’re eligible to apply for funding each of your four years at St. John’s.

Yes! You may apply for an internship in the U.S., your home country, or any other countries with a safe travel recommendation.  If you apply for an internship in the U.S., you will also need to apply for OPT through the Registrar’s Office.

Yes! U.S. and international students may apply in any country that has a safe travel recommendation.

You may apply for multiple internships in a single career field each year, however you may apply in a different career field in subsequent years.

No. You should include all of your internship options in your application by the deadline as you will not be able to add additional options past the deadline.

Mentors are an important part of your internship experience and are required.

You may not intern with a family member, but we encourage you to network with family (and others) when looking for internship options.

You do not need to be accepted by your internship site before the deadline if you are applying to existing internships. If you are creating an internship directly with a mentor or organization, you need to have secured it by the deadline and provide all details at that time.

Please visit the Career Development Office early in your process for advice and guidance.

You may apply for supplemental funding if your stipend is less than $5,100 and is full-time (320 hours). For example, if the stipend offered was $2,000, we would provide an additional $3,100.

The maximum amount of the St. John’s College Internship Funding award is $5,100. It’s important to take into account what your expenses will be when considering your internship site.

No new applications or additions to an application are accepted after the deadline.

The award for a full-time internship, based on a minimum of 320 hours, is $5,100. Internships that are less than full-time are calculated at $16/hour time the number of hours of your internship.

The Career Development Office will communicate the award notification timeline to applicants.

Your award is paid in installments according to the payment schedule communicated to recipients. The final installment is contingent on receipt of your report, photograph, and final evaluation.​​​​​​​

Taxes are not deducted from your stipend for U.S. citizens. International students may have some taxes withheld based on the tax agreement between your home country and the U.S.

Recipients who are not graduating seniors are expected to attend the Summer Experience Fair and be available to participate in an internship funding information session. The Career Development Office will provide event details.