Miami University prioritizes student learning on campus, but not everything can be properly taught in a class. This is where internships and other experiential learning opportunities come in. 

Internships allow students to gain real world experience in a professional setting, and Miami students have partaken in a large variety. 

However, with so many options available, it can be difficult for students to determine their best fit, and the process can seem overwhelming. Therefore, the Career Center employees and course professors at Miami are here to help.

Students, particularly those in the College of Art and Sciences find internships in a variety of ways. 

“Handshake is the first place where I will send a student who is on that quest,” said Brooke Spangler, one of the internship coordinators for the Psychology department.

Professors can send relevant internship opportunities to the Career Center staff who then publish the information on the Miami Handshake page. The internships are categorized into a variety of collections including the recommended Career Clusters allowing students to explore with ease. Other places to look include the CAS website pages for each major and posters around campus.

CAS departments also offer a variety of career focused events, alumni outreach opportunities, and department newsletters. 

“I get emails from alumni who offer internship opportunities, and I’ll send that to the department where it is publicized,” said Neil Danielson, the chemistry and biochemistry departmental internship coordinator. 

This internship information is then available in department newsletters that are sent out at the discretion of each department. 

Daniel Behnke, media and communication departmental internship coordinator, explained their department “has over 100 alumni in the field right now, and they come back, and they love to talk to the students.” 

The media department recently hosted an event with the Center for Career Exploration and Success entitled “Spill the Tea: Real Talk on Writing & Communication Careers” which provided breakout sessions, alumni insights, and networking opportunities designed to support student career development. 

In combination with systems like Handshake, these events allow students to find internships without stress. 

Once an internship is found, students typically complete applications on their own. Then, “once they are in the interviewing process, we can help coach them through the process with mock interviews and things like that,” explained senior associate director of external relations, Calvin McDaniel.

When a student is officially offered the internship, they apply for credit through Miami on Handshake. This allows the completed internship to appear on their transcript. 

Why should a student have an internship experience? Internships provide invaluable working experience in real world situations. Students are able to network, explore career paths, and use the skills they learned in the classroom to excel. 

Grace Osterlund is a sophomore chemistry and Spanish major with a pre-health major, and she recently completed a market research internship at Reaction35, LLC. She said, “My experience has prepared me for the general navigation of a professional work environment, the cultivating of professional relationships, and the management of tasks on my own.” 

Grace encouraged other Miami students to take on internships explaining, “I feel that internships serve many useful purposes, the two biggest being the introduction to a professional environment and the opportunity to explore a potential future career, as both you and your employer will gain an understanding of each other that can be revisited in the future.”  

Senior Psychology and Clarinet Performance major Lisa Crawley also has positive feedback about her internship experience. She worked in Cincinnati Children’s.

“It was helpful to see the day-to-day tasks of a psychologist, and it helped me see if I wanted to pursue something like that as a career path,” said Lisa.

Ultimately, completing an internship experience is a strong addition to one’s college education. Miami University and the CAS departments offer a variety of support to make the process easier and even more rewarding.