How to Identify and Secure an HRD Internship Position
HRD 4396
The internship course is a senior-level capstone course in the Human Resource Development (HRD) program at the University of Houston. Students who complete this course earn 3 credit hours towards their degree. Through this course, students are expected to combine HRD theory with practical application in a professional setting, develop professional work competencies for a specific HRD-related occupation, and explore HRD-related career options.
Students' Skills and Qualifications
HRD students are required to take the following courses and will have completed many of these upon placement in an internship:
- HDCS 3300 Organizational Decisions
- HRD 3310 Talent Management
- HRD 3340 Principles to HRD
- HRD 3346 Performance Assessment & Evaluation
- HRD 3350 Workplace Diversity & Globalization
- HRD 3351 Instructional Design for HRD
- HRD 4301 Global Leadership in HRD
- HRD 4344 Designing E-Learning Applications
- HRD 4350 Organization Development & Consulting
- HRD 4352 Facilitation Strategies
- HRD 4396 Internship in HRD
- TLIM 3345 Human Resources in Technology
- TLIM 4342 Quality Improvement Methods
Student Internship Course Requirements
Students must meet the following course requirements in addition to working a minimum of 20 hours per week in their internship:
- Attend 7 face-to-face class sessions throughout the semester.
- Engage in online discussions that will help the student explore professional topics, including effective communication, leadership, diversity, and project management.
- Share regular status reports with the course instructor and their classmates.
- Write a reflection paper and give an oral presentation at the end of the semester.
- Organizational supervisors/sponsors and students will complete an evaluation of the student's performance in the internship.
Host Organization Internship Requirements
The intern will be directly supervised at the host organization by a designated supervisor. The internship course coordinator will be in regular contact with this individual. Students will have a course syllabus for the class. At the conclusion of the internship the host supervisor will submit a written evaluation of the intern to internship coordinator. The intern will also submit a report on his or her experience. The final grade will be based on the host's evaluation and the internship coordinator's evaluation of the intern's work.
For students to receive course credit, internship offers should include the following:
- Job responsibilities that support the mission of the employing organization and support the development of HRD competencies.
- A supervisor who is dedicated to the development of the student's HRD competencies, will assist the student with setting 3 learning objectives at the beginning of the semester, and will objectively evaluate the student's performance at the end of the semester.
- Require students to produce a tangible product in a one-semester time frame (~15 weeks) that can be added to their portfolio of HRD-related experience.
How to Submit Your Internship Opportunity
Please provide the following details:
- Description of your organization and the department where the student(s) will work
- Name and position title of proposed internship
- Supervisor Job description, including duties, expectations, and student's tangible product
- Special skills/interest desired
- Anticipated hours of work per week (20 hours)
- Number of interns desired Start and End dates of the position(s)
- Salary information
- Preferred process for follow-up (e.g., students contact employer directly, instructor screen students first, interview a certain number of students, etc.)
DEADLINES: July 31 for fall semester and January 8 for spring semester
Daiane Polesello, Ph.D.
Undergraduate Internship in HRD Instructor and Coordinator
University of Houston
Technology Division at the Cullen College of Engineering
110 Cameron Building Houston, Texas 77204-6020
Email: dpolesello [at] uh.edu (dpolesello[at]uh[dot]edu)
Phone: 713-743-7928