Internships
Internships are not a degree requirement, however, the Department of Planning highly encourages students to pursue planning-related internships. Internships provide students with real-world experience that employers are looking for in today’s competitive employment market. Local governments usually have a constant demand or need for interns, so there are almost always planning internships available for students that have the motivation and desire to pursue this. Some internships offer pay and some do not. You are also encouraged to take the initiative to pursue an internship with a public or private agency that is more closely aligned with your professional goals and interests. A listing of internship agencies and their contact information can be viewed at this link - Internship Contacts.
In addition to other requirements, the student must satisfy a minimum requirement of 50 hours of work responsibility per semester hour of credit. Prerequisite: Completion of at least 80 s.h. of course work including 4 of the 5 required core courses specified in the BS in urban and regional planning degree; approval by a member of the planning faculty and the department chair based upon the student's submitting a written proposal indicating the applicability of the planning internship to his or her educational and professional objectives. Supervised internship experience with professional planning personnel in an approved agency or organization.
Students that wish to undertake an internship, need to register for PLAN 3018, 3028, 3038, 6018, 6028, or 6038 for the semester they will begin the internship. These planning courses are basically independent study courses for which students receive credit for career-related work experience within a planning agency.
Students should not begin the internship before the semester begins. Retroactive credit for internship hours completed in previous semesters is not accepted. For example, if you worked as an intern in the fall semester, you cannot apply these hours toward academic credit in the next spring semester.
PROCEDURE
1. Students must register with Student Professional Development prior to beginning an internship for academic credit. The student should also make an appointment with the internship Liaison for the College of Technology and Computer Science who will talk to you about the type of internship you desire (time frame, location, paying course, non paying, etc.) and will acquaint you with possible internship positions that are available. He/she will also assist you in preparing a resume and completing the application process.
To visit the Student Professional Development office website follow the link below:
http://www.ecu.edu/e3careers/forstudents.overview.asp
2. The Department of Planning's Internship Coordinator will be responsible for handling required paperwork associated with the course requirements and will be responsible for assigning the final grade for the course. The forms that are essential for obtaining academic credit for the internship can be downloaded below. You must complete, within the first week of the internship, the Planning Internship Requirements and Placement Confirmation forms. Make sure the employer signs the Planning Internship Requirements Form and then return these two forms to the department Internship Coordinator. Once the completed forms are on file with the department, copies will be mailed to the Student Professional Development office. You may fax (252-328-1269) or mail the forms to the the Internship Coordinator, Department of Planning, East Carolina University, 119 Rawl Building, Greenville, NC 27858.
3. The required internship forms also contain intermediate and final evaluation forms and a Documentation of Hours form to be completed by the student and the employer during the period of the internship. Please read the directions carefully at the top of the page on each form.
4. The intermediate and final evaluation forms are essential for the Planning Intern Coordinator to be able to periodically evaluate the student's progress and assign the final grade in the course. In order for this to be done, all required forms must be completed and on file in a timely manner that correlate with the semester academic calendar.
NOTE:
The above procedure applies only if the student is taking the internship for academic credit under PLAN 3018, 3028, 3038, 6018, 6028, or 6038. Students may pursue internships on their own without obtaining academic credit, which would not involve the planning faculty.
