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TOWSON UNIVERSITY
College of Business and Economics
Department of Accounting
ACCT 497 – Internship
Eligibility
The Department of Accounting requires consent of department chair and senior status.
General Advisory
Students who are planning on enrolling in ACCT 497 should be forewarned that the course is not a “freebie,” a
“gut,” or easy credit. Students should expect challenging job responsibilities and rigorous course assignments
related to their internship. The academic side of the internship will require a tremendous amount of thought
and analysis presented in the form of written reports.
Students should also be aware that learning on the job is radically different from what they are used to in the
traditional classroom. With an internship, it is the responsibility of the student to actively manage his/her own
learning/development process. This is clearly different from a classroom where the instructor takes the
responsibility for learning and development. While the faculty coordinator and immediate supervisor at work
are always available for consultation, neither will be directly overseeing the “nitty-gritty” of the student’s
experience. Students enrolling in ACCT 497 should feel comfortable taking initiative, asking for assistance, and
confronting problem issues when they arise. Otherwise, the work experience will be of very limited value.
Objectives
Prior to beginning your work assignment you will be required to develop a list of objectives for your internship
employment experience. These objectives will serve as the guidelines/foundation for your internship
assignment; everything that happens related to your internship will extend from these objectives.
These objectives are to be discussed and set in conjunction with your immediate work supervisor. Together the
two of you should develop a written statement that bears both of your signatures. The objectives you develop
should be specific and related to employment-related skilling and/or behaviors. You must also determine how
your progress in meeting these objectives is to be evaluated and measured. Be sure to develop specific and
measureable means of evaluation that both you and your supervisor agree upon. These objectives must be
submitted to and approved by your faculty coordinator prior to the start of the internship.
Guidelines
The guidelines below have been developed to assist students in meeting the requirements for the academic
component of their internships. The overall evaluation of the student will be based on two separate
components; the weekly log or journal the students submits to the sponsoring faculty member, and the final
paper the student submits to the sponsoring faculty member. Students must perform at a minimum level of
“satisfactory” on EACH of these components in order to receive academic credit for the internship.
The Weekly Log (Journal) and Final Report (Reflective Report) are submitted to the sponsoring faculty
coordinator. The requirements for these two components of the internship are detailed below.
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Weekly Log (Journal)
Each student will be required to maintain a log or journal that details specific aspects of the internship
experience. Students are required to make detailed entries in this log on a weekly basis related to four major
areas of the internship. These entries are to be submitted as “progress reports” to the sponsoring faculty
member on a weekly basis.
Area 1
Describe the progress/actions that were made during the week toward the overall objectives of the
internship and the goals/plans that had been set during the previous week. Detailed accounts of
behaviors, meetings, projects, accomplishment, obstacles, etc. should be presented here.
Area 2
Assess your interpersonal relationship with others on the job during the past week. Describe
encounters with coworkers, your immediate supervisor, higher-ups, or corporate staff personnel that
impacted any of your attitudes, behaviors, or work-related performance. Assess levels of collegiality,
conflict, teamwork, etc. and relate them to your ability to pursue your work-related objectives. Describe
the implications of what you learned in this area for your future relationship and behavior.
Area 3
Describe specifically what you learned during the week. You should comment on specific job-related
skills as well as things you learn about yourself, your prospective career, your employing organization,
and organizations in general. An effective internship will result in your learning something new or
something that causes you to modify your existing knowledge throughout the duration of the
employment relationship.
Area 4
State the goals/plans you have for the coming week. Here you should detail what you hope to
accomplish and how these plan related to your overall objectives.
At the end of this document in Appendix A, you will find a copy of a structured weekly log form that you will use
to submit to your faculty sponsor each week.
Final Paper (Reflective Report)
At the conclusion of your internship, you will be required to write a final paper that describes and analyzes the
internship employment experience. This paper will be due no later than one week after the final day of work
and should contain the major sections as delineated below. Be aware that you do not have to wait until the end
of the work assignment to begin working on this paper. You should work on and develop it on a weekly basis as
you prepare the entries for your log.
Section 1 – Descriptions
Describe the organization in which you were employed, identifying its product(s) and/or service(s), size,
location(s), number of years in operation, mission and strategy, and any other information that establishes the
overall identity of the organization.
Describe the department in which you worked, identifying the number of people in it, and the overall
responsibilities of the department. Explain in detail the importance of the department and how the department
contributes to the overall operation of the organization.
Describe the position you held, identifying your job responsibilities and providing a job description for your
position. Explain how your position contributes/contributed to the overall performance of the department.
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Section 2 – Objectives
Attach a copy of the objectives statement signed by you and your supervisor. Discuss each of these objectives at
length and the extent to which they were achieved. You may wish to include an appendix which provides
documentation of specific, tangible accomplishments (reports, memos, etc.). Discuss the critical factors that
allowed you to achieve objectives as well as the obstacles you encountered in pursuing these objectives.
Section 3 – Personal Growth
Explain in-depth the steps you took to maximize the internship learning experience. Describe the behaviors you
engaged in and the actions you took that displayed active management of the work assignment (for example,
asking for more challenging work assignments, requesting meetings, etc.). Describe how specific individuals
responded to your efforts in this regard and explain what you learned through this process.
Section 4 – Relevance of Internship
Explain the relevance of your internship to your career objectives (both pro and con), commenting on what you
learned about your specific career, your organization, “the industry,” and most importantly, yourself.
Explain the relevance of your internship to your academic coursework to-date, commenting on the specific areas
of academic study you were able to apply and/or those areas of academic study for which you have a
heightened appreciation.
Section 5 – Reflections
Consider what you would do differently if you were to pursue this internship again from scratch. Describe
specifically how you would do things differently (behavior) as well as explaining why you would do things in this
manner and the expected outcome(s).
Section 6 – Optional
You should feel free to include any additional information that you feel is pertinent to understanding your
internship. While this section is not by any means required, the unique nature of each internship combined with
each individual student’s understanding and perception of it makes it possible that the four sections outlined
above might not provide a complete forum for students to express their view, interpretations, feelings, or
opinions.
Employer Evaluation Form
At the end of your internship, you will have your employer fill out an evaluation form and submit that along with
your Final Paper. A copy of this employer evaluation form can be found at the end of this document in Appendix
B.
White for Student File, Yellow for Instructor, Pink for Professional Experience Office
ACCT Internship Approval Form.
Students are required to work a minimum of 120 hours in an actual professional business
environment. Internship must relate to student’s major. Pre-requisites: Chair’s consent and senior
status.
Fall .
Spring .
Summer .
PRINT CLEARLY:
Name: ________________________________________________________ Student ID#: ________________________________
E-mail Address : ___________________________________________________________________________________________________
Telephone Numbers: (local) ________________________________ (cell phone)________________________________________
PRINT CLEARLY:
I will be taking my Internship with:
Organization: Location_____________________________
Supervisor: _________________________________ *E-mail address: ____________________________
Phone #: ____________________________________ Fax #: ___________________________________
HOW YOU ACQUIRED THE INTERNSHIP:
_______ Internship through TU Career Center’s Hire@TU listings.
.
_______ Internship on my own.
.
_______ Internship through TU Match (CBE e-Newsletter) .
GETTING INTERNSHIP APPROVED:
Bring this form and your internship description (from Hire@TU) or your type written job description to leave for Department
Chair to approve.
Student’s Signature Date
Chair’s Signature Date
(For office use only) Special Permit Given for 497 Section____________ for __________Semester
Notes:
Rev. 08/2010
Appendix A
Please print or type legibly
Intern __________________________________________ Term ______________________________
Internship Site ____________________________________ Supervisor __________________________
Week Beginning
Monday
Tuesday
Wednesday
Thursday
Friday
Saturday
Sunday
Total
Total Hours Worked:
I verify that the hours listed above are accurate.
Intern’s Signature______________________________________________ Date__ ______
Supervisor’s Signature Date
The Internship Program
Work Hours Log
Towson University, College of Business and Economics
8000 York Road -Towson, Maryland 21252-0001
Phone: 410-704-4682 Fax: 410-704-3664
Appendix B
EMPLOYER'S FINAL KSA PERFORMANCE EVALUATION OF
(Please Print)
Dear Employer:
The College of Business and Economics (CBE) understands the need for its graduates to be broad-based and ready to perform immediately upon
entering the job market, both as individuals and in teams. Therefore, its curriculum contains concrete, measurable and attainable objectives
throughout. As a result, each CBE graduate is expected to perform successfully in eight areas of Knowledge, Skills and Attitudes (KSAs) as listed
below. Please rate your intern’s performance only on the KSAs that apply to his/her job that you or others in your organization have had an
opportunity to observe.
The Rating Scale is: 3 = EXCELLENT; 2 = SATISFACTORY; 1= POOR; N/A = Not Applicable
N/A ratings do not adversely impact the overall evaluation score. After rating the student on their KSAs, please describe the student’s performance
as an intern, as if you were grading the student in a course. At which level did the student perform “A,” “A-,” “B+,” “B,” “B-,“ “C+,” “C,” or “F?”
Circle one grade. Please also provide any constructive comments you may have. In addition, please provide specific feedback for any 1's you
checked off above. (Continue on an additional sheet if necessary.)
ACCREDITED BUSINESS KNOWLEDGE
3
2
1
N/A
1.
Know, apply, and integrate the content of one’s major
COMMUNICATION
3
2
1
N/A
2.
Write articulate, persuasive, and influential reports, proposals, letters
3.
Make articulate, persuasive, and influential oral presentations
4.
Develop graphic, spreadsheet, and financial analysis to support position taken
5
Engage in active listening in individual and (please see next page for explanation of evaluation)
group settings
5.1:
Acquire and Analyze Information
5.2:
Follow Directions
THINKING: CRITICAL and CREATIVE
3
2
1
N/A
6.
Identify problems and/or opportunities using cross disciplinary concepts.
7.
Generate and evaluate feasible alternatives
8.
Develop comprehensive, justified conclusions and recommendations using qualitative and/or quantitative
tools
TECHNOLOGY
3
2
1
N/A
9.
Use general and discipline specific software for state-of-the-practice business applications.
LEADERSHIP and TEAMWORK
3
2
1
N/A
10.
Focus on goal achievement
11.
Guide team towards the achievement of common goals.
12.
Maintain group cohesion, follower satisfaction, and efficient operations
ETHICS and VALUES
3
2
1
N/A
13.
Display ethical conduct and honor system behavior
14.
Apply ethics in business decision-making, considering impact on multiple stakeholders
ATTITUDE and PRACTICAL EXCELLENCE
3
2
1
N/A
15.
Be attentive, proactive and ready to learn (please see next page for explanation of evaluation)
15.1:
Attendance
15.2:
Materials
15.3:
Preparation
15.4:
Posture & Attentive Behavior
15.5:
Initiative
16.
Meet commitments and complete tasks (please see next page for explanation of evaluation)
according to assigned requirements
16.1:
Follow Directions
16.2:
Quality & Completeness
17.
Treat others with respect, show sensitivity (please see next page for explanation of evaluation)
to their views, values and customs
17.1:
Treat All People With Dignity and Respect
EMPLOYABILITY
3
2
1
N/A
18.
Show evidence of a quality, mentored, reflective professional experience
19.
Demonstrate effective job search; career portfolio, resume and interview skills
20.
Assume responsibilities for one’s own career management and goal setting
Total Score (completed by course instructor)
Guidelines for item number 5, 15, 16 and 17. Please use this guideline to assess the student.
5) Engage in active listening in individual and group settings
Criteria
Excellent (3)
Satisfactory (2)
Poor (1)
Acquire and Analyze
Information: Acquires and
analyzes knowledge from
others through listening
Interprets meaning through hearing and
listening, and identifies speaker’s purpose
and point of view, evaluates and interprets
information, and applies information to a
specific purpose or task.
Extracts ideas and information
through hearing and listening, and
identifies purpose and point of view,
and applies information to a specific
purpose or task.
Fails to collect sufficient
information through hearing
and listening, unable to identify
speaker’s purpose and point of
view, demonstrates little or no
evidence of understanding
information.
Follow Directions: Gains
knowledge of multi-step
instructions from others
through listening
Always hears and internalizes multi-step
instructions, draws inferences from these
instructions, and formulates logical
conclusions.
Consistently hears and internalizes
multi-step instructions, seeks
clarifications when necessary, and
draws inferences from these
instructions.
Rarely follows multi-step
instructions and often needs to
have them repeated before
attempting to carry them out.
15) Be attentive, proactive and ready to learn
Criteria
Excellent (3)
Satisfactory (2)
Poor (1)
Attendance
Always ready to begin work at the
appointed time.
Frequently ready to begin work at
the appointed time.
More than a few unexcused
absences. Often late.
Materials
Always has the necessary tools, materials,
and information necessary to complete
task.
Frequently has required materials
and information to complete the
task at least 80% of the time,
Frequently (80% of the time)
does not have the required
materials and information
necessary to complete task.
Preparation
Always anticipates issues to be discussed
and reviews relevant notes and
information that will be helpful.
Well prepared, shows careful
preparation to discuss most issues
that may arise.
Little or no preparation
exhibited.
Posture and Attentive
Behavior
Usually sits upright, leaning forward,
directed toward the speaker, work
materials, or activities. Not easily
distracted.
Initiative
Takes initiative by demonstrating
leadership qualities at all times.
Takes initiative by demonstrating
leadership qualities most of the
time.
Seldom takes initiative or show
leadership qualities.
16) Meet commitments and complete tasks according to assigned requirements
Criteria
Excellent (3)
Satisfactory (2)
Poor (1)
Follow directions: Gains
knowledge of multi-step
instructions
Always learns and internalizes multi-step
assignment instructions, determines stated
and implied goals, formulates logical plan
to execute assignment, and ask relevant
questions on assignment substance.
Considers assignment instructions,
draws some inferences from these
instructions, formulates plan to
execute assignments, and asks
relevant questions.
Fails to understand assignment,
only considers the most surface
issues raised by the assignment.
Quality and Completeness:
Always submits high quality work that
answers all questions and issues presented
and shows relevant insights.
Submits high quality work that
answers all questions and issues
presented.
Missed the point of the
assignment, fails to meet basic
assignment requirements.
17) Treat others with respect; show sensitivity to their views, values and customs
Criteria
Excellent (3)
Satisfactory (2)
Poor (1)
Treat All People Fairly, with
Dignity and Respect
Treats everyone with personal dignity and
respect, no matter what their role or
responsibility. Shows deep cultural
awareness and sensitivity and actively
reaches out to build productive
relationships. Recognizes that colleagues
and customers are entitled to work in an
environment free of verbal, physical and
sexual harassment.
Treats everyone with personal
dignity and respect, no matter what
their role or responsibility.
Recognizes that colleagues,
customers are entitled to work in an
environment free of verbal, physical
and sexual harassment
Does not show basic civility and
makes judgments heavily
influenced by stereotypes and
bias; refuses to make efforts to
understand others.
If you had a position available, would you hire this student? Yes No
Compared to other interns, how would you rate this intern? Excellent Good Moderate Poor
How would you grade this student? A (100 -90%) B (90 -80%) C (80-70%) D (70 – 60%) F (60% and below)
Please provide us with additional comments on this intern
Thank you for enabling one of our students to be part of your organization. Internships are one of the best ways our students directly experience the
world of work. We hope that he/she made useful contributions to your organization.
Sponsor: ______________________________________________________________ Date: _______________
Student: _______________________________________________________________ Date: ______________
