Internship Program

The internship program matches student educational goals with local business needs by providing students with practical business experience that reinforces their academic training. Internships can involve a wide range of business activities, from updating business plans and developing marketing plans to designing user-friendly accounting and information systems or web sites. Students may receive academic credit for their internships and typically receive financial compensation as well.

Career Services is able to target distribution of internship announcements by major to undergraduate juniors and seniors. We also notify the appropriate faculty members and student groups.

Employers can post an internship online or send it via email to: intern@sba.pdx.edu.

Contact information:

Becky Einolf, MBA

Manager, Business Internship Program

(503) 725-3699

intern@sba.pdx.edu

Undergraduate Programs Office, SBA 240

Discipline and Guidelines

The School of Business Administration at Portland State University takes advantage of its excellent position in the business community by combining academic integrity with practical, hands-on experience. SBA programs encourage a high degree of interaction and involvement between students and the business community, with local business leaders sharing their expertise in the classroom and with students often working within these companies. The Business Internship Program is a fundamental part of this partnership

The majority of internships are project based. To see a listing of typical internship projects by area of study, see below.

Regardless of chosen major, every PSU business student must take the Required Business Core, which includes Organizational Behavior, Business Finance, Marketing Management, Competing with Information Technology, Operations and Quality Management, Business Environment, and Business Strategy.

How to Implement a Successful Internship or Co-op Program

Designing the Intership

• Identify company need (typically project based work or seasonal work needs)
• Training, mentoring, and supervision by a specific department manager in key
• Paid or unpaid (average wage is $8 to $15 per hour. There are limitations on unpaid internships with for-profit employers.)
• Hours per week needed (10-20 hours typical during school year, up to full time in summer)
• Duration of internship (e.g. 1 month, 1 quarter, 6 months, 1 year)

Recruiting and Hiring your Intern

• Create an internship posting using the form located here or email your position description to us at intern@sba.pdx.edu
• The internship is posted via email directly to students, faculty and appropriate student organizations
• Candidates contact you directly
• Select the intern in your normal manner of selection

Call or email Becky Einolf at 503-725-3699 or intern@sba.pdx.edu with any questions.

Post an Internship Listing

The Business Internship Program will forward your internship opportunities to PSU business students via email. Our office can help you target specific groups within the School of Business Administration, including undergraduate juniors and seniors grouped by their major area(s) of studies (e.g., Accounting, Marketing, Supply & Logistics Management, etc.).

If you have worked with our office in the past and are looking to update or re-list a position previously posted it is not necessary to complete this form. We can use your past posting as a quide. Please call Becky Einolf at (503) 725-3699 to discuss the updates or email your revised position description to intern@sba.pdx.edu

To post an internship, please download and complete our internship template and email it as an attachment to intern@sba.pdx.edu. Internships are generally processed and distributed to students within two business days.

If you have any questions or need help preparing your position description, please call 503-725-3699 or send an email to intern@sba.pdx.edu.

Portland State University is an equal opportunity/affirmative action institution.

Employers may also list internship and job opportunities through the central PSU Career Center. The PSU Career Center maintains a web-based job database accessible to students enrolled in any PSU degree program, as well as PSU alumni. For more information, call (503) 725-4613 or go to www.pdx.edu/careers.

Typical Internship Projects by Area of Specialization

Accounting:

• Tax preparation or audit work
• Setting up accounting systems

Advertising Management:

• Brand marketing
• Agency internships
• Advertising media projects

Finance:

• Investment research, Securities analysis
• Development of financial plans
• Financial forecasting, Sensitivity analysis
• Business valuation
• Financial statement analysis
• Capital budgeting

Food Industry Management:

• Management internships
• Internships in any of the specializations on this page matching a food industry employer with a food industry management student

Human Resource Management:

• Development of performance appraisal tools, goal setting guidelines
• Developing and/or implementing recruiting strategies

Information Systems:

• Database development
• Web site design & application development
• LAN development
• Application systems integration

General Management:

• Organizational design projects
• Business planning
• Development of performance appraisal tools, goal setting guidelines
• Developing and/or implementing recruiting strategies

Marketing:

• Marketing research projects
• Development of marketing plans
• Event planning
• Public relations projects
• Survey design and implementation

Real Estate Finance:

• Commercial appraisal projects
• Property research projects
• Mortgage finance

Supply and Logistics Management:

• Quality or inventory control projects
• Designing supplier selection processes
• Make or outsource decision, as regards product manufacture or transportation