Internships and Professional Seminar
Internship and Professional Seminar
Course Description: The internship is a supervised field experience of 120 hours in a setting consistent with the student's professional and educational goals. The internship experience is designed to enhance the student's professional capacities in higher education. Students will assume administrative responsibilities at a college, university, or other higher education organization, under the supervision of an accomplished professional in the field. These responsibilities must be graduate-level in scope and represent new learning for the student.
Prerequisites: Completion of 12 credit hours completed or in progress in the program.
HIED 563:Internship II in Higher Education (Directed Study) is a supervised field experience of 120 hours designed to provide further experience in a setting consistent with the students' professional and educational goals. Students will assume administrative responsibilities at a college, a university, or another higher education organization, under the supervision of an accomplished professional in the field. These responsibilities must be graduate-level in scope and represent new learning for the student. Prerequisites: HIED 562
This course provides an opportunity for students to use the tools and knowledge acquired during the program to address a challenge or opportunity specific to the administrative area or institution in which they are employed full time. Students will identify a challenge, analyze research related to the issue, and develop actionable recommendations for responding to the issue and share those recommendations with others within their institutional context in both written form and oral presentation. Prerequisite: 15 credit hours completed.
- HIED 562: Internship in Higher Education Site Application : Due November 15 for Spring Internship, April 1 for Summer Internship or June 1 for Fall Internship
- HIED 562: Internship Learning Agreement: Due first week of course
- HIED 563: Internship ll - This is considered a Directed Study. Form can be found on the Graduate Registrar site.
- HIED 567: Professional Seminar Application
- Time Log for HIED 562 and HIED 563 hours
Must I have an Internship?
HIED 562 Internship is required for all students (unless you have prior approval to substitute HIED 567 Professional Seminar). You are eligible to take the course once you have completed 12 credits.
How long is the Internship Course?
The Internship is a full semester course which includes an online class with a text and the 120 hours at the Internship Site.
When should I begin looking for an Internship Site?
Three months ahead of when you wish to take the course. For example: If you are eligible for an Internship in the Spring term, begin looking at sites in Mid October.
How do I go about finding a site?
Students are encouraged to pursue the placement process the same way they would approach searching for a job. A Field Experience Site Database has been created for students with information about previous internship sites used by students. The database is accessible through:
- Self-Service Main Menu>>Student Tab>>Field Experience Site Database
Students are encouraged to complete an internship in an area where they see themselves potentially serving in higher education or an opportunity for students to broaden their experience.
Internship Awards:

Laura Julius, a 2015 graduate of Messiah University's Master of Arts in Higher Education, won the Middle Atlantic Career Counseling Association's 2014 Graduate Student Professional Development Award for demonstrated commitment to the field of career counseling. Laura participated in the MACCA annual conference along with her internship supervisor, Karl Martz, during her internship in career services at Penn State Harrisburg.