Internship Information for Employers

Hiring a Pilot Intern:

When you hire a UP intern, you gain an eager, innovative, and devoted worker, as well as the ability to:

• Observe potential employees firsthand and build a recruitment pipeline of talent.
• Allow internal staff to develop their supervisory skills.
• Complete special projects outside of the scope of existing operations.
• Give back to the local community while helping students progress in personal and professional development.

Internships are a student-driven process at UP. We’ll work with you to develop a robust and valuable internship experience, promote the opportunity to UP's student community and work to match internships to qualified students through faculty and staff members.

Recruiting a Pilot Intern:

Interested in connecting with potential UP interns? 

Please review our Internship Guide for Employers, which outlines components of a quality internship and position descriptions, intern stages of development, tools, and best practices for intern supervisors. A quality internship will have components that help students develop core competencies as outlined by the National Association for Colleges and Employers (NACE). 

For information and guidelines for virtual or remote internships, please review the Remote Internship Guidelines handout. 

As your organization looks to hire individuals from a variety of backgrounds, consider candidates through a new inclusive and equitable lens: valuing their cultural wealth and lived experiences. Learn more in our Promoting Diversity in Recruiting guide.

Expectations of Internship Supervisors:

• Register and submit an internship job description to Handshake.
• Offer pay in addition to credit if a for-profit organization.
• Accept the student intern as a fully functional member of the organization, with access to assignments, coaching, and resources requisite to the preparation of professionals.
• Assist and guide the intern in meeting their professional goals and learning objectives of the internship.
• Offer professional growth experiences through diverse offerings such as training programs, seminars, orientations and other developmental activities.
• Encourage outside perspectives from the student while offering constructive feedback and regular evaluation.
• Assist in submitting the University of Portland Internship Learning Agreement on Handshake and a final evaluation if the student is completing the internship for academic credit.

Internship Supervisor Guide:

If you are currently supervising an intern from the University of Portland, please review our Internship Supervisor Guide. It offers an overview of the components of a quality internship, benefits for interns and employers, intern stages of development, and best practices for internship supervisors. If your intern is receiving academic credit, the corresponding guides below outline an overview of what to expect from the University of Portland throughout the internship process.

Please note: It is the responsibility of the student to coordinate the necessary information and documents to receive academic credit from a school or department.

US Department of Labor Internship Guide:

Internship Programs Under The Fair Labor Standards Act

Questions? Call the Career Education Center at 503.943.8445 or email us at internship@up.edu.