Internships and Cooperative Education: Northern Kentucky University, Greater Cincinnati Region

Students who major in French, German, or Spanish sometimes wonder about their ability to find a job after graduation.

One way to obtain professional experience that will enable them to compete successfully in the job market is to enroll in either an internship or a co-op related to their major or minor. Either one allows you to put the knowledge and skills you have acquired in the classroom into practice and can help you establish connections with professionals in the field who can mentor you and serve as references when you are on the job market. Occasionally, an internship or a co-op can lead to a full-time position in the company or organization where you work.

The requirements for an internship are different from those for a co-op.

World Languages and Literatures Internship (WLL 396)

Participation in WLL 396: World Languages and Literatures Internship is arranged through the Department of World Languages and Literatures. It may or may not be a paid experience, but successful completion will earn three credit hours toward the major/minor in French, German or Spanish or toward the minor in Japanese.

In order to register for WLL 396, students must have the following qualifications:

Officially declared major or minor in World Languages and Literatures
Completion of at least one 300-level WLL course with a grade of B- or better
A total official GPA of at least 2.75
A signed Faculty Consent Form, Internship Application Form, Internship Agreement Form, Internship Release Form, and a current version of the applicant's résumé one semester prior to enrollment.

A student must have the permission and support of the department chair and a faculty member who is willing to serve as the internship coordinator. The student must intern a minimum of 135 hours during the semester. Click here to review the syllabus for a detailed list of requirements.

In addition, students must be sufficiently advanced in the World Languages and Literatures degree program to meet any specific knowledge or skill requirements of the internship position. Other criteria may apply at the request of the host organization.

IMPORTANT DATES: To participate in the internship in the fall semester, submit these items by April 1; to participate in the spring, submit these items by November 1. Summer internships are not available at this time.

To see the application process and how the internship will be evaluated for credit, go to the World Languages and Literatures Internship page.

Cooperative Education (CEP 300)

Co-ops are administered by Career Services. A student can earn up to 12 credit hours in a co-op related to their major. These hours will not count toward the major in World Languages and Literatures, but will count in the total number of hours (120) required for graduations. Co-ops are paid experiences that can be set up as either full-time or part-time employment. To be eligible, a student must meet the following requirements:

Completed at least 30 semester hours toward the bachelor's degree
Available for at least two semesters of co-op work
Have a minimum 2.2 cumulative grade-point average (most employers specify at least a B average)

The cooperative education coordinator in the Department of World Languages and Literatures will assist students in the application process, supervise the work experience, and assign a grade based on the student's performance.

A student who wishes to co-op should make an appointment for an interview with a career adviser in Career Services six to eight weeks before a co-op assignment is to begin. After learning about the student's interests, aptitudes and qualifications, the coordinator will help the student develop an effective resume and refer the student to appropriate employment opportunities.

To receive a grade, the student will be required to write out learning objectives, keep a log or journal, and prepare a final report. During the work experience, the adviser will visit the student at the job site and will be available for consultation with both employer and student.