Department of Financial Planning, Housing and Consumer Economics
REQUIREMENTS TO APPLY FOR AN ACADEMIC INTERNSHIP FOR COURSE CREDIT2/12/2018
  1. You must have a cumulative GPA of 2.0, and
  1. You must be a junior or senior.
  1. You must have completed a minimum number of hours of coursework in your major.

a.Housing/Housing Policy and Management majors. Financial Planning majors, and Consumer Economics majors must have completed 12 semester hours of FHCE coursework.

b.Consumer Journalism majors must have completed 12 semester hours of College of Journalism and Mass Communication coursework, and

  1. You must have completed FHCE 5900 - Internship Orientation by the time you begin your internship if you are registering for FHCE 5910/7910. Students in the Applied Consumer Analytics emphasis register for FHCE 5960/7960 (Quantitative Internship in FHCE) and must have completed FHCE 4000/6000 and FHCE 5050/7050.
  1. Important Note: Your supervisor may require you to complete certain requirements, such as passing a licensing exam, to do an internship. If you wait until you begin the internship to take the exam, or won’t learn if you’ve completed the requirement until after the internship begins, you’re taking a risk that you will have to drop the internship course if you don’t meet the requirement.
  1. International students pursuing an unpaid internship should complete the Curricular Practical Training. Email immigration.uga.edu or visit more information.

BEFORE YOU BEGIN SEARCHING FOR AN INTERNSHIP
  1. Discuss the possibility of an internship with your advisor. The internship should complement your program of study. If you and your advisor agree that an internship is a good use of your remaining credit hours, ask your advisor for a completed POD (Permission of Department) form.Determine the number of academic credit hours for which you’ll register.Consider what that means in terms of number of hours you’ll need to work to complete the internship (see the “Receiving Credit for an Academic Internship” section).Students in Applied Consumer Analytics also are encouraged to discuss options with their professors. These students also must consider the need for UGA Institutional Review Board approval if data from Human Subjects are involved. The University’s policy regarding Human Subjects research is available at
  1. If you choose to complete an internship for academic credit, you must enroll in FHCE 5900/7900 at least one semester prior to the semester in which you plan to do your internship. You must pass this course prior to beginning an internship.Students in Applied Consumer Analytics must complete FHCE 4000/6000 and FHCE 5050/7050 prior to doing an internship.

BEFORE YOU BEGIN SEARCHING FOR AN INTERNSHIP

  1. Search for an internship.There are many resources to help you both in the department and from the UGA Career Center.Check out UGA’s Handshake, InternshipQueen.com, and other popular websites. Attend Career Fairs. Tell everyone you are looking for an internship. Don’t wait for the internship to come to you! Don’t rule out internships in other locations or virtual internships.Students in Applied Consumer Analytics will find more internship opportunities on websites if they use search terms such as marketing analytics or data analytics rather than consumer analytics.

Start looking for an internship early – by January for a Summer Internship, by April for a Fall Internship, and by August for a Spring Internship.

Remember that an internship and a job are two different but related things. In an internship, an on-site professional agrees to mentor you as you work to build your professional skills and experience.

  1. Ask faculty or the internship coordinator for feedback about placements you’re considering.
  1. Identify the individual within the organization who will supervise your internship (the Field Supervisor). Make an appointment for an interview.

APPLYING TO REGISTER FOR ACADEMIC CREDIT FOR AN INTERNSHIP

  1. Once you have secured an internship placement, work with your Field Supervisor to develop objectives, a required component of your internship application. Your internship goals must relate to building professional skills and knowledge and acquiring professional experience. Remember that goals begin with a verb! Note: Applied Consumer Analytics interns also must describe their work with data using a second form available on our website.
  1. Each internship requires a signed Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) between the University and the internship placement (if it’s external to the University) or between the Department and the unit (if it’s internal at UGA). But, there may already be a signed MOU for your internship placement.

Check the list of businesses/organizations on the Department’s webpage to learn if there already is a MOU with the placement. If you find your internship placement on the list (be sure the name AND address match – e.g., Prudential on Peachtree Road in Atlanta and Prudential in Snellville are NOT the same), then you don’t need to ask a representative of your internship placement to complete an MOU. You can also check YES as the answer to that question on the application.

If there’s not a signed MOU:

  1. If your internship is with a unit within UGA, ask a representative of your internship placement to complete the MOU labeled “MOU for an Internship with a Unit of UGA.”
  2. If your internship is with a business/organization outside of UGA, ask a representative of your internship placement to complete the MOU labeled “MOU for an Internship with a Business/Organization.”

Note that there are blanks in the Memorandum of Understanding that must be completed. Documents with handwritten changes, additions, and/or deletions will be returned by UGA’s Office of Legal Affairs.

MOUs cannot be backdated. The starting and ending dates must be in the future or the MOU will be returned. Also, the Memorandum of Understanding can be for a three year period. MOUs for periods longer than your internship would cover any future students who intern with this same business or organization. (See the “Instructions to Complete an MOU.”) We encourage internship placements to sign the MOU for a period of at least one year. This is NOT a commitment to work with future interns.

Print the completed MOU and get it signed. We need an “original” of the Memorandum of Understanding. If there isn’t time to get an original, we suggest a scanned and emailed PDF file or a clean fax (sent to 706.542.4862). A picture taken with your phone will not produce the quality needed for the next signature. Poor quality copies will not be processed.

  1. Review the sample MOU(#7 at before completing yours just to be sure you have it right.
  1. Print and leave a copy of the “Expectations of Internship Field Supervisor” page with your Supervisor (#8 at
  1. Open the internship application at Complete the application and hit Submit. The application then will be emailed to you. Print it out.
  1. Secure your Supervisor’s signature on the page with your goals. Or, if you won’t be meeting in person with your Field Supervisor again, ask him/her to affirm their commitment to your goals in the letter they send to Dr. Cude (see #15 below).
  1. Download and print the page titled “AUTHORIZATION FOR RELEASE OF RECORDS AND INFORMATION” from Fill in your name and the date (handwritten is fine if it’s legible) and sign the page. Submit that with your application (I can sign the witness line if I need to.)
  1. Print the “Expectations of FHCE Intern” and sign it. (#12 on
  1. Students in the Applied Consumer Analytics emphasis must also complete the form in #13 at
  1. Ask your Field Supervisorto write a letter stating his/her agreement to serve as your Field Supervisor and commitment to evaluate your progress. The letter also should briefly describe your internship. The “letter” can be an email from your Field Supervisor sent to Dr. Cude.
  1. Compile a hard copy of your completed application, which should include:

a.The application (signatures: intern and Field Supervisor)

b.The Intern Responsibility page (signatures: intern)

c.The Authorization for Release of Records and Information (signatures: intern)

d.The Field Supervisor’s letter

e.The Memorandum of Understanding, unless there’s already one in place (signatures: Field Supervisor or individual with signature authority within the company or organization)

f.A current resume

  1. Make an appointment with Dr. Cude (or watch for announced times to submit applications). Bring the complete signed application, including the MOUand POD form,to your appointment.Do NOT leave your application in a mailbox or email it to Dr. Cude.You are not permitted to begin logging hours for your internship until you are registered for the course.
  1. Once Dr. Cude receives your application, she has to get the MOU reviewed by the UGA Office of Legal Affairs and signed by the Dean of FACS. Expect this to take a minimum of three weeks. You will be notified once your MOU has been signed and your POD has been signed and submitted to FACS Student Services. You will not be able toregister for internship credit (FHCE 5910/7910, FHCE 5960/7960) until your POD form is signed.
  1. Once the MOU is approved, Dr. Cude will notify you. It then is your responsibility to go on Athena toregister for FHCE 5910/7910/5960/7960. Be sure to register for the number of hours of academic credit you indicated on your application.The default is only one credit hour!If you only register for FHCE 5910/7910/5960/7960 and will not be on campus for other classes this semester, you will be able to waive many of the fees in Athena. FHCE 5910/7910/5960/7960 is coded in such a way that you can waive fees that apply to services that you won’t be on campus to use. The biggest part of mandatory fees is the special institutional fee ($450). If you take less than 5 credit hours, the fee will be reduced by 50%. The technology fee is not waivable. You can find all the information at under “mandatory fee policy.”
  1. About 48 hours after you register you will have access to the ELC site for the course. Please read the information there carefully to learn what is expected and how to log your hours.
  1. Review the syllabus forFHCE 5910/7910/5960/7960to learn what’s expected.

DEADLINE FOR APPLICATIONS

The deadline to apply for a Summer 2018 internship isthree weeks before you want to begin the internship.

  • April 20 to begin the internship the week of May 8 (the start of Maymester).
  • May 11 to begin the internship the week of June 5 (the start of Summer School).

You can begin your internship on other dates but must submit your application at least three weeks before you want to start. You also should check Dr. Cude’s schedule; she may not be in the office every week to accept applications. All applications must be submitted in person.

If there is a signed MOU with the internship placement (check #6-7on , applications will be accepted closer to the internship start date. Confirm this with Dr. Cude.

Earlier is better! If you want to begin working at your internship beforethe Semester begins, you must submit your application at least three weeks in advance of your start dateand register for the course.

Email Dr. Cude () to schedule an appointment to submit your application or look forannouncements about dates and times she will accept applications. Applications are ONLY accepted in person.

If you miss the deadline, there may not be enough time to process your application and YOU MAY NOT BE ABLE TO BEGIN YOUR INTERNSHIP AS PLANNED.

If you have any questions regarding the internship application process, please consult your advisor orthe internship coordinator -- Dr. Cude (, 706.542.4857).

RECEIVING CREDIT FOR AN ACADEMIC INTERNSHIP

Some students complete one or more internships for the experience and choose not to receive academic credit. However, if you wish you receive academic credit, there are rules you must follow.

  1. The student must document the following number of hours as one requirement to receive an “S” grade

3 hours of credit = 150 hours of work time

6 hours of credit = 300 hours of work time

9 hours of credit = 450 hours of work time (for Consumer Journalism majors only)

Applied Consumer Analytics majors can register for 5960/7960 for a minimum of 2 credit hours and a maximum of 4 credit hours. However, 3 credit hours are required to satisfy the major requirement.

  1. The only summer session in which students can register for internships is the long summer session (THRU TERM). If students attempt to work all required hours within the long summer session (June-July), they must work about 19 hours a week for 3 hours of credit and 38 hours a week for 6 hours of credit.
  1. Undergraduate Consumer Economics, Housing/Housing Policy and Management, and Financial Planning majors can use only three (3) internship hours as part of FHCE coursework. They may use another three (3) internship hours as supporting coursework or general electives for a total of six (6) internship hours. Undergraduate Consumer Journalism majors may use nine (9) hours as major electives. Graduate students can earn no more than three hours for an internship. Applied Consumer Analytics majors must register for 3 hours of 5960/7960 to satisfy the requirement.
  1. You must be registered for FHCE 5910/7910/5960/7960 in the semester in which you are doing the internship. You cannot receive academic credit for an internship you have already completed.

FHCE INTERNSHIP REQUIREMENTS

You are expected to demonstrate professional behavior in the workplace as well as in meeting the course requirements.

  1. Communication
  2. It’s your responsibility to notify Dr. Cude and/or the TA assigned to the courseif your address or phone number changes or if your Field Supervisoror their contact information changes. You will receive instructions to follow while you do the internship. YOU are responsible for following all of these instructions as well as those of your Field Supervisor. Other information may be emailed to you or your Field Supervisor so current contact information is critical.
  1. Contact Dr. Cude immediately (706)542-4857 if anything changes that would make it difficult or impossible for you to complete your internship as planned.
  1. Be available if we need to contact you. Be sure the voice mail on your phone works. Check your email. Do NOT force us to contact your supervisor because we cannot reach you. Be sure your emails are professional and courteous.
  1. Documenting hours worked

After you turn in your application, you’ll receive more specific information about the requirements. However, you can expect to be required to submit a log of your activities EACH week via ELC. You must describe in some detail what you did including meetings you attended, what you learned, and time worked. NOTE: Breaks, including lunch, are not counted in time worked.See the sample log at the end of the document.

  1. Evaluation

The expectations are that:

  1. You will submit a mid-term self-rating evaluation by the deadline. (We provide the form.)Both you AND your supervisor must sign ALL evaluations.
  1. You will submit a final self-rating evaluation by the deadline. (We provide the form.)
  1. Your Field Supervisor also must submit a mid-term and final evaluation of your performance. (Again, we provide the form.) An email with the evaluation forms will be sent directly to your Field Supervisor. They can return the form via email, fax to (706)542-4397, or mail at: Dr. Brenda J. Cude, 205 Dawson Hall, FHCE-UGA, Athens, GA 30602-2622.
  1. The evaluation for students in FHCE 5960/7960 includes a section focusing on data analysis that is not part of the evaluation for students in FHCE 5910/7910.
  1. Students in FHCE 5910/7910/5960/7960will prepare a paper evaluating your internship experience. Guidelines and due dates are in the syllabus for FHCE5910/7910/5960/7960. Students in FHCE 5960/7960 also must include copies of major data analysis reports completed during the internship.

THE EVALUATIONS AND FINAL PAPER ARE REQUIREMENTS TO RECEIVE COURSE CREDIT FOR THE INTERNSHIP. A GRADE OF “I” WILL BE ASSIGNED UNTIL THESE REQUIREMENTS ARE MET.

Example of FHCE Internship Weekly Log

Name: Student Student

Log for week# 6

Dates: June 26-30, 2017

MONDAY Met employees at the main branch. Went to Northside branch and set up for Director’s meeting. Viewed slide presentation.

Worked 8:00-1:30

Hours worked: 5.5

TUESDAY Attended marketing meeting. Met bank President, summarized marketing trends.

Worked 9:00-3:00

Hours worked: 5.0 (Took 1 hour lunch, which isn’t counted in hours worked)

WEDNESDAY Started writing news story for a local newspapers about United Way. Went to Dothan Advertising Association meeting.

Worked 8:00-1:00

Hours worked: 5.0

THURSDAY Met with President Flatt. Was given a project to do so the officers can keep up with employment trends, expenditure patterns, housing starts, etc.

Worked 8:00-1:00

Hours worked: 5.0

FRIDAY Searched online for articles, made file for information collected for officers meeting. Compiled information for an online survey.

Worked 8:00-12:00

Hours worked: 4.0

Total number of hours worked this week= 24.50

Total number of hours worked to date= 24.50

Please be sure you total your hours worked for the week to receive credit! If you work Saturday and/or Sunday, just add these days to the log.

Record each week’s hours worked in the following table. Each week, add information in the next row, but don’t delete the previous weeks’ rows. At the end of the semester, you’ll have a complete record of the hours worked.
Count your first week as Week 1. If you don’t work a week, leave that week blank. Most students will only work 12-15 weeks for their internship. You can delete the rows at the end that you don’t need.

Week / Dates / Hrs. Worked / Total Hrs.
1 / May 22-26 / 15.5 / 15.5
2 / May 29-June 2 / 20.2 / 35.7
3 / June 5-9 / 24.5 / 60.2
4 / June 12-16 / 12.7 / 72.9
5 / June 19-23 / 24.5 / 97.4
6 / June 26-30 / 24.5 / 121.9
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What did you learn? Reflect on your experiences each week with a short paragraph.

I learned so much this week. I learned to use a new software program to compile the information for an online survey. I now have a project to work on with deadlines. I also learned that I will need to work on my time management skills if I expect to meet the deadlines I’ve been given. I’ve learned some about what the marketing department does but I look forward to knowing more about that.

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