Seminar & Internships

BSB Internship Seminar & Sample Internships

BA 3999: INTERNSHIP SEMINAR
1 credit (non-business credit)

Instructors:
Brent Opall
624-3313
bopall@csom.umn.edu

Course Overview:
The BA 3999 course integrates students’ internship experiences with discussions, relevant readings/assignments on issues related to world of work, workplace, and transition from college to work.

Prerequisite:
Students must have an internship of at least 10 hours per week during the time of the course in order to enroll. Please contact the instructor for more information and for permission to enroll.

Course Format:
The BA 3999 course is offered independent study during summer session and meets in the classroom every other week during the fall and spring semesters. The course cannot be completed independent study during fall or spring terms. For additional information on the course please contact the instructor.

Assignments:
This course is graded S/N. All assignments must be turned in. The assignment for each topic is given in the reading / assignment packet. You should follow the instructions for completing each assignment, then email or bring you completed assignments to the instructor. If any assignments are missing at the end of the term you will receive an N, unless prior arrangements are made with the instructor.

Internship Log – 50%. One page, double-spaced each minimum. Each topic has a required journal entry.
Meetings with instructor – 25%. Minimum of two half hour meetings per semester are required.
Final Response Paper – 25%. Three pages discussing your particular internship experience. You should cover what you learned about your own ability to adapt and learn in a new environment. Due last day of class Friday August 23rd.

Course Topics / Journal Assignments:
1. Being new on the job; stages of internships
2. Experiential Learning
3. Corporate culture; company mission statements
4. The search for meaning at work; values
5. Feedback on the job: formal and informal
6. Effective communication with superiors, co-workers, and in groups
7. Diversity issues
8. Technology in the workplace

BSB Sample Internships

Citigroup – Human Resources
Responsibilities for this intern include projects such as organizational change, re-engineering and process improvement, global benchmarking studies, team-based compensation plans, college recruitment efforts and employee training programs.

Target Corporation – Finance
This intern will be trained on the entire merchandise planning process and will be assigned to a department. Responsibilities include completing an analytical project during the internship and could include ordering merchandise, balancing inventory, analyzing sales and forecasting the department’s business.

General Mills – Operations
This intern will provide logistical support to Consumer Foods Marketing, Sales and Production activities in the areas of operation planning, transportation, customer service and warehousing. This involves managing inventory levels, ingredient and material requirements, transportation operations, and personnel systems.

Prevention First, Inc. - Marketing
This intern will support the CEO, the national sales team and distribution channel partners. Responsibilities include the creation of a sales and marketing strategy, development and oversight of the execution of tactical marketing programs, and timely sales pipeline management reporting.

Ecolab, Inc. – MIS
The position is responsible for transforming specifications into effective programs and modifying existing programs to meet the changing needs of the user. The incumbent performs coding and executes unit and system testing. The individual will generate JCL for systems jobs and aids in the installation of applications software into production.

Medtronic – Finance
Typical projects for a finance intern could include capital investment analyses,
acquisition/divestiture business modeling, valuation of R & D or venture developments,
analysis of alternative pricing strategies, capacity expansion decision analysis, economic
value added analysis, and customer/market value studies (share, penetration, and trends).

St. Paul Companies - Actuarial
Interns actively participate in team projects involving fundamental actuarial concepts, such as ratemaking and loss reserving. Technical concepts will be learned by completing segments as an actuarial training module.

Cargill, Inc. – Logistics
The objective of the position is to learn efficient and economical use of transportation
in order for Cargill to deliver products that meet customer's price and scheduling. This role
involves contract administration, equipment management, cost control, freight bills, tariff
and rate quotations and rate management.