Designing Business Internships with Jabs Students

The Bracken Center helps you design and host internships that are both good business and good education.

This page translates MSU/Jabs internship‑for‑credit expectations into plain language, so you know what “doing it right” looks like and where the Bracken Center fits.

1. Credit‑bearing internships are academic courses

When a Jabs student earns internship credit, they are enrolled in an academic course tied to your internship.

For employers, this means:

  • The student will complete Bracken’s internship course requirements (reflections, check‑ins, final report) during the term.
  • The course is graded Pass/Fail from the academic side.
  • Credit is earned through both hours worked and documented learning outcomes.

Your role:

  • Provide meaningful work and regular supervision.
  • Complete brief midterm and final evaluations so faculty can see how the student is progressing.

Bracken Center's role:

  • Translate MSU/Jabs expectations into clear steps.
  • Support you and the student if questions or issues arise.

2. Internships must be approved before they begin

Students cannot work first and ask for credit later. Before a Jabs business intern can register for credit:

  • The internship must be approved by the Bracken Center and a faculty internship instructor.
  • Approval—and the student’s credit—must fall within the same academic term in which the work occurs.

Your role:

  • Connect with the Bracken Center early (ideally 4–6 weeks before the intended start date).
  • Confirm the approximate timeframe and hours for the internship.

Bracken Center's role:

  • Help you shape the role into a clear, credit‑eligible internship where appropriate.

3. Credit is tied to hours and learning outcomes

Montana State University follows a standard rule: 1 credit = 45 hours of student effort.

Most business internships‑for‑credit land at:

  • 3 credits ≈ 135 hours
  • 6 credits ≈ 270 hours

Students don’t need identical weekly schedules, but they do need a realistic plan to complete the total hours during the term while meeting agreed‑upon learning outcomes.

Your role:

  • Work with the student (and Bracken) to confirm:
  • Approximate weekly schedule
  • Total expected hours
  • Timing of major projects or busy periods

Bracken Center's role:

  • Ensure the hours and outcomes match an appropriate number of credits and align with Jabs curriculum.

4. Internships must be real, supervised, and business‑aligned

To qualify for academic credit, a business internship must:

  • Relate to a Jabs major or concentration (Accounting, Finance, Management, Marketing, Hospitality, etc.).
  • Involve substantive business work—projects, analysis, operations, client‑facing tasks—not just generic clerical support.
  • Include ongoing supervision and feedback from someone on your team.

Examples of strong internship work:

  • Marketing: campaign support, social media analytics, basic content development, event promotion.
  • Finance/Accounting: reconciliations, simple analysis, budgeting support, forecasting, reporting.
  • Management/Operations: process mapping, scheduling, vendor coordination, basic project management.
  • Hospitality: revenue management tasks, guest experience projects, event operations.

Your role:

  • Design tasks that are challenging but appropriate for a business student.
  • Meet with the intern regularly (e.g., weekly or bi‑weekly) to set priorities, coach, and review work.

Bracken Center’s role:

  • Help translate your real needs into an Internship Scope & Plan that fits Jabs academic expectations.

5. Three roles make a credit‑bearing internship work

Every internship involves a three‑way partnership:

  • Student – Completes hours, delivers work, and meets course requirements.
  • Site Supervisor (you) – Provides work, supervision, mentoring, and evaluations.
  • Faculty Internship Instructor – Oversees learning outcomes and assigns the final Pass/Fail grade.

Your role:

  • Serve as the primary workplace supervisor.
  • Complete short evaluation forms at midterm and end of term.
  • Contact the Bracken Center if responsibilities, supervision, or conditions change.

Bracken Center’s role:

  • Be your embedded point of contact inside Jabs for internship questions and support.

6. Paid is the standard

For business internships, Jabs and the Bracken Center strongly encourage paid internships.

  • Paid roles support equity for students who work to pay bills.
  • Compensation signals that the work is real and valued.

If you are considering an unpaid or stipend‑only business internship:

  • Talk with the Bracken Center first. We’ll help you understand expectations, risk, and alternatives before moving ahead.

International or third‑party program internships may follow different models; the Bracken Center can help evaluate structure and supervision.

7. Tasks and learning outcomes must be clear

As part of the approval process, the student, site supervisor, and Bracken Center complete a brief Internship Scope & Plan (ISP) that includes:

  • 3–5 core tasks or responsibilities the intern will take on
  • 3–5 learning outcomes that connect those tasks to business skills and Jabs coursework

This clarity:

  • Protects you and the student
  • Makes MSU approval faster
  • Helps interns talk concretely about their experience with future employers

Your role:

  • Collaborate with the student to define tasks and outcomes in plain language.

Bracken Center’s role:

  • Provide examples and templates so you’re not starting from a blank page.

8. Student eligibility and prerequisites are handled by Jabs

Each Jabs major has specific internship‑for‑credit courses and prerequisites. You do not need to track course numbers or degree plans.

Your role:

  • Focus on designing a strong, business‑relevant role.
  • Confirm that the student is enrolled at MSU and able to work the planned schedule.

Bracken Center’s role:

  • Confirm that the student meets course prerequisites, registers for the correct section, and understands how the internship fits their degree plan.

9. Professional standards and communication

When you host a Jabs intern, you can expect students to be coached on:

  • Professional communication (email, meetings, reports)
  • Workplace behavior and norms
  • Taking initiative and asking for feedback

In return, we ask employers to:

  • Treat interns as junior professionals in training, not temporary help
  • Provide clear expectations about:
    • Work hours and availability
    • Dress code and workplace norms
    • How and when to communicate questions or concerns

If there are concerns about performance, fit, or safety:

  • Contact the Bracken Center promptly so we can problem‑solve with you and the student.

How to Get Started with a Jabs Business Internship

Step 1 – Connect with the Bracken Center (recommended first step)

Reach out to the Bracken Center to discuss:

  • The kind of work you need done
  • The majors or skill sets you’re targeting
  • Whether you hope the role will be credit‑bearing, non‑credit, or open to both

We’ll do a quick “sniff test” to see if the role is likely to fit credit standards and suggest next steps.

Step 2 – Co‑design the Internship Scope & Plan (ISP)

With your input, we’ll help you:

  • Clarify 3–5 core tasks and 3–5 learning outcomes
  • Confirm approximate hours and timing
  • Decide whether the role should be posted broadly or built around a specific student

Step 3 – Approvals, posting, and student registration

Once the ISP is in good shape:

  • Bracken Center and faculty confirm credit eligibility
  • You can post the role (Handshake, Networking Nights, targeted outreach)
  • Selected students complete the Internship Approval Form and register for the appropriate course

Throughout the process, you’ll have one embedded point of contact in Jabs to keep things simple.

Ready to explore an internship program?

If you’re thinking, “We’d like to start an internship, but we’re not sure how,” you’re exactly the kind of employer the Bracken Center is built to support.

Email: brackencenter@montana.edu

Phone: 406-994-1995

We’ll help you design internships that work for your business, your team, and Jabs business students, without a lot of process or guesswork.