Internships
An internship is an excellent opportunity to gain experience in statistical practice. Students benefit by applying what they have learned, learning what real-world statistical careers might be like, and gaining work experience to highlight their resume. Our internship sites currently span across private industry, nonprofit agencies, entrepreneurial companies, and public service organizations. Internships are offered throughout the academic year, but most occur during the summer months. Internships during the year are part-time (roughly 10 hours a week), while internships during the summer can be full-time or part-time.
Finding an Internship
In order to qualify for an internship, students must have junior standing as either a statistics major or minor. There are multiple avenues students can take to locate a statistics internship that is the right fit for them.
- Contact Barbara Kuzmak at internships@stat.umn.edu to discuss your background and your interest in an internship.
- Contact the Career Center to discuss career-related services and opportunities
- Enroll and search for internships on Handshake
- Review CLA's "How to Find an Internship" video and enroll in the module
- Learn about internships that other statistics students have recently completed with CLA's internship dashboard
Application Process
When applying for internships, provide a resume and cover letter for each position. In addition, be prepared to interview if contacted by an employer. CLA Career Services offers resources for resume and cover letter writing, as well as practice interviews.
Funding
The School may award a Lynn Y.S. Lin Undergraduate Internship scholarship of up to $2,000 to qualifying undergraduate students, with a limit of one award per student.
To be eligible for consideration, the student shall be:
- enrolled in the College of Liberal Arts, and
- studying toward a major or minor in Statistics, and
- participating in an approved unpaid internship program.
Please contact Barbara Kuzmak (bkuzmak@umn.edu) for more information.
Mentoring Follow-Up
Before students start their internships, they will receive training on professional conduct. Students will be asked to complete a learning contract with their supervisor, outlining goals and objectives within the context of the internship. Upon completion of the internship, students will be asked to complete a brief survey.
Academic Credit
You may earn one credit in statistics per semester by taking CLA3896 concurrently with your internship. You may earn up to two credits in statistics for two different internships in different semesters. You may also receive up to two credits for a single internship that extends over two entire semesters if the internship is a different position, focus, project, etc. than the first internship. You will need to take CLA3896 a second time to receive the second credit. You may receive credit for a summer internship by enrolling in CLA3890. To receive statistical credit, internship responsibilities must include a statistical component such as data analysis and be approved by Barbara Kuzmak at internships@stat.umn.edu. If your internship is not approved, you may still earn one credit, but not one credit in statistics. No credit will be given for internships without concurrently enrolling in CLA3896 or CLA3890.