Mentored Internship

Requirements and Options

All EIME PhD students are expected to obtain practical experience working on substantive inquiry projects for real clients in professional contexts. They will be given opportunities to work as intern researchers, evaluators, assessment specialists, or policy analysts helping to design, conduct, analyze, and report the results of inquiry studies. These internship opportunities will be provided in various setting, including

1. The David O. McKay School of Education,
2. Other agencies on the BYU campus (e.g., the Office of Planning and Assessment),
3. The five school districts in the BYU–Public School Partnership,
4. State, federal, or international education agencies (e.g., the Utah State Office of Education, the Office of the Legislative Analyst, the U.S. Office of Education, or one of the federally sponsored regional education laboratories), and
5. Development firms in the private sector desiring contract research.

Mentors

While working in these internship roles, students will be mentored by an experienced on-site researcher, evaluator, policy analyst, or assessment specialist and by a mentoring professor from the EIME doctoral program faculty. The on-site supervisor/mentor and the university mentor will monitor and evaluate both (a) the nature of the projects and responsibilities assigned to the intern and (b) the quality of the intern's work. The two supervisors will communicate regularly to resolve issues or concerns and to insure that the student is given meaningful projects and responsibilities that are sufficiently challenging but not overwhelming. They will also communicate frequently with the intern to help him/her improve performance and learn from the internship experience.

Internship Criteria

Each student will participate in a minimum of two 3-credit internships or apprenticeships selected from:

1. Internship in evaluation
2. Internship in research
3. Internship in policy analysis
4. Internship in educational measurement and assessment
5. Apprenticeship in design and analysis consulting, and
6. Apprenticeship in university teaching

Doctorate students' internship and apprenticeship opportunities will be screened to ensure that they provide practical but meaningful on-the-job experience working with one or more professionals in helping to design, conduct, analyze, and report the results of substantive inquiries. Assignments will be based on the needs and interests of each doctoral student, as well as the needs and requests of the sponsoring agency. Applications must be submitted in writing and approved by both the student's graduate advisory committee and the EIME doctoral program advisory council before the internship or apprenticeship begins.