Thank you for considering GVSU Occupational Safety and Health students to complete an internship at your site. Our Interns are excited for the opportunity to apply the health and safety principles learned in a real-world setting. Our interns have also been very successful at their internship locations, and employers find the experience very beneficial to their company. An internship is a requirement of all OSHM majors. The specific requirements and details for the internship experience can be found in the internship guidelines document by clicking on the Internship Guidelines button below.  

Internship Guidelines

OSHM Internship (OSH 490)

The internship in OSH is designed to expose students to an experiential learning environment that cannot be duplicated in the classroom. Taking OSH 490 is an essential element in the OSHM curriculum because it allows students to reflect on what is taught in the classroom and how it applies in the work environment. An OSH major must take a minimum of a 3 credit hour internship (OSH 490) to fulfill the OSHM degree requirements. Before an internship can be taken for credit, a student must be an admitted OSHM major and have satisfactorily completed 15 credit hours in OSH-specific classes. A 3 credit hour internship requires a minimum of 300 hours in 14 weeks. A 6 credit hour internship requires a minimum of 600 credit hours in 14 weeks.

Student Instructions For Finding and Completing an Internship

1. Complete the Prerequisites as mentioned above. 
2. Find an Acceptable Internship position as outlined above in "Internship Guidelines." 
3. Complete the Online Registration
4. Meet with Courtney Aloul, Internship Coordinator, the semester before the start of the internship**** 
5. Start the work at your employer's site. 
6. Write and send the deliverables ON TIME
   1.  Weekly blog reports. 
   2. Sample portfolio
7. Ensure your supervisor sends the Site Supervisor Evaluation of Intern Report
8. Get a grade for OSH 490 (possible once the coordinator receives all deliverables). 

****, DO NOT SUBMIT an override request for OSH 490. The Internship Coordinator will issue an override for the class after you meet with them and complete your online registration. You will receive an email indicating the override is complete, and you can register for OSH 490. 

Important Internship Dates

Due to the high demand for Health and Safety Interns, we have outlined some important dates below (in respect to the semester the employer would like an intern) to assist employers in their intern hiring process. These dates are also set to ensure the student will receive full academic credit for their internship.  

• Part-time Interns must complete a minimum of 300 work hours to receive 3 credits. 
• Full-time interns must complete a minimum of 600 work hours to receive 6 credits. 

For additional information, please contact Courtney Aloul at [email protected] or (616) 331-6249.

Spring/Summer

• Full time/Part-time
• Complete Site Information Form by March 15th
• Intern Start date: Early May
• Minimum Duration: 14 weeks or 300/600 hours

Fall

• Part-time
• Complete Site Information Form by July 15th
• Internship Start date: Early September
• Minimum Duration: 15 weeks or 300 hours

Winter

• Part-time
• Complete Site Information Form by November 15th
• Internship Start date: Early January
• Minimum Duration: 15 weeks or 300 hours