Course Syllabus

E589: Practicum in Environmental Science
 V585: Practicum in Public Affairs 
Y750: Internship in Arts Administration

Fall 2026 SyllabusFall 2026 

Instructor: Jill Nicholson-Crotty, jillnich@iuedu
Office Hours: By appointment. 

Class Meeting: The E589/V585/Y750 Practicum is an online, asynchronous class – we do not have a scheduled class time. Assignments are due Fridays by 11:59 PM and are submitted through this Canvas course site. The supervisor evaluation and the intern self-evaluation are due on the same date and are submitted through Handshake.

Internship Support: I am happy to provide real-time career advice or assist with any difficulties you encounter during your internship. I am available through Canvas, via email, by phone, on Zoom, or in person. 

Course Description: The E589/V585/Y750 Graduate Practicum & Internship Course is a mandatory class taken concurrently with your internship experience. The program is designed to help you gain career-relevant experience while studying at the O'Neill School. This hands-on experience provides the opportunity to apply your academic knowledge in a real-world setting and develop essential professional skills. Moreover, you'll gain valuable insights to guide your future education and career decisions.

Learning Objectives: 

• • Acquire professional experience in your degree field
  • Enhance your professional skills and knowledge
  • Gain confidence through empowering experiences
  • Acquire firsthand industry insights
  • Develop a competitive advantage in your field
  • Explore potential career paths
  • Build a professional network and secure valuable references

Grading Policy: The internship experience is graded Satisfactory/Fail for E589 and V585. Y750 students receive a letter grade.

To earn a Satisfactory/A: 

• • Complete a minimum of 120 hours (V585 & E589), 280 hours (Y750), or more, depending on any additional enrollment credit requirements (see Credit-to-Hours Ratio below) 
  • Complete all 7 class assignments 

• • Ensure your supervisor submits the Internship Supervisor Evaluation by due date
  • Submit the Graduate Intern Self-evaluation by the due date 

Failure to meet the required internship hours, complete the course assignments, and/or a missing Internship Supervisor Evaluation and/or Self-evaluation will result in an F for the class, and you will not receive credit for the internship. Contact me as soon as possible if you anticipate not meeting the internship requirements.

Internship Supervisor Evaluation: The evaluation link will be emailed to your supervisor from Handshake.  
 
      It is YOUR responsibility to: 
          1) Confirm your supervisor received the link (and contact me if not!) 
          2) Ensure your supervisor knows the submission deadline and, 
          3) Your supervisor knows where and how to submit the evaluation 
 
If your internship extends beyond the Fall 2026 semester, your supervisor must still submit their evaluation by the due date on Canvas, listing only the number of hours you worked to date. Your Self-evaluation must also be submitted by the end of the semester. All course assignments must be completed during the Fall 2026 semester. 

• • Your grade will show as an Incomplete (I) until you meet your required hours  

• • When you complete your hours, your supervisor will verify them via email, and your grade for the course will change to a Satisfactory (S)/A 

Incomplete Status: Incomplete grades will only be assigned to students whose internships extend into the Fall 2026 semester. 

Assignments and Due Dates: All assignments are due Friday at 11:59 PM.

The schedule is subject to change. See the Canvas course site for instructions.

Credit-to-Hour Ratio by Academic Degree

      MPA, MSES, MPA/MSES                                         MAA, MPA/MAAA