Internships - Higher Education Leadership
Purpose of the higher education leadership internship
Higher education leadership internships (HIED 562 and HIED 563) are supervised experiences of 120 hours designed to enhance students’ professional capacity. Students assume administrative responsibilities at a college, university, or other higher education organization under the supervision of an accomplished professional in the field.
Internship requirements and the application are available on our student resource page .
Benefits of a higher education leadership internship
For all students in Messiah University’s Graduate Program in Higher Education Leadership, an internship is about more than simply fulfilling graduation requirements.
Expand horizons
“Originally my reason for wanting to work in higher education was to be a college volleyball coach. However, after an internship working primarily with sports information in the athletics department at Messiah, my options for careers in higher education have increased.”Justin Beachy, higher education intern
“I started this journey of earning a master’s degree in higher education because of an interest in study abroad programs and international students. However, my experiences in my internship helped me see that there are other departments within a college or university about which I could become passionate.” Carol Zook, higher education intern
Affirm strengths
Through my internship, I learned so much about myself as a person and a professional and I grew beyond what I could have fathomed would occur. I learned that I possess many strengths and qualities that provided value to my internship site. I am excited to take these strengths into new vocational settings." Heather Ingram, higher education intern
“I embarked on my educational journey in my early thirties with one child and a growing family on the horizon. It was absolutely frightening to take this leap of faith, especially with the understanding that I may not know if it was the right choice until I had already invested many years. I have felt confident in my career choice for some time now, but the internship gave me even more confidence in my chosen path.” Brian Stockard, higher education intern
Solidify values
“I came into this internship wanting to fulfill a requirement. However, I completed my internship realizing, even for a brief time, that I made a positive impact on the lives of students by assisting students through a time that can be stressful as they weigh their college major options. My goal was to get them thinking about their interests, passions and vocation in life. I now realize that this was more than an internship but a continued advancement in my vocation of life. As I was helping these students find their selfhood, I was finding my own.” Marcus Washington, higher education intern
“Equity issues, the embracing of diversity and the desire for inclusive excellence are areas for which I have long had a passion. Through my internship experience, I became more deeply convinced and convicted that diversity work and assisting employees with developing intercultural competencies is both hyper-critical to the success of the academy and is a spiritual matter, or a matter of the heart. ” Inger Blount, higher education intern
Reinforce purpose
“As a result of my internship in Messiah’s Career Center, I have grown in my understanding of what it means to be a servant leader in higher education administration and I desire to apply this as my leadership philosophy. Ultimately, I would like servant leadership to be the lens through which I plan, observe, connect, teach, mentor, and counsel as an administrator in higher education.”Laura Julius, higher education intern
“Coaches have an incredible opportunity through the platform of sport to engage their student-athletes in a process of leadership development. My internship provided me an opportunity to explore the co-curricular value of athletics and to learn about specific strategies coaches are using to develop leaders.” Aaron Faro, higher education intern