Safety Sciences Graduate Internship Program

Please Note: A signed internship agreement must be on file for all sites participating in our internship program, both part-time and full-time. A student can verify a prospective employer has a current agreement with IUP via the IUP wiki web page. After logging in to the IUP system with your credentials, click on PDFs of Currently Active Agreements to confirm the employer has an active field experience agreement with IUP. If there is no active agreement, please contact the department at Johnson Hall, Room 117 or 724-357-3017.

To help ensure the internship site provides the appropriate learning experience for the student, the Safety Sciences Department has developed the following criteria for all sites participating in our internship program:

1. The internship organization must have an on-site mentor that spends at least 50 percent of their time on safety, health, and environmental functions. If the intern goes to an off-site location, the intern needs to be assigned to an off-site supervisor who is knowledgeable on SHE functions.
2. The intern supervisor must be willing to mentor the intern and provide at least 15 minutes of face time each day the intern is on site.
3. The site must be willing to provide the intern with sufficient-diverse learning opportunities in the recognition, evaluation, and control of hazards. A minimum of four assignments, with one addressing occupational safety and one addressing occupational health/industrial hygiene and the two remaining reports addressing any one of the following areas:
   • environmental safety
   • fire safety/hazardous materials
   • ergonomics
   • systems safety/process safety
   • emergency preparedness
   • construction safety
   • “other” approved by faculty supervisor
4. The intern site supervisor must agree to complete the Safety Sciences Intern Evaluation Form at 12 weeks.
5. It is assumed the site is committed to a safe and healthful workplace and the site will avoid any unnecessary risk to the intern.

Part-Time Option (SAFE 493 - 6 credits)

The part-time internship (six credits) is at work sites within a 100-mile radius of the IUP campus. This internship program is offered during the spring and fall terms only. It is not a paid internship. The interns (usually in pairs) make up to four sets of visits, twice a week, to a variety of industrial-institutional sites to carry out in-depth assignments made by the Safety Sciences faculty.

Full-Time Option (SAFE 488 - 12 credits)

The full-time internship (12 credits) is a 12-week, 40-hour-per-week assignment, and the intern is usually paid by the employer. This internship program is offered spring, summer, and fall terms.

The Safety Sciences Department does not select students for paid internship sites. Therefore, the department strongly encourages internship sites to interview and screen prospective interns as they would any full-time employee. It is also important for the internship site to recognize that interns are students and cannot be expected to function as a seasoned SHE professional. Keep this fact in mind when evaluating the intern's performance and internship reports.