College of Agriculture & Natural Resources Institute of Agricultural Technology

A professional internship is required as part of all Institute of Agricultural Technology (IAT) certificate programs. The internship places you in a professional learning environment that challenges your ability to combine book knowledge and hands-on mastery. It also helps develop your interpersonal and professional skills.

Students earn course credit for supervised on-the-job training. Employers are eager to hire MSU graduates, in part because of the field experience you’ll take to that first job.

Internships are individualized, and are as diverse as our students. You’ll have flexibility in scheduling and employment options for your internship with your IAT program coordinator.

Internship Requirements

As part of the internship requirement, you'll need to enroll in AT 293: Professional Internship in Agricultural Technology (Industry Placement Training) and complete the online course requirements.

Generally, you’ll obtain your own internship employment and negotiate wages and work schedules. We require that both you and your employer complete a written agreement, outlining the terms of the internship employment and expectations. Then you’ll report weekly to your program coordinator and receive regular feedback from your employer supervisor.

You can also expect a personal visit from your program coordinator during the time of your internship employment.

Clerkships

Some certificate programs also have clerkships in which classes meet at MSU facilities or an industry location allowing students to learn new information and practice new skills.