Studying economics prepares you for in-demand roles in every industry— such as government, finances, business, and health care. With so many avenues to explore, we encourage you to pursue several internships and immersive experiences to help you determine your career goals and gain a competitive edge. 

Your peers have secured internships with top firms, including First Farmers Bank & Trust, SMS Finance, EUSA, Banker’s Life & Casualty, and Open Door Health Services. Students gain lasting professional connections and experiences and many students are later employed at companies for which they interned.

Your Faculty Internship Coordinator, John Horowitz, will provide guidance to any students pursuing internship opportunities. However, ultimately it is your responsibility to find and coordinate an internship with an employer, who will make an offer directly to you.

The Process

To ensure internship opportunities fulfill academic requirements, follow these steps:

  • Ensure you meet internship prerequisites,
  • Search for an internship several months in advance to ensure you have a position that meets your educational and professional goals,
  • Ensure that the internship meets the required length: Opportunities during the spring and fall tend to be either part-time (10-30 hours each week) or full-time (40 hours each week), while summer internships are often full-time. 

    • Need Help?

    Ball State University’s Career Center can help you search for internships, review your resume, and provide interview tips and practice.

  • Obtain an Internship Eligibility Form from your respective department, according to your area of study for your major or minor, 
  • and submit the form to our faculty internship coordinator, who will review your plans, oversee the educational aspect of the internship, and assign your final grade.

Contact Coordinator

Graduate or MBA Student?

Graduate and MBA students can obtain information online or from the Miller College of Business Dean's Office.

You must meet the following prerequisites to be eligible for ECON 369: Internship in Economics:

  • Be a second-semester junior or senior,
  • Major or minor in Economics,
  • Completed Intermediate Microeconomics or Intermediate Macroeconomics (ECON 301 or 302),
  • And obtain permission from the department chairperson.

Our students bring fresh perspective, technological savvy, and energy to your operation. Many companies employ interns for specific projects (analysis, research, marketing, operational, etc.), and it’s a great way to identify candidates for future full-time positions. 
Unpaid internships are acceptable, but we suggest you offer students a fair salary during the internship period. Our Faculty Internship Coordinator is happy to discuss compensation options with you. If you’re offering an unpaid internship, please make every effort to offer a high-quality experience.
We will work with you and the intern to agree on the duration of the internship to determine the amount of academic credit. When possible, internship length will conform to a Ball State semester.
The length of any internship varies based on your needs, but internships typically take place during the summer, spring, and fall semesters. Opportunities during the spring and fall tend to be either part time (10-30 hours each week) or full time (40 hours each week), while summer internships are often full time.

If you establish an internship with us, you will:

  • Provide the intern with carefully planned, varied assignments that enhance the educational experience,
  • Prepare a written job description (also referred to as a learning agreement),
  • Supervise the intern's work in a manner that gives value to the learning experience,
  • Explain work rules and standards of conduct to the intern,
  • Evaluate the intern's work and discuss the results with him or her,
  • And furnish reports, in a timely manner, that evaluate the intern’s ability, attitude, and performance and offer suggestions to improve the internship.

Interested in Creating an Internship?

Internship coordinator John Horowitz looks forward to reviewing the options with you.
John Horowitz is your Faculty Internship Coordinator.

His role is to approve students who qualify and counsel them on standards of professionalism, ethics, conduct, and appearance. He will be the channel of communication between you and your employer, when necessary; provide evaluation feedback on reports; and assign final grades.

Please note the faculty supervisor is not the same as faculty advisors, who guide students through major and course selection.