This is a little unusual for a four-year college to say an internship is required. All schools encourage their students to take internships, but we are the only four-year school in our area that makes it a requirement. That's a tremendous experience for the student, but that also places a certain pressure on an educational institution to find appropriate sources. Each year MMC students can be found learning on the job at local banks, medical institutions, small businesses, accounting firms and others. Through these internships students gain invaluable experience within their chosen field and are introduced to life in a professional setting.
Internships are extremely important.
What students learn in the classroom is very important but if you aren't able to function within the professional setting or with clients you just aren't going to go very far. By easing students into the workplace through regular mentoring and guidance, businesses are able to not just help a student move their way into the workforce, but also to grow into a solid employee. James Grotenhuis, a senior business management major at Mount Marty knows from his experience as an intern at First Dakota National Bank's Ag Financing department that an internship helps students build on the good knowledge base they get in the classroom. At the same time, Grotenhuis said, an internship can also show a student if they have chosen a field that truly interests them. It wasn't what I thought it would be but that isn't always bad.