Overview | Host Information | Traditional Internship | Student-Initiated Internship | Self-Hosted Internship

Student-initiated internships support Ross MBA students that are recruiting their own internship host and shaping the internship efforts with start-up companies or venture capital firms. Students can find opportunities by joining relevant mailing lists, reading entrepreneurial blogs, engaging local entrepreneurial groups, and reviewing investments from venture capital firms. When contacting companies that sound promising, students should emphasize their unique skills and talents and suggest how an internship would be in the company's best interest. Because 50% of the intern's salary (maximum of $7,200 for the entire summer) is reimbursed to the company, these entrepreneurial firms have a greater ability to hire an MBA student during the summer. Students may show this one-page flyer (PDF) to potential host companies to help facilitate the discussion of a potential internship.

Requirements for an Internship

Eligible host companies must be in the early growth phase of business development, preferably with less than 50 employees and secure financial backing through outside funding or internally generated cash flow. A venture capital firm that invests in early stage companies may also serve as a host company, though students should perform work for the firm itself and not for the portfolio company.

The focus of the 12-week internship should be based on the host company's goals and identify how the student will help the company achieve those goals. The work performed by the intern should give the student a significant opportunity to contribute to the success of the host company while developing her/his entrepreneurial skill set. Internships with venture capital firms should provide the student with an investor's perspective of entrepreneurship.

Student Application Process:

1. Complete this interest form
   
   
2. Write a two-page statement that identifies the scope of the work to be performed, the effect the intern will have on the company, and the expected outcomes for the host company and the student.
   
   
3. Obtain a letter of commitment from the host company that agrees with the scope of the work statement and states that the company consents to pay at least half of a $1,200 weekly salary for a minimum of 12 weeks.
   
   
4. Submit all of this to sarikag@umich.edu with “Student-Initiated Internship [company name]” in the subject line. Applications will be accepted on a rolling basis but those received by March 19 will have a much higher likelihood of being funded.
   
   
   

Deliverables:

1. Internship Plan: During the second week of the internship, the intern will write an internship plan that describes what the job focus will be for the summer and what value will be gained from the internship. It should clearly detail the student's individual goals for the summer and the goals of the host company.
   
   
2. Thank You Letter: Each intern is assigned to a specific Institute donor who provided funding for the Marcel Gani program. In the middle of the summer, the intern will write a thank you letter to the designated supporter.
   
   
3. Final Summary: A week after the internship ends, the intern will write a three to five page essay explaining the challenges of the internship, the solutions to those challenges, and how the intern's work will be used by the host company in the future.
   
   
4. Post Internship: Interns do not earn academic credit; however, they may choose to write an academic case, based on their internship experience, for credit or compensation through the Institute's Case Writing program. Approval from the host company is required.

For further information, contact sarikag@umich.edu.