Intern Program FAQ

  1. What is the Perkins Internship?
  2. What are the options for internship?
  3. When should a student do internship?
  4. How are interns placed in an internship?
  5. How long is the internship?
  6. Does a student receive degree credit for internship?
  7. May a student hold outside employment or take additional courses during internship?
  8. May an agency or extension ministry serve as an internship setting?
  9. How can a church or agency become a Perkins Internship placement?
  10. May students do internship within their own denominations?
  11. What is required of the congregation or agency placement?
  12. What is expected of the Mentor?
  13. What is expected of the On-Site Committee?
  14. What are the basic requirements of the Intern?
  15. What is the role of the Intern Faculty?
  16. How does an intern differ from a professional staff member?
  17. What is the cost of the program to the congregation or agency?

 

Q1. WHAT IS THE PERKINS INTERNSHIP?

The Perkins Internship is a required course for the Master of Divinity (M.Div.) and Master of Arts in Ministry (M.A.M.) degrees. The student does ministry in a church or agency setting under the supervision of an On-Site Committee, a Mentor, a Mental Health Consultant, and a member of the Intern Program faculty. The internship is designed to help students prepare themselves for faithful leadership in Christian ministry by:

  • Acquiring competence and self-confidence in carrying out the work of ministry.
  • Growing in awareness and integration of their personal and professional identities and gaining in emotional, spiritual, and interpersonal maturity.
  • Deepening their understanding of ministry through theological reflection.

Q2. WHAT ARE THE OPTIONS FOR INTERNSHIP?

Internships are structured as a one- or two-semester placement with options as to type (church or agency), community (urban, suburban, rural), and denomination (in most cases in the student's own tradition). Intern Faculty members are committed to providing an internship that maximizes learning opportunities within a hands-on ministerial experience. All Interns receive a minimum stipend (see Q. 17 below).

Q3. WHEN SHOULD A STUDENT DO INTERNSHIP?

M.Div. candidates generally apply for internship in the fall of the academic year in which they will complete the courses recommended in preparation for internship, though the Intern Faculty will be glad to talk to them at any time to help them look at options. Many M.Div. students choose to complete all other degree requirements before doing an internship in the final year of their degree program. M.A.M. students who plan to complete their degree program in two years will need to apply for internship during their first Fall term at Perkins in order to do internship in their second and final year. All students should plan ahead for internship from the beginning of their degree program.

Q4. HOW ARE INTERNS PLACED IN AN INTERNSHIP?

Students apply in the fall of one academic year for an internship to begin the following fall. A member of the Intern Faculty will work with each prospective Intern to find and develop an internship placement that offers good potential for learning. Students are encouraged to explore placement possibilities with funding to cover the required stipend and to bring these suggestions to the placement conversation. If students are already employed in a church or agency where they wish to do internship, the Intern Faculty must approve the proposed placement and supervision.

Q5. HOW LONG IS THE INTERNSHIP?

An M.Div. internship is nine months long, over the fall and spring terms of one academic year (Internship 1 and 2). M.A.M. students are required to complete Internship 1 in the fall term, but have the option of enrolling in Internship 2 in the spring for an additional three hours of elective credit. The exception to this is the CPE (Clinical Pastoral Education) internship. In this case the Perkins Internship requirement may be satisfied by successful completion of one CPE unit for the M.A.M. degree, and two CPE units for the M.Div. degree.

Q6. DOES A STUDENT RECEIVE DEGREE CREDIT FOR INTERNSHIP?

Successful completion of an internship earns three credit hours per semester. Internship 1 is offered in the fall, and Internship 2 is offered in the spring. Internship 3 is offered as an elective in the spring for those who need more than 6 credit hours to complete their internship requirements.

Q7. MAY A STUDENT HOLD OUTSIDE EMPLOYMENT OR TAKE ADDITIONAL COURSES DURING INTERNSHIP?

While Interns are not prohibited from taking additional Perkins courses beyond the internship course or from holding employment outside the internship placement, the Intern Faculty will consult individually with students to help them make a plan in order to balance life and learn successfully on internship..

Q8. MAY AN AGENCY OR EXTENSION MINISTRY SERVE AS AN INTERNSHIP SETTING?

Yes, if the learning and professional goals of the student are best served in that setting. In some cases, an agency placement is linked with a church congregation to ensure the student’s exposure to the full range of ministry.

Q9. HOW CAN A CHURCH OR AGENCY BECOME A PERKINS PLACEMENT SITE?

A church or agency may contact the Perkins Intern Office by September 30 to be considered as a teaching partner for internships beginning the following August. (Contact information is at the end of this document.)

Q10. MAY STUDENTS DO INTERNSHIP WITHIN THEIR OWN DENOMINATIONS?

The Intern Faculty are committed to placing students in internships within their own denomination whenever possible and to working with each student’s denominational polity in a way that satisfies its requirements and maintains the standards of the Intern Program.

Q11. WHAT IS REQUIRED OF THE CONGREGATION OR AGENCY?

To become a teaching congregation or agency, the administrative board or other representative governing body:

  • Commits itself to share the congregation’s faith and ministry or the agency's mission with the student in ways that encourage and facilitate the student’s personal, spiritual, and professional growth.
  • Agrees to provide an On-Site Committee whose members will attend a two-hour orientation and then meet regularly with the Intern to provide support and feedback.
  • Agrees to honor the pastor’s commitment of time, if she/he is the Mentor, for supervision of the Intern.
  • Agrees to support the Intern financially; a minimum stipend is set for each type of internship (see Q. 17 below).

Q12. WHAT IS EXPECTED OF THE MENTOR?

The Mentor is the professional person who accepts primary supervisory and teaching responsibility for the Intern. The Mentor commits:

  • To attend the Mentor Orientation, an online orientation to the Perkins Intern Program held before the internship begins.
  • To select individuals to serve on the Intern’s On-Site Committee (if serving on-site at the Intern's placement) and to attend the On-Site Committee Orientation and the evaluation meetings.
  • To attend two Mentor Colloquies (one per semester) online during the internship.
  • To observe the Intern engaged in ministry and to offer constructive mentoring.
  • To meet with the Intern on a regular basis during the internship for supervisory sessions (60 to 90 minutes each), many of which will be focused on a theological reflection paper written by the Intern about a recent ministry experience.
  • To participate in the evaluation process and all evaluation conferences.

Q13. WHAT IS EXPECTED OF THE ON-SITE COMMITTEE?

The On-Site Committee, usually comprising six to eight persons, should reflect the composition of the congregation/agency and be committed to the mutual learning process of the internship. The committee commits itself:

  • To attend the On-Site Committee Orientation led by the Intern Faculty and to meet with the Intern at least once a month throughout the internship.
  • To support the Intern personally, spiritually, and professionally through prayer and constructive feedback.
  • To find opportunities to observe the Intern in ministry and to share with the Intern honest, constructive opinions about the Intern’s work in fulfillment of the required ministry competencies.
  • To participate in the evaluation process and all evaluation conferences.

Q14. WHAT ARE THE BASIC REQUIREMENTS OF THE INTERN?

  • Doing real ministry under supervision.
  • Attending Intern Orientation sessions at the start of the internship.
  • Attending all On-Site Committee meetings, including the orientation.
  • Writing a Learning Covenant detailing learning goals and planned experiences to achieve and demonstrate mastery of the Course Competencies.
  • Writing a specified number of theological reflection papers on ministry experiences during the internship.
  • Meeting on a regular basis with the Mentor for supervisory sessions.
  • Participating in the Internship Seminar led by the Intern Faculty and a Mental Health Consultant skilled in church family systems, or an equivalent experience if distance precludes such meetings.
  • Preparation for and participation in all evaluation conferences.

Q15. WHAT IS THE ROLE OF THE INTERN FACULTY?

The primary responsibility of the Intern Faculty is to supervise the internships of all M.Div. and M.A.M. students. The responsibilities of the Intern Faculty include:

  • Developing and negotiating Intern placements.
  • Planning and conducting the following training events: Intern Orientation, Mentor Orientation, On-Site Committee Orientation, Consultant Convocation, and the Mentor Colloquy series.
  • Supervising the Internship Seminar and the Mental Cealth Consultants who work with the Intern groups.
  • Being available for unscheduled consultation with the Intern or any other member of the internship team as needed.
  • Organizing and conducting all evaluation conferences.
  • Making the final decision regarding the satisfactory or unsatisfactory completion of all internships and giving the final grade of Pass, Incomplete, or No Credit.

Q16. HOW DOES AN INTERN DIFFER FROM A PROFESSIONAL STAFF MEMBER?

A professional staff member is oriented toward the performance of tasks. The Intern is engaged in an educational process of professional formation, doing ministry, and reflecting upon it in order to become a competent and thoughtful Christian leader.

Q17. WHAT IS THE COST OF THE PROGRAM TO THE CONGREGATION OR AGENCY?

The Intern receives a minimum stipend of $5,400 per semester, paid by the placement site. While subsidies are available through the internship office, they are intended for use only when the stipend creates a significant financial hardship on the placement site. Placement sites may apply for partial or full subsidy under such circumstances.

Internship stipends are treated as income by the IRS, so taxes should be withheld accordingly. When budgeting for an Intern, churches and agencies should remember to include the employer portion of Social Security/FICA.

Interns are generally responsible for their own health insurance, though the placement church or agency may wish to assist in providing that benefit if its resources permit. A Student Health Insurance Plan is offered through ÎÞÂëרÇø that gives decent coverage at a reasonable cost.

For more information, please contact:
     Rev. Dr. Pam White, Director Intern Program
     Perkins School of Theology, ÎÞÂëרÇø
     214.768.7309
     pewhite@smu.edu