How to Apply and Interview
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Below is an overview of the steps you should take in order to apply for internships in the Higher Education program at the University of Michigan. All applicants admitted to the CSHPE master's program as full-time students for fall 2024 should participate in this process. Master's students participate in an internship during their first two semesters while also completing coursework.*
*Dual degree students with the MBA program typically wait until year two to complete an internship. Part-time students who are working full-time in a higher education setting are often eligible to waive their internship requirement. Please contact Dr. Madden directly to discuss your particular circumstances if you intend to pursue the program as a dual degree student or on a part-time basis.
Please note that participating in placement requires a fast turnaround time, as your materials must be submitted by February 20, 2024.
We look forward to working with you during this upcoming placement process!
1. Create a Google log-in
1. Create a Google log-in
If you currently have a Gmail account or use Google apps that require a log-in, you may use that account. You will be able to view this information page without a Google account, but in order to upload your application materials, you must supply your Google log-in information (and will then receive a confirmation via Gmail for each position to which you apply). The University of Michigan supports Google Drive and has approved using Google Drive for information such as your application materials.
If you are unable to access a Google account, please contact at cshpe.internships@umich.edu.
2. Update your resume
2. Update your resume
Please update your resume. If applicable (e.g., you have a number of research presentations, publications, etc.), you may choose to submit a CV in place of a resume. Some internship sites will request the contact information for professional references as part of the placement process, whereas others will not.
3. Complete your CSHPE interest chart
3. Complete your CSHPE interest chart
A copy of the CSHPE interest chart template is located here, which you should download, complete, and save as a file with your information. This chart is designed to help you name and prioritize your interests. This table will aid internship providers in understanding where your interests lie and what specific skills you hope to develop.
The experience of being a graduate student involves both building on current interests and discovering new ones. Please be honest but open to a broad range of areas of practice, particularly those less familiar to you.
4. Register to participate in internship placement (separate from Program Preview or Campus Visit Day registration)
4. Register to participate in internship placement (separate from Program Preview or Campus Visit Day registration)
Please combine your updated resume and CSHPE interest chart into a single PDF document. By 11:59 p.m. ET on February 20, register to participate in the internship placement by submitting your combined PDF document here. This combined copy of your resume/interest chart should be a stand-alone document (i.e., it should not have cover letter statements because supervisors from many different internship sites will have access to it). If you need to make a change to this document before the February 20 deadline, after you submit it, please email cshpe.internships@umich.edu.
To ensure your documents are reviewed by the appropriate individuals, it is important that you name your documents according to CSHPE placement guidelines. Please click on Guide to Naming Internship Application Documents to review the guidelines for naming your documents.
We will ask that you submit your resume, combined with the CSHPE interest chart, a number of times through this process. This stand-alone version (with no cover letters included) provides an important option for internship providers to review every person's materials, as opposed to only those who apply directly to their position. As part of the placement process, you may be contacted for an interview with an internship for which you could be a good fit--but may not have considered!
Even if you are unavailable to participate in virtual interviews during the afternoon of March 15, and will need to schedule internship interviews at a different time, please please submit the registration form.
5. Save the Date for Friday, March 15, when internship interviews will take place (12-5 p.m. ET)
5. Save the Date for Friday, March 15, when internship interviews will take place (12-5 p.m. ET)
All internship interviews will take place virtually, 12-5 p.m. ET on Friday, March 15.
What if I am unavailable to interview on March 15?
What if I am unavailable to interview on March 15?
We highly encourage you to participate in your interviews on the afternoon of March 15. However, we realize this may not be possible for everyone. If this is the case for you, please follow the above steps by February 20. We ask that you register to participate in internship placement (#4 above) and make a note that you have a prior commitment on March 15.
When we create the internship interview schedule, we will ask internship providers to schedule a virtual interview with you immediately before or after March 15 at a time that is mutually convenient for you. After we email you the list of internship sites with which you will be interviewing, please reach out to the contact for those sites. All interviews should be complete by the end of the day on March 18.
6. Write a cover letter (250 words or less) for 8-10 internship positions
6. Write a cover letter (250 words or less) for 8-10 internship positions
To view internship descriptions and apply to positions, click here. After reviewing position descriptions, identify the 8-10 internships in which you are most interested. Write an individualized cover letter specific to each one.
To do this, you should follow these guidelines, which we hope will help you to be succinct and more quickly write these cover letters in a way that addresses each site directly.
Expectations for writing your cover letter are here.
Each of your cover letter statements can be no more than 250 words and should address these prompts:
The name of the internship for which you are applying
The reason(s) you are applying for this particular internship (e.g. it may represent a skill set you want to gain, the career path you want to pursue, the population you want to work with, etc.)
Previous experience and/or transferrable skills that make you a strong candidate for this position
Concluding sentence(s)
7. Apply to positions: Combine each cover letter with a copy of your combined resume/interest chart pdf and submit to the appropriate Google form
7. Apply to positions: Combine each cover letter with a copy of your combined resume/interest chart pdf and submit to the appropriate Google form
Please do not email materials directly to internship supervisors.
Please do not email materials directly to internship supervisors.
Combine each cover letter that you wrote into a single PDF document with your combined resume/interest chart. By 11:59 p.m. on ET February 20, log into your Gmail account (which will allow you to submit a document as an attachment to a Google form) and submit each combined cover letter/resume/interest chart pdf via the Google form linked beside the internship description.
Please keep a copy of your confirmation email because this will include a link in case you need to make a change after you submit it and before the February 20 deadline.
You should complete this process 8-10 times, once for each internship site to which you apply. Please remember to use the Guide to Naming Internship Application Documents when naming each of these final combined PDFs.
8. Rank the positions in which you are most interested
8. Rank the positions in which you are most interested
Also, by 11:59 p.m. ET on February 20, please submit a ranking of the 8-10 positions to which you applied (#1 should be the position in which you have the greatest interest).
Please number your list using the exact name of the program or department as it appears on the internship description, followed by the position title.
We will request that you submit another ranking form after your interviews.
9. Submit Your Spark Hire responses
9. Submit Your Spark Hire responses
In addition, by the end of the day on February 20, please submit your brief recorded interview for internship supervisors to review via Spark Hire. The link for this is below.
Submit your Spark Hire interview recording after the details are posted soon.
These recorded interviews are not intended to replace your interviews with hiring teams but are a supplemental opportunity for you to describe your goals in pursuing an internship. You are required to complete these recorded interviews.
You will be asked to create a Spark Hire login (we suggest you “confirm manually” when logging in rather than using your LinkedIn account).
You will then be prompted to respond to each of the following questions:
What are your name and pronouns?
What skills and experiences do you hope to gain through your CSHPE internship?
What unique knowledge and skills will you contribute to your CSHPE internship?
What is one personal or professional accomplishment that you are proud of? Why?
You will have one minute to record your response to each question. There is no need to use this full amount of time. After you record yourself, you will have an opportunity to review your recording, then delete and re-record your response to that same question if you wish to, with an unlimited number of "re-takes." After you submit your pre-recorded interview, you will not be able to alter it or re-record your response to any of the questions unless you contact cshpe.internships@umich.edu. Please plan to complete the interview in one sitting and wear business casual clothing (e.g., khakis, button-down shirt, etc.).
When you prepare your responses, consider that they will be available to all internship supervisors. Thus, you may want to provide a higher-level overview of your goals--as opposed to tailoring your response to one specific position--and also highlight transferrable skills that will be applicable in a variety of positions. You can also describe skills and experiences you are open to having, even if they may not be your first priority in an internship.
Finally…have fun! This is intended to be not only a resource and valuable practice experience for you but also an enjoyable way to highlight who you are as a prospective intern.
If you have any questions specific to Spark Hire, in particular if you experience technical difficulties, please contact Spark Hire's 24-hour assistance help line by emailing support@sparkhire.com (24-hour support) or calling 800-219-0480 (10:00 a.m.-6:00 p.m. EST Monday-Friday).
10. Enjoy your interviews!
10. Enjoy your interviews!
You will receive the list of sites with whom you will be interviewing from CSHPE by no later than March 12. Read about each of these programs or offices so you are prepared for your interview. We hope you enjoy meeting with them.
If you are unavailable to interview on March 15 and let us know this in your registration form, we will still send you a list of sites with whom you will be interviewing. After you receive your list, use the contact info in each job description and reach out to the hiring teams to schedule a time to meet via Zoom.
11. Re-submit your Rankings AFTER Campus Preview Day
11. Re-submit your Rankings AFTER Campus Preview Day
We request that shortly after March 15, both internship providers and students submit a revised ranking of their preferred candidates or internship placements, respectively. This information will not determine offers but will help us to facilitate the placement process.
Please submit your rankings by 8 a.m. ET on Tuesday, March 19. Include only the sites with which you interviewed. If you still have an interview scheduled for after this deadline, please make a note of this in your rankings and submit your rankings by the deadline. You are welcome to include ties if you are equally interested in multiple positions.
Next Steps: Waiting for an Internship Offer
Next Steps: Waiting for an Internship Offer
Internship sites will not extend an offer until Wednesday, March 20. We encourage sites, to the best of their ability, to make a decision by this day regarding who their top choice candidate is and to contact them directly via phone or email. If you do not receive an offer on March 20, please do not be concerned! If an internship site's first candidate does not accept the position, they will then re-offer it to another candidate. This process may happen quickly, or it may take several weeks.
When you receive an offer from an internship site, please confirm immediately with them that you have received their offer. If an internship site does not hear from you within two business days, they may extend an offer to another candidate.
If you receive more than one internship offer, congratulations! Please know that in the occasional situations when this happens, students can accept only one internship position.
If you have questions about the internship program or placement process, please contact us at cshpe.internships@umich.edu.
We invite you to read more about the CSHPE master's program on the Marsal Family School of Education website.
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