Food Science internships enable students to get experience related to their field of study, usually while receiving academic credit and wages.
Interns often return to campus with a better understanding of how their course work relates to the real world and a clearer picture of their career goals. They also see how an industry or organization in which they're interested actually works, and they return to school more motivated to excel.
Along with providing valuable experience, internships can be a direct pathway to that first job. Employers increasingly use internships to develop a pool of qualified applicants. In fact, according to the College Placement Council, 35 percent of 624 companies recently surveyed said interns were their most important source of new full-time employees.
A typical internships usually lasts about three months during the summer, although some food companies offer co-op or work-study programs that extend into the fall or spring semester. Typically, an intern will be assigned to a project and expected to prepare and present a written report at the end of the summer.
Among the many companies that have recently offered internships to Food Science students are:
- The Hershey Company
- Campbell Soup Company
- General Mills
- Mondelez Internatioanal
- JM Smucker Company
- Ecolab
- Lactalis
- Agropur Dairy Cooperative
- Saputo Cheese
For more information
Students interested in applying for internships and co-op programs should contact Brian Adair (bja168@psu.edu, 814-863-8667).
