Internships in Agribusiness

Being a student in the Agribusiness Program provides many opportunities for professional development during a student's academic career. Internships are a great way to gain professional experience and make beneficial networking connections. Students can also complete an internship for credit to fulfill their Agribusiness Capstone requirement.

How do I find an internship?

In our Agribusiness Program, students who wish to complete internships must seek out their own opportunities on an individual basis. We recommend that students sign up on Handshake to see what jobs and internships are listed. Students often start by looking on the websites of some of the large employers in the area like Tyson Foods, Simmons Foods, JB Hunt, Walmart, as well as many other companies and organizations around the state such as Farm Bureau and Farm Credit Services.

What qualifies as an internship?

Many different activities can qualify as an internship. The word “internship” does not need to be in the title of the job in order to qualify as an internship in this program.  An internship is a supervised, structured, learning experience in a professional setting that offers meaningful, practical work related to a student's field of study or career interest. A quality internship should consist of a part-time or full-time work schedule that includes no more than 25% clerical duties, helps the student develop and achieve learning goals, and offers the student regular feedback. Do you think your job may qualify as an internship? Submit an application!

How do I get Academic Credit for an Internship?

Once you find an internship, you should complete the Internship Application.

Complete Application

Program Contact

Internship Coordinator:
Dr. Nathan Kemper
479-575-2697

Bumpers College Career Counselor
Janet Collins
479-575-2805

Find Internship Opportunties on Handshake

Attend Career Fairs, events and information sessions through the Career Development Center.

Join the Agricultural Business Club

The Agribusiness Internship Course - AGEC 401V (503V) Information

  1. This course is for students in the Agribusiness program with one of three concentrations (agribusiness management and marketing, agricultural economics, or pre-law).
  2. Students will be asked to show their ability to synthesize, integrate and apply knowledge developed throughout their undergraduate program in a practical working environment.
  3. A supervised practical work experience in an agribusiness firm or a governmental or industrial organization having direct impact on agriculture in order to gain professional competence and insight to employment opportunities.
  4. Goal 6 of the General Education Curriculum will be met by this course. 

Students must complete 3 steps to register for AGEC 401V:
  1. Step 1 - Eligible students interested in receiving internship credit must complete the Agribusiness Internship Application by the following deadlines:
    1. Summer Semester: May 10
    2. Fall Semester: August 10
    3. Spring Semester: January 10
  2. Step 2 - After an application is submitted, the student's employment will be verified using the supervisor contact provided. Students should inform their supervisor that they will receive an email an email from the Internship Coordinator, Dr. Nathan Kemper (nkemper@uark.edu).
  3. Step 3 - After the supervisor verifies employment, AGEC 401V will be added to the student's schedule. It is the students' responsibility to check that the course addded to their UAConnect, Blackboard, and they have the correct number of credit hours.

  1. Successful completion of at least 45 hours including (AGEC 1103 or ECON 2023) and (AGEC 2103 or ECON 2013) and AGEC 2303 and (AGEC 2143 or ACCT 2013).
  2. No credit will be granted for past work experience and no more than 3 credit hours will be granted for any one internship experience.
  3. Cumulative hours must be completed during the enrolled term.
  4. The internship course is repeatable for up to 6 total credit hours.
  5. All assignments required to receive credit for this course will be completed via Blackboard.  
  6. Credit hours are awarded based on the following:
    1. 1 credit hour = 120 cumulative hours of work
    2. 2 credit hours = 180 cumulative hours of work
    3. 3 credit hours = 240 cumulative hours of work

Students will complete all assignments via Blackboard. Full detail and requirements can be found on the Blackboard page for students enrolled in AGEC 401V. The course syllabus will also list the course requirements and grading scale, and will also be posted to Blackboard for those students enrolled in the course.

  1. Assignment 1 - Student Work Report: Students will complete a report rating their 1) work experience, 2) learning experience, 3) personal development, and 4) overall employer and work experience. Students will also provide written feedback regarding their successes and problems experienced, new skills learned, and how the internship has helped the student forward their career goals.
  2. Assignment 2 - Employer Evaluation: the student's immediate supervisor will complete this report and discuss with the student. The report evaluates the student objectively, comparing them with other students of comparable academic level, with other personnel assigned the same or similarly classified jobs, or with individual standards.
  3. Assignment 3 - Agribusiness Internship Paper: an essay of 1,250 words in length documenting the student's major responsibilities for the internship and reflecting on how they used at least three critical thinking and quantitative literacy skills and abilities gained in the Agribusiness Program.
  4. Assignment 4 - Agribusiness Internship Video Presentation: students will prepare, record, and upload to Blackboard an oral presentation highlighting their accomplishments and internship experience. Inclusion of pictures, videos and interviews from the student's internship experience is strongly encouraged.