The Ethics and the Professions Internship (EPI) program offers six to eight UP students an 8-week summer internship experience in public and private sectors across the greater Portland area.
As they learn about the elements that make up the work of these organizations, each intern meets regularly with different members of their placement organization for 1:1 conversations about mission, values, habits, decision-making--all active in the formation of one's coherent character as a person and a professional.
Interns also have weekly check-in sessions with Dundon-Berchtold Institute staff and cohort meetings for focused conversations about the ethical themes that emerge from their experiences. Throughout the summer, each intern also engages in an independent Ethics Exploration project on the topic of their choice related to ethics and the working world.
The application window for Summer 2023 is now open: ETHICS AND THE PROFESSIONS INTERNSHIP PROGRAM (Summer 2023). Application materials (including letters of reference) are due by Friday, 17 February.
Applicants apply specifically to the EPI program and are interviewed by staff in the Dundon-Berchtold Institute (DBI). Once finalists accept a position in the EPI cohort, they are then matched to partner organizations by DBI staff based on how interns’ skills, interests, and qualifications fit different organizations’ expressed needs. Interns will have the opportunity to connect with the internship hosts before the start of their internship experience. (See below for more details on past placement organizations.)
*To abide by UP’s student employment policies on hours worked per week, EPI interns are not able to engage in any other campus employment while participating in the EPI program in May-July.
**Amid the ongoing pandemic, we ask all hired interns to commit to the entirety of the EPI program even in the event of changes between in-person and remote internships as necessitated by COVID restrictions.
Please direct questions about this program to Dan McGinty (mcgintyd@up.edu).
Interns are matched to partner organizations from the public or private sectors for robust, project-based work experiences. Across the 8 weeks, interns improve their communication skills and time management, add different software to their resumes, and increase their knowledge of and confidence in the professional space.
Past and ongoing partner organizations include Make-A-Wish Oregon, Portland Monthly Magazine, WorldOregon, and Catholic Charities Oregon.
Under the guidance of their internship supervisor, each intern meets with different members of their placement organization each week for 1:1 conversations about organizational mission, personal vocations, and the roles that values and habits play in the pursuit of a coherent morality.
Similarly, toward the end of the 2-month experience, interns are paired intentionally by DBI staff with one additional conversation partner whose professional space resonates with that intern’s career interests.
For the duration of the EPI program, DBI staff meet regularly with the interns individually and as a cohort. These conversations offer consistent support for the students as they navigate different internship successes and challenges.
From diverse readings to guest speakers, the program covers multiple work-related themes, including organizational culture, ethical decision-making, personal-professional values, and getting and receiving feedback.
As part of their paid time in the program, each intern conducts an independent Ethic Exploration (EthEx) project, choosing a work-and-ethics topic of interest to them and delving into different resources. By the end of the summer, each student creates an informal deliverable (e.g., reflection essay, podcast, poster) to capture their learnings on their topic.
Past EthEx projects have focused on houselessness, faith and work, maternity leave policies, ethical fundraising, humanistic leadership, the value of confrontation, privacy in journalism, and more.
What do past participants say about the program?
Daniela Gutierrez
- Class of 2025
EPI Internship: WorldOregon
"I think the ethics conversations during my internship have given me helpful tips on how to navigate a career search and even how to analyze organizational culture. After graduation, I will hopefully have a career opportunity or even grad school, and I am more comfortable with my ability to make a decision with what I choose for my future."
Tim Arifdjanov
- Class of 2023
EPI Internship: Catholic Charities Oregon
"I applied because I have an interest in ethics and wanted an internship where I could do good work. I have always been someone who enjoys thinking about how I can live a good life and do the right thing. This internship fit right into that, so I knew it would be something I enjoyed, and it was an experience I wanted to be a part of. "
Dulce Sanabria Garcia
- Class of 2021
EPI internship: WorldOregon
"One of my favorite moments has been having the opportunity to listen to the other interns about their particular experiences and reflections in their own placement organization. I think I definitely learned a lot from them and gained curiosity and knowledge about industries outside of my own interests."
University of Portland
5000 N. Willamette Blvd.,
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