In the modern business world, often the only constant is change. The job market is as competitive as ever, and companies are seeking employees with the experience and skills necessary to navigate a dynamic and ever-changing landscape. As universities explore new ways to ensure students are prepared to take on these challenges, students at Bay Atlantic University have found success by participating in Virtual Internships.
A Powerful Partnership
Through a partnership that began in early 2024, dozens of students at Bay Atlantic University have already put what they learned in the classroom into practice and gained real-world experience with Virtual Internships. Through this program, students are partnered with a guaranteed internship opportunity related to their field of study. Internships are conducted completely virtually but are based all around the world and cover a wide range of industries. Students receive guidance and feedback from their mentors and supervisors while making a significant impact on their partner companies, all while gaining the valuable experience necessary to launch a successful career.
A New Perspective on Capstone Projects
In addition to these benefits, Bay Atlantic University students participating in Virtual Internships have access to a unique opportunity – in many cases, their internships also count for course credit. All students pursuing master’s degrees at BAU must complete a capstone project in their final semester. The capstone allows the student to demonstrate mastery of the topics covered in the program, showing that they are prepared to graduate and ready to enter the workforce. Successful participation in an internship accomplishes these same objectives, so BAU is excited to be able to award capstone credit to Virtual Internship participants.
Student Successes
Numerous students from Bay Atlantic University’s inaugural Virtual Internships cohort have already embraced this changing approach to higher education, completing an internship for their capstone project en route to graduation. We are proud to showcase two of their experiences here, highlighting the wide range of opportunities available to students participating in the program.
Yukta Bhavsar
Yukta Bhavsar graduated from Bay Atlantic University in May 2024 with a Master of Science in Big Data Analytics degree. She spent her final semester at BAU completing a Virtual Internship with Tellco Europe, an international leader in the field of solar innovation and lighting. Reflecting on her experience, Yukta says, “I am very thankful to BAU for providing me with such a great experience in my practical field. I have learned a lot of things here and gained many new skills relevant to my field, which will definitely help me achieve my goal.” As she moves on to new goals and achievements, Yukta’s time spent with Tellco Europe through Virtual Internships will ensure that she is well-prepared to take on any challenge.
David Sekyere
David Sekyere is another student in Bay Atlantic University’s Big Data Analytics program. He completed his capstone project through the Virtual Internships program as well, partnering with the Red Dot Foundation. The Red Dot Foundation’s online platform, Safecity, uses crowdsourced data and reports to aggregate and visualize information related to sexual and gender-based harassment and abuse. The Foundation works towards improving safety and accessibility for all, with a particular focus on ending violence against women and girls. David worked on multiple projects during his internship and was pleased to see his efforts make a positive impact. He reflected, “The highlight of my internship was when my work enabled my company to onboard new organizations and legal documents.” David also gained critical soft skills during his time with Red Dot Foundation: “My teamwork skills greatly improved as a result of this internship.” In addition to gaining all this experience, he worked to make the world a better place. As he continues as a student at Bay Atlantic University, David’s Virtual Internship has positioned him well to find many successes.
Looking Towards the Future
By partnering with Virtual Internships, Bay Atlantic University has created incredible opportunities for its students; by offering course credit for completion of the program, BAU is making real-world experience even more accessible and pioneering an innovative new approach to capstone projects. As the summer cohort of virtual interns wraps up their programs and the fall cohort prepares to begin, Bay Atlantic University is looking forward to including even more of the campus community in this game-changing program.
