Program Details

Thank you for your interest in providing internship opportunities for our students through our academic internship program. Our program seeks to provide students with internships experiences that will incorporate experiential learning with knowledge and theory acquired in the classroom.

Due to COVID-19, all internships for course credit in the School of Social Sciences will be required to be remote through Summer 2021. We apologize for any inconvenience. Please review our internship guidelines during COVID-19 and read the following information below to facilitate the process of recruiting a Social Sciences student at UCI.

Learning Agreement

Guiding a student through an internship takes dedication and advanced planning. Review the information listed on our Division of Career Pathways' Internship Policies page for details on academic internships and risk management.

For the student to receive academic credit, the employer must provide an official offer letter and/or a hiring packet that includes:

• Name, location, and website of internship site
• Name, e-mail, and phone number of supervisor
• Start and end dates of the internship with the hours per week
• Indication of pay or non-pay (if paid, indicate hourly wage)
• A clear description of learning objectives or goals related to student's major)
• A job description that outlines special projects, tasks and qualifications
• Supervisors' signature

NOTICE: Internships are more likely to be approved if the internship is a student-focused learning experience. Student's duties or responsibilities must be (80%) professional or para-professional. 

Registering an internship experience for our students

• You must register through our Division of Career Pathway's internship portal,  Handshake. Click on the "Log In or Create a FREE Handshake Account" in the new window to begin the registry process
• Posting through our Division of Career Pathway will increase your visibility to our students campus wide
• When registered, your internship post will be maintained by the Division of Career Pathways.
• If you are providing a non-paid position, review the guidelines of the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) Fact Sheet #71 regarding intern compensation

Academic Expectations

• An academic contract will be requested to fill out each quarter to review terms and guidelines
• Students are responsible to log their work hours based on units enrolled in for the course (2 units, 50; 4 units, 100).
• Students are expected to participate in a 10-week internship in a quarter, during the academic year
• During summer a full term is equivalent to 5-weeks of 50 to 100 hours
• Students will request an evaluation and signature for their completed hours from their supervisors each quarter
• A letter of verification for enrollment can be requested by the student if necessary

If you have any questions or need assistance please contact Karissa Sorenson at: karisscp@uci.edu