What does it offer my company?
The partnerships developed between the employer, the university and the student has proven beneficial to all concerned. The program is a valuable source for completing special or temporary projects and potentially filling permanent positions. Our students are dedicated, bright and highly motivated. Many employers tell us that the students bring new ideas and fresh insights to the workplace. Employers have found the program to offer a great resource for one-time projects; providing completion of special projects or simply complement the organizational or corporate goals that focus on community involvement. Interns are often recruited to career positions reducing recruitment costs and lowering training costs.
How do I get started?
Internships
An internship is generally a short-term learning experience and can be offered in-person or remote. The most popular type of internship is part-time, 10 to 20 hours per week during the academic year. This schedule allows a student to continue with course work during the internship. Summer is the preferred time for a full-time internship. A well-designed internship will provide students with professionally-oriented activities that will enable them to experience work similar to that of a new entrant in the field. Clerical or non-professional tasks must be limited to 20% or less of the overall responsibilities. Internships can be paid or non-paid. Most for-profit businesses will find it to their advantage to offer paid internship positions, particularly with regard to state and federal labor regulations.
For additional resources on developing an internship program, please visit our Internship Programs webpage.
Micro-Internships
Looking for a low commitment on-ramp opportunity to provide hands-on professional experience for students? Is your team overloaded with projects? Then, you will want to explore the opportunity to host a micro-intern in-person or remotely through Parker Dewey, a platform which matches UCR students to short-term professional projects from employers all across the country.
To learn more, visit Parker Dewey’s website at http://info.parkerdewey.com/ucr.
Cooperative Education
Cooperative Education experiences are similar to internships with respect to providing students with work experience that both enhances their academic progress and increases their employability upon graduation.
Cooperative Education typically requires a greater time commitment than an internship does. Students may alternate periods of full-time work with full-time classroom study, or they may work part-time for two or more academic quarters while also attending classes. Co-op students are always paid for their services.
Academic Credit
At UCR, students have the choice of applying for academic credit or doing the internship simply for professional development. With either an internship or co-op, UCR has mechanisms in place where eligible students may earn academic credit. Internships and co-ops for academic credit require a faculty sponsor. If a student is seeking academic credit, they are referred back to their academic department for appropriate approvals and academic assignments.
Step one is to post an internship on Handshake. Questions can also be addressed to our Industry Outreach Specialists.
Hire an Intern