The Career Center maintains Internship listings in UCR Handshake, which includes paraprofessional, volunteer, and paid work opportunities for students. Positions are listed year-round, and many are available for the summer.

In addition to UCR's Internship database, there are a number of other resources and methods available for students to obtain internship positions.  These other methods include other internship listings, LinkedIn's internship listing, networking, books from the Career Center's resource room, professional associations, career fairs, Career Center events, and other job search strategies.

There are two major types of experiential learning: Internships and Cooperative Education.  At UCR, the term "internship" is used in a general way to include both of these.

Internships

These are generally short-term, voluntary or paid, hands-on learning experiences. Internships may be part-time, 10 to 20 hours per week during the academic year to allow students to continue with their course work during the internship. Summer internships may be full-time (40 hours/week) or part-time, and may be local, nationwide, or international.

Cooperative Education (Co-ops)

These are similar to internships in that they provide students with work experience that enhances their academic progress and increases their employability after graduation. Co-ops are always paid positions that typically last 6 months or longer. 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.

Whether students obtain paid or volunteer internships by themselves (self-placed), through UCR Handshake, or by other means, we highly encourage students to document their internship within the first 10 days of being hired. This is the best way to ensure a solid understanding of the internship supervisor's expectations and to protect yourself.

The documents include one of the following: 

• Learning Agreement (if you are not seeking academic credit), or
• Internship form for credits (198-I/298-I/398-I) - Please read the section "How Do I Receive Academic Credit?" below carefully and follow the instructions.

Plus:

• The  Student Evaluation of Internship
• The  Site Supervisor's Evaluation of Student Intern

The Learning Agreement or the Academic Credit form must be completed at the beginning of the internship experience, whereas evaluations are to be submitted near the end or afterward. All forms are available from the Career Center. 

For additional information, contact the Internship Coordinator in the Career Center at 951-827-3631.

At UCR, students can apply for academic credit or do the internship simply for professional development.

To receive academic credit for an internship or employment that aligns with your academic goals, you must complete the following steps at any point before the quarter for which you are seeking credit and no later than two weeks after the quarter has started.

Before starting, we recommend you review this instructional video.

1. Secure an internship or employment.
2. Determine whether your major department offers a 198-I, 298-I, or 398-I course and if your internship meets eligibility for credit within your major. If not, work with your academic advisor to identify a related department that offers a 198-I, 298-I, or 398-I course (refer to the UCR General Catalog or talk to an instructor that will sponsor you).
   1. 198-I - Undergraduate Class
   2. 298-I - Masters/Doctoral/Post Grad
   3. 398-I - Doctoral/Post Grad
      *Graduate Students: Please check with your academic department to ensure you are enrolled in the correct class for your internship (298-I or 398-I), as each department has different policies and rules.
       
3. Complete the Internship Request Form. This form will ask for your name and email address, your supervisor’s name and email address, your course instructor, and, depending on your college, your academic advisor. Please check in with your academic advisor and course instructor regarding who should sign the Internship Form.
4. Once you have completed the form, you will receive a DocuSign email link to access the Internship Form 198-I, 298-I, or 398-I document. Complete all required fields, upload a copy of your Job Description and sign. After completing it, the document will be sent to all the contacts you listed for electronic signatures.
5. Once all the signatures are obtained, the document is completed. The Career Center will submit the Internship Form to the Registrar’s Office (or Summer Sessions for the summer term) to enroll you in your Internship course. You will be notified when you have been registered.

**BCOE Students, please speak to your Academic Advisor before starting this process.

Please note that the Career Center has no academic authority. Academic credit is granted and administered by the academic departments. Contact your department regarding credits. If you have questions about the internship form process, please email careerinternships@ucr.edu.

Internships offer learning experiences outside of the classroom that enhance your academic and career goals. Internships traditionally require student interns to be present at a physical location, however, given the circumstances of COVID-19, several organizations are exploring remote work internship opportunities for students.  

Finding Remote Work in Handshake 

After logging into Handshake, click on the Jobs section, then click “Filter”, scroll to the bottom and select “remote/work from home” under “Labeled by Your School.” *Please note that the “remote/work from home" label filter is only available for web users and not mobile app users.  

Research Laboratories and Remote Work 

With regard to research laboratories, as an intern, you may wish to inquire with the research facilitator about the opportunity to work remotely and conduct literature reviews, survey development, data analysis, or other non-onsite related work. 

Project Based Work 

There are other opportunities to gain experience if you are unable to secure a structured (work-from-home) internship. You may consider projects to which you could contribute. UCR is partnering with Parker Dewey to offer micro-internships, a new way to gain hands-on professional experiences and explore career paths. Parker Dewey's micro-internships program does NOT serve as a replacement for a structured internship or a substitute for full-time roles, but rather as a complement. 

Disclaimer: Parker Dewey provides on-site AND remote projects to be considered for opportunities. The Career Center does NOT review these projects and is sharing this resource as an option for students. Project payment is based on the completion of the project and NOT based on hourly pay rate. Should you have any questions regarding your legal involvement with Parker Dewey, please seek legal consultation. 

**Students with Undocumented Status MUST have DACA to participate.  Student who do not have DACA are encouraged to visit the UCR Career Center to learn about other opportunities and may also want to consult with Undocumented Student Programs by email at ana.coria@ucr.edu.   

**International Students MUST receive work authorization before beginning any off-campus (including remote/work from home) positions in the U.S.  Please contact both the International Students & Scholars office (internationalstudents@ucr.edu) and your academic department when you receive an offer.  A contract position (micro-internship) with Parker Dewey is most likely not eligible for internship credit.   

Click to visit Parker Dewey's UCR Portal: http://info.parkerdewey.com/ucr
 

Virtual Student Federal Service Program (VSFS) 

VSFS is an 8-month unpaid remote internship program that offers U.S. Citizen, College-level and above students the opportunity to work on a variety of topics from wherever they are.  Students can work on projects that advance the work of government on multiple fronts and can choose projects from more than 40 federal agencies. Projects are available for every major and with over 40 federal agencies. Applications are open for the month of July and the program runs from September to May of each year. Selected interns work on their projects for ten hours a week and may be able to obtain course credit agreement with their college. Interns must contact their academic department to determine whether or not they can be granted course credit for VSFS internships.  

For more information, please visit https://vsfs.state.gov.  

Not sure how to apply or never used USAJOBS? Please visit https://vsfs.state.gov/how-to-apply.