Internships
Internships are an important part of students’ experiential learning that helps build the necessary skills for a professional career. On this page you will find resources that will help you navigate what an internship is, resources to find internships, internship events, and scholarships for students completing internships.
An internship is a form of experiential learning that offers meaningful experience in a professional setting related to a student’s field of study or career interest.
Benefits of an Internship
- Network with professionals in fields that interest you
- Gain relevant work experience
- Receive training that builds on knowledge learned in the classroom
- Develop skills that are highly valued in the workplace
- Acquire supervised practical experience in a professional field
- Build relationships and find a mentor
Types of Internships
- Part-time or full-time
- Paid or unpaid
- Semester or year-long
- In-person or remote
National Association of Colleges and Employers (NACE) Internship Standards
- The experience must be an extension of the classroom
- The skills or knowledge learned must be transferable to other employment settings
- The experience has a defined start and end date, job description, and list of desired qualifications
- There are clearly defined learning objectives
- There is supervision by a professional with expertise, education and/or professional background in the field
- There is routine feedback from the supervisor
- There are resources, equipment, and facilities provided by the employer that support the learning objectives
For more information on internship standards, review the NACE Position Statement on Internships.
Unpaid internships can provide students with meaningful professional experience, but not all unpaid internships are created equal. The Test for Unpaid Interns and Students includes seven criteria for evaluating unpaid internships under the Fair Labor Standards Act and is helpful to review when considering if you will engage in an unpaid internship. Important components of unpaid internships include receiving training similar to what would be given in an educational environment and the opportunity to receive academic credit for your work during your internship.
How to Earn Academic Credit
You may be able to earn academic credit for completing an internship, and if your internship is unpaid, your employer may even require it.
Department Internship Classes
Many campus departments offer their own internship class. Contact the major advisor in your academic department to discuss possible internship courses or directed study options. Below is a partial list of CSULB internship classes.
College of the Arts
- ART 441 - Ceramic Arts Internship
- ART 442 - Internship in Graphic Design
- ART 693 - Graduate Teaching Internship
- DANC 693 - Graduate Teaching Internship
- DESN 442G - Internship in Industrial Design
- DESN 442H - Internship in Interior Design
- DESN 442J - Internship in Design
- DESN 592 - Graduate Internship – HX design
- FEA 492 - Internship - Media
- THEA 505 - Graduate Theatre Management Internship
College of Business
- ACCT 493 - Accounting Internships
- CBA 493 - Business Internship
College of Education
- EDEL 572A - Multiple Subject Internship
- EDEL 572B - Multiple Subject Internship
- EDP 492 - Internships in the Human Services
College of Engineering
- ENGR 492B - Internship in Engineering
College of Health and Human Services
- CAFF 492C - Internship in Consumer Affairs
- CDFS 492A - Internship in Child Development and Family Studies
- CDFS 492B - Internship in Family Life Education
- CRJU 492 - Internship – Criminal Justice
- CRJU 493 - Internship – Criminal Justice
- CRJU 692 - Graduate Internship – Criminal Justice
- CRJU 693 - Graduate Internship – Criminal Justice
- FMD 492 - Internship in Fashion Merchandising and Design
- FSCI 492F - Internship in Food Science
- GERN 492G - Internship in Gerontology
- GERN 592 - Graduate Internship in Family and Consumer Sciences/Gerontology
- HCA 480 - Internship in Health Care Administration
- HCA 481 - Internship and Career Development in Health Care Administration
- HCA 580 - Graduate Internship in Health Care Administration
- HHS 592A - Graduate Internship in Latino Nutrition and Health Promotion
- HM 492J - Internship in Hospitality Management
- HSC 485 - Internship in Community Health Education
- HSC 585 - Graduate Health Education Internship
- KIN 494 - Exercise Science Internship
- KIN 592A - Graduate Sports Management Internship
- KIN 593A - Graduate Coaching Internship
- KIN 593B - Graduate Coaching Internship
- KIN 594 - Graduate Exercise Science Internship
- NUTR 492K - Internship in Nutrition and Dietetics
- NUTR 591A - Graduate Professional Practicum in Dietetics
- PPA 585 - Graduate Public Policy and Administration Internship
- REC 498 - Internship in Leisure Services
- SLP 670 - Graduate Clinical Internship in Speech-Language Pathology
College of Liberal Arts
- AH 542 - Graduate Internship in Museum Studies
- AH 693 - Graduate Teaching Internship
- ANTH 496 - Internship - Anthropology
- C/LA 492 - Liberal Arts Internship
- COMM 492A - Internship
- COMM 492B - Internship
- COMM 495 - Service Learning Internship
- CWL 492 - Internship Program – Literature
- ENGL 492A - Internship Technical ‑ Professional Writing and Editing
- ENGL 492B - Internship Technical ‑ Professional Writing and Editing
- ES P 492 - Applied Internship – Environmental Science, Policy and Geography
- GEOG 492 - Applied Internship
- HIST 494 - Practicum in History
- I/ST 491 - Intercultural Competency for Education Abroad and Internships
- I/ST 492 - International Studies Internship/Foreign Study
- JOUR 498 - Internship
- PHIL 489 - Philosophy Internship/Pre-Law
- POSC 418 - Legal/Judicial Apprenticeship
- POSC 447 - Public Service Internship I
- POSC 448 - Public Service Internship II
- POSC 496 - Washington Center Internship
- POSC 695 - Graduate College Teaching Practicum
- PSY 405 - Internship in Psychology
- SOC 495 - Internship - Sociology
- SOC 695 - Graduate Internship - Sociology
- WGSS 496 - Internship – Women’s Issues
College of Natural Sciences and Mathematics
- BIOL 492A - Stem Cell Research Internship
- BIOL 494 - Undergraduate Internship in Biological Sciences
- BIOL 592A - Stem Cell Research Internship
- NSCI 190B - Experience Success Program - 2
- NSCI 492 - Internships in Natural Science
- PHYS 692 - Graduate Professional Physics Internship
Career Development Center Online Internship Class
If you want or need to receive academic credit for an internship and an appropriate course is not available through your department, you may be eligible to enroll in the CDC internship course, SRL 210L: Leadership in the Workplace.
SRL 210L Internship Course Information
- Online course worth 1 unit of credit
- Open to undergraduate students in good academic standing from any major
- Requires completion of 120 internship hours to receive credit
Enrollment Procedures
- Sign in to [Single Sign-On]
- Click on [CareerLINK]
- Select [Experiential Learning]
- Select [Add New Application]
- Select Experiential Learning Type [Career Development Center Internship Class]
- Complete the Experiential Learning Application using the information below:
- Catalog Number: SRL 210L
- Class Instructor Name: Tokunaga
- Class Number & Section: Use the online CSULB schedule of classes to locate SRL 210L and identify the appropriate class number and section
- Return to CareerLINK after 48 hours to check your Application status. Once your Application is accepted, the option to “Add Internship Information” will appear.
- Click [Add Placement Information] to access your Internship Placement Form
- Enter the required details of your internship including a supervisor or contact who will verify your Placement
- Add the course to your schedule through MyCSULB Student Center
International students who wish to complete an internship must apply for Curricular Practical Training (CPT) through the Office of International Students and Scholars (ISS). All international students interested in internships are encouraged to review the following Employment Information for International Students.
To receive approval to complete an internship, international students must enroll in an internship course. Refer to the Unpaid Internships & Earning Academic Credit section above for information regarding CSULB internship classes.
View a comprehensive list of internship search resources on the CDC Job & Internship Search page.
CSULB Internship Programs
- Long Beach Community Internship Program: creates pathways for CSULB juniors and seniors who are Long Beach Promise students and graduates of Long Beach area high schools to engage in meaningful semester-long paid internship opportunities
- College Corps @ the Beach: works with campus and community partners to place students in two-semester paid internships focusing on key issues related to climate action and environmental justice, food insecurity, and K-12 education with an emphasis on climate literacy
National Internship Programs
- Hispanic Association of Colleges and Universities (HACU) Internship Program: offers paid internships with corporations or federal agencies for students from all majors
- Pathways Internship Programs: provides internships with the U.S. Department of State to explore federal careers
- National Park Service Youth Programs: outlines internship and volunteer opportunities with the National Park Service
Applying to internships is a multi-step process that includes researching internship opportunities in your field, creating a tailored resume, preparing for interviews and more. Check out the SUCCEED Job Search Model on the CDC Job & Internship Search page to learn about all of the necessary steps for an effective internship search.
CSULB Career Readiness & Internship Week provides students the opportunity to gain skills and talk with employers about landing an internship. Internship Week will be held October 3 - 7, 2022, and will include webinars and employer events focused on exploring strategies for finding internships, gaining real-world experiences, examining hiring trends and learning directly from employers.
View instructions for how to RSVP for this and other career events on the CDC CareerLINK page.
If you took part in an internship in Fall 2021 or Spring/Summer 2022, you are invited to participate in the 2022 Career Development Center (CDC) Internship Essay Contest.
One lucky winner will be chosen from each of the seven colleges to receive a $1,000 scholarship, and one of the seven winners will then be chosen to win an additional award of $1,000. The winning essays will also be submitted to the California Internship and Work Experience Association (CIWEA) Bernard L. Hyink Scholarship for a chance to win an additional $1,000 scholarship.
Deadline
Friday, October 14, 2022
Participant Eligibility
- Must be a currently enrolled CSULB student
- Must have completed an internship, practicum, fieldwork, or student teaching assignment in Fall 2021 or Spring/Summer 2022 (at least 120 hours of work experience)
- Must be enrolled during Spring 2023 semester to receive award
- Previous winners and student interns of the CDC are not eligible
To Enter the Contest
- Sign in to [Single Sign-On (SSO)]
- Select [CareerLINK]
- Click on your initials in the top right corner
- Select [Surveys]
- Open the 2022 Internship Essay Contest by clicking [Respond]
- Complete the form and in an essay of 750 words or less address the following:
- Briefly describe the organization you interned for.
- What projects and assignments did you complete?
- What knowledge or skills from your coursework were helpful on the job?
- What new skills and abilities have you developed since completing your internship?
- How did you stand out as an intern?
- What was your greatest accomplishment?
- How did your internship experience influence your career path?
- Submit your completed entry form or save your draft if you want to come back to it later
- Submissions must be completed and received by 11:59 PM on Friday, October 14, 2022
Note: The scholarship funding is disbursed through financial aid and may be reflected differently based on a student’s financial aid package.
For Additional Information
Contact Jeanna Trammell, the Career Development Center Internship Coordinator, or complete our online Help Form.
2021 Internship Essay Contest Winner
Briana Jacinto
CSULB College of Health and Human Services
Dietetic Intern: Food Service Management
Torrance Memorial Medical Center, Torrance, CA
Excerpt of Winning Essay:
As of Fall 2021, I began my Food Service rotation at Torrance Memorial Medical Center, recognized in the U.S. News & World Report as one of the Best Regional Hospitals, for a total of 6 weeks. During my time at Torrance Memorial, I quickly became an exemplary intern. I hit the ground running and made significant contributions to the Food and Nutrition Department by publishing three nutrition blogs on their hospital website, creating a one-day “kick-off football season” menu and marketing for the hospital café, and working alongside patient foodservice employees to serve meals to over 300 patients a day. My greatest accomplishment was creating and implementing a diet in-service calendar for food service employees and diet technicians. Recent research has shown that nutrition education specifically for kitchen employees and chefs is important for public health and patient safety.
The Manuel Perez Internship Success Scholarship assists students exploring a career via an unpaid internship in the non-profit or government fields.
Do you have an internship offer for Summer 2022? Is your internship unpaid and at a non-profit or government organization? If so, apply for the opportunity to receive a $1,000 scholarship.
Deadline
Wednesday, June 1, 2022
Participant Eligibility
- Must be currently enrolled at CSULB
- Must be in good academic standing (2.0 GPA or higher)
- Graduation date must be December 2022 or later
- Must have secured an unpaid internship in the non-profit or government fields prior to applying for the Manuel Perez Internship Success Scholarship
- Internship must take place between May-August 2022
To Enter the Contest
- Sign in to [Single Sign-On (SSO)]
- Click on [CareerLINK]
- Select [Career Resources]
- Click on [Interview Practice / Big Interview]
- Register using your CSULB email address
- In Big Interview, select the [Assignments] tab and enter the following code: 9f88f4
- Follow the instructions to record your responses to the following questions:
- Let’s learn more about you. Tell me about yourself. What is your current major and educational background?
- Tell me about the organization where you will be completing your internship. What interested you about the organization and the internship opportunity?
- Share three learning goals that you hope to accomplish by the end of your internship. Please include how you will obtain these goals. (Learning goals can include skills you hope to acquire/strengthen, gaining industry knowledge, or building relationships in your industry of choice.)
- What are your goals after graduation? Describe how completing this internship will help complement your educational and career goals.
For Additional Information
Contact Jeanna Trammell, the Career Development Center Internship Coordinator, or complete our online Help Form.
