Academic Internships for Community Partners
Applying for a Partnership
At CPP, we value strong and lasting partnerships with engaged community and industry organizations. In our internship program, you will serve as co-educators and help to guide new generations as they enter the workforce.
The purpose of the University-Community Partnership Agreement is twofold: (1) it provides guidelines that allow for safe and positive learning environments where the risk and liability have been minimized for all parties; and (2) it provides necessary information to list your organization in our internship database where interested students search for internship opportunities.
If you already have a current university-community partnership agreement with us and want to submit a new internship opportunity, please email cce@cpp.edu.
For a new partnership, please complete the request form below:
Request to Initiate Partnership - Academic Internship
NOTE: The Request to Initiate Partnership and Academic Internship Agreement forms MUST be filled out by community partner ONLY. Students who complete the form will have their request DENIED.
Employer Responsibilities
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Complete the Request to Initiate Partnership for NEW Academic Internship partner ONLY.
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Complete and submit the Academic Internship Partner Agreement; the form link will be provided by the university.
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Provide an orientation to interns on workplace policies and performance expectations.
Frequently Asked Questions
Promoting an Internship
Successful internship experiences should combine mentoring, training, and purposeful project assignments. A significant amount of time, energy, and resources are needed to host an intern.
A partnership is necessary to ensure students are provided with a safe learning site and learning-based internship opportunities. A Request to Initiate Partnership Form must be completed for all organizations wishing to host an intern or promote their internship opportunities.
If you already have a current university community partnership agreement with us and want to submit a new internship opportunity, please email cce@cpp.edu.
While internships are year-round, it is recommended that you submit a Request to Initiate Partnership form (for new community partners) 4-6 weeks prior to the start of the semester. Fall semesters begin in late August, Spring semesters begin in late January, and Summer sessions vary from June to August.
Recruitment events are held on campus throughout the academic year. Announcements and invitations are sent to all current community partners via email. In addition, you can post the internship opportunity on Cal Poly Pomona's Handshake profile, as well as reaching out to relevant departments with your opportunity information.
Hosting an Internship
The University is the only entity that can administer academic credit for internships. Some students are eligible to receive credit based on their academic major and the appropriateness of the internship for the course.
The U.S. Department of Labor has defined parameters for unpaid internships. Students completing non-academic internships at businesses/for-profit organizations must be paid at least the minimum wage. Compensation for academic internships is highly encouraged to assist the student in offsetting the cost of taking the internship course.
Credit internship courses will require students to complete 90-120 hours per semester. Students should not be completing more than 20 hours per week for an unpaid internship.
Organizations hosting students for an academic internship are required to establish a university community partnership. This is to ensure the student is being provided with a safe and academically oriented opportunity. Furthermore, it promotes ongoing collaboration between community partners and the university.
No additional paperwork is needed on behalf of the community partner once the agreement has been finalized. The student is responsible for creating a placement in the internships database, and an internship placement confirmation will automatically be sent to the internship site supervisor. In some cases, the student’s faculty member or instructor may request additional forms.
Currently, the database is only accessible to students and faculty. Please contact us with your requested changes at cce@cpp.edu and we'll be happy to assist you.
Current Community Partners
Currently, the database is only accessible to students and faculty. Please contact us with your requested changes at cce@cpp.edu and we'll be happy to assist you.
If you already have a current university community partnership agreement with us and want to submit a new internship opportunity, please email cce@cpp.edu.