Academic Internships for Students

Discover What’s Possible

Become Career-Ready with Academic Internships

Academic internships provide students with a unique opportunity to learn about particular fields through a combination of direct hands-on experience and formal study and are designed to complement the more traditional curriculum. While academic internships are designed to provide students with an experiential learning opportunity in their chosen fields, they are also an opportunity for career exploration.

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How Do I Get Started?

Step 1

Meet with Your Faculty Advisor

To develop an internship learning plan and identify organizations that meet internship requirements, contact your department's faculty internship academic supervisor.

Step 2

Enroll in Internship Course

With instructor/department and site organization approval, you are now able to enroll in an academic internship course. Check with your department’s internship instructor to determine the number of units that can be earned for the internship.

Step 3

Confirm Site in BroncoSERV

Please check the list of approved sites in BroncoSERV. If your internship site/organization does not show as active in BroncoSERV, please provide your internship site supervisor with a Request to Initiate Partnership – Academic Internship form. This form is for new internship partners and must be completed by the organization providing the internship.
Step 4

Complete Required Forms

You will be asked to complete the following forms and releases before you can proceed with your internship. Log in to your BroncoSERV account to access the forms within your enrolled course.
Step 5

Track Your Hours

Confirm with your instructor or the course syllabus on how timesheets will be submitted. Note that your instructor or placement site may have its own timesheet.

Become an Academic Intern

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Explore Current Opportunities
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Connect with Career Services

Why an Academic Internship?

  1. Hands-On Learning

    Put your knowledge to work in a professional setting and develop practical skills that employers look for.

  2. Build Your Network

    Connect with professionals, mentors, and peers who can guide and support your career journey.

  3. Earn Academic Credit

    Gain credit toward your degree while gaining valuable work experience.

  4. Boost Your Resume

    Stand out to future employers and graduate schools with meaningful experience on your transcript.

Frequently Asked Questions


Here are some questions that are frequently asked by students.

An academic internship is:

  • Where the student intern receives academic credit for their internship experience.
  • The academic internship courses will include significant involvement of students and their supervised faculty in planning, processing, and evaluating the learning results from their experiences.
  • The student intern may be paid as an employee of the sponsor company or may be unpaid.

Please check out these resources, where you can find opportunities:

If the organization you are interning at is not listed on BroncoSERV, please have your internship supervisor submit a Request to Initiate Partnership—Academic Internship.

Once your internship supervisor submits a Request to Initiate Partnership - Academic form, we will review the submission and return an agreement upon approval. Once the agreement is signed and returned, Cal Poly Pomona's procurement team will finalize the contract, and a site will be created for your opportunity.

Your internship does not have to be academic for you to participate. However, if you are looking to receive academic credit for your internship, then you must enroll in an academic internship course.

An academic internship is:

  • Where the student intern receives academic credit for their internship experience.
  • The academic internship courses will include significant involvement of students and their faculty supervisors in planning, processing, and evaluating the learning results from their experiences.
  • The student intern may be paid as an employee of the sponsor company or may be unpaid.

A non-academic internship is:

  • Where the student intern does not receive academic credit for the experience.
  • Must be paid unless the internship program meets federal guidelines as outlined by the Department of Labor (DOL); employers are encouraged to offer students a regular wage.
  • The employer works directly with the student intern; contractual agreements are between the employer and the student.
  • For more info on non-academic internships, please visit the CPP Career Center.

A CPP Cooperative (Co-Op) Education is:

  • A PAID internship.
  • Cal Poly Pomona students and students from other Southern California universities are eligible.
  • The student intern receives academic credit for the experience.
  • The student intern is an employee of the Cal Poly Foundation and is paid by the Foundation.
  • Co-op employment lasts a minimum of six months and can be as long as two years. Students may work a maximum of 1,000 hours per year. (No more than 20 hours per week during the academic year and up to 40 hours per week during the summer).

Please make an appointment with your faculty internship advisor in your academic department. CPP offers different types of internship opportunities. Discuss with your internship advisor whether there are curriculum requirements for your field of study.

  1. Consider the skills you may want to develop:  
    1. What skills will be beneficial in the field that you wish to pursue?
    2. What skills do you lack or need to improve?
    3. What environment will provide you with the opportunity to develop these skills?
  2. Begin your search 3-6 months prior to when you want to intern.
  3. Create or update your resume (visit the CPP Career Center for assistance): 
    1. Academic Projects
    2. Relevant Coursework
    3. Campus & Community Involvement
    4. Participation in Student Organizations
  4. Obtain faculty recommendation & prepare references.
  5. Research the internship company to prepare you for the interview.

 

For more resources about interview readiness and internship preparation, please visit the CPP Career Center.

Please contact your academic department.

Internship hours depend on the internship site/employer and your department. Typically, during the academic year, we suggest completing 10-20 hours for the internship. However, summer hours can go up to 40 internship hours a week.

A timesheet may be required to complete the academic internship course. However, please confirm with your instructor or the course syllabus on how the timesheet will be submitted. Note that your instructor or placement site may have its own timesheet. 

 

Prerequisites depend on your academic department's requirements.

To find out more information, you will need to contact your academic department.

You will need to complete the following academic internship forms in BroncoSERV:

Yes, please visit BroncoSERV for approved internship sites with a current agreement.

After you have registered for the academic internship, you will have access to the BroncoSERV database at the beginning of the term of your internship.

You will now be able to view your course, search for internship sites, and once you have found your internship site, you can now “place” and complete required student forms

To find internship opportunities, you may either visit your department or the International Center for assistance, located in Building 1, Room 104.

If you are an international student seeking an internship experience, you may visit the International Center located in Building 1, Room 104.

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