Internship Information

The CSUDH Career Center believes that internships are an integral part of the undergraduate education experience, and we value relationships with businesses, government agencies and non-profit community organizations that also are committed to student learning.

Internship position descriptions may be posted directly on CSUDH Handshake. After approval for posting, students are able to view your announcement.

Please review our guidelines below:

Company & Organization Guidelines for Sponsoring an Internship

An internship is a practical, applied learning experience that relates to a student's academic studies and/or to a professional field where the student's undergraduate experience/education would be utilized.
Internship positions provide students with professionally oriented activities and/or projects that are completed under the supervision of a site employee (the site supervisor) who has expertise in the specific type of assignments/projects in which the student intern will be engaged.
Students should be expected to submit a cover letter and resume in application for internship positions. Students should be expected to participate in an interview with the appropriate company/organization individual(s) as part of the learning and selection process. Once a student is selected and begins an internship, on-going direction and supervision of the student will ensure positive outcomes for both the student and the sponsoring company/organization.
In order for a student to be an effective part of an organization, the CSUDH Career Center requests internship sponsors to provide student interns with an initial orientation related to their duties, organization/company policies, and work-related safety training that any staff member/employee would receive.
Internships are most effective when the supervisor develops goals and learning objectives for the intern. The supervisor should schedule regular meetings with the intern to provide constructive feedback.
At the end of the internship, an exit interview should be conducted to review the intern's performance and accomplishments.
CSUDH seeks to provide students with safe internship experiences. Students are advised not to carry any passengers (clients/service recipients/children) in their own vehicles. Likewise, students are counseled to inquire about any potential personal health or safety risk that may be inherent in an internship.
An internship should provide a student with a minimum of 120 hours of work during a placement period, typically one semester. (This averages to 8 hours per week in a semester period.)

Planning Your Company or Organization’s Internship Program

If your organization or company is just developing your internship program or thinking of re-designing your existing program, you may find our Best Practices for Internship Sites [PDF] useful.

Paid & Unpaid Internships

Monetary compensation for internships is preferred and recommended.
In most cases, for-profit companies must pay interns at least minimum wage. If you are a for-profit company and believe your internship program qualifies as a training program, please review this Fair Labor Practices Fact Sheet [PDF] to determine if your internship program meets all components of the 6 criteria test.
For-profit companies must pay interns at least minimum wage. In California the minimum wage is $12.00 [USD] per hour. Even if a for-profit company pays a student intern a stipend, it must equal the number of hours the student works at the California minimum wage rate.
Non-profit organizations may offer paid or unpaid internships.
Non-profit organization may offer stipends to help student defray the costs of mileage, parking, or other expenses incurred when they volunteer.
Non-profit organizations with unpaid internship opportunities may contact the Center for Service Learning, Internships and Civic Engagement (SLICE) for additional assistance in promoting your internship opportunities, and to initiate a site agreement. For more information, email Cheryl McKnight at cmcknight@csudh.edu.

Academic Credit

Students are responsible for arranging internship credit through the academic department for their major.

Liability Insurance

CSUDH students participating in an experiential learning activity are covered by CSUDH liability insurance ONLY if they are enrolled in an academic course to receive credit for an internship, fieldwork, practicum, or another form of community-based learning. Additionally, they are only covered while acting within the scope of their assigned duties/responsibilities.
If you are a non-profit organization and offering an unpaid internship, your student interns can covered under a contract agreement with your organization and the CSUDH Office of Procurement and Contracts. Contract arrangements are made through the Center for Service Learning, Internships and Civic Engagement. You can contact Cheryl McKnight, Director of the Center, via email at cmcknight@csudh.edu.