Internship Course Design
Considering offering an Academic Internship:
If you are considering offering an Academic Internship Course, piloting an Academic Internship, or submitting a course proposal to the ICC, we highly recommend setting up a consultation with our Faculty Support Coordinator. At Humboldt, Academic Internship courses can be submitted as a new course to the ICC, piloted as a Directed Study, or piloted as an addition to an existing course. In all cases, working with our office will ensure a smooth approval process, assist in implementing best practices and is required to meet curriculum and risk management guidelines. See below for links to the ICC page regarding submission for New Courses.
At Humboldt:
Academic Internships are any type of internship for which a student receives course credit. Academic Internships offer students the opportunity to gain insight into potential careers related to their majors while gaining valuable experience, increasing their professional network, and enhancing their understanding of their curriculum. The emphasis is on students' academic, professional, as well as personal development; organization goals may also be met. These courses require the student to conduct anywhere from 45-150 hours of service depending on course requirements. Most Academic Internship courses can be identified by finding "Internship" in the course title or with a course number ending in 482, 582, or 682. Cal Poly Humboldt has a Policy on Academic Internships.
Course Structure:
Academic internships courses can be structured in different ways to meet course goals and department/faculty/student needs. Academic Internship courses can be individual experiences without seat time similar to a directed study model, as a class with seat time and complimentary curriculum, or as a combination of these options. In all cases, regular academic guidelines apply and each unit awarded for the internship should be equivalent to 45 hours worth of work.
Models for Securing Placements:
Humboldt has a variety of internship course models. Some courses involve departments and faculty arranging placements and partnerships, some involve students securing their own internships and then getting approval from their departments, and our office, to count those internships for academic credit. In each case faculty and departments should work with our office to ensure that risk management needs are met and best practices are implemented.
Academic Internship Course Materials and Resources:
For more information and support, please contact Center for Community Based Learning staff at ccbl@humboldt.edu.