Internships at UC Davis are supervised work-learn experiences in a professional environment to help students achieve academic and career goals.

• Internships are guided, supervised and evaluated by professionals.
• An internship is typically a minimum 10-week quarter commitment and can span multiple quarters.
• Ideally, internships are paid. If the internship is unpaid, duties may not replace those of paid employees. Unpaid internships must follow the U.S. Department of Labor guidelines for unpaid internships. 
• Students are encouraged to complete the transcript notation process through Handshake to document their experience has been reviewed and approved by the Career Center.
• Students may also choose to pursue academic credit. Academic credit requires a faculty sponsor. The Career Center can assist getting students started with this process. 
• Students at all class levels are eligible to participate in internships, within parameters set by participating organizations.

To post an internship, log in to Handshake. If you have additional questions, contact the Employer Engagement team.

Internship Best Practices

The Career Center’s career advisors are here to assist you in developing an internship program that adheres to best practices. For example, a high quality internship includes:

• A practical work experience or project, supervised by a designated supervisor/professional staff member.
• An opportunity to observe, contribute, and rotate through different parts of the department/organization.
• Career connections, mentorship and networking opportunities within the organization/industry.
• Training, either “formal” or on-the-job along with constructive, on-going feedback for personal and professional development.
• Competitive compensation. When employers offer paid opportunities, they see larger and more robust applicant pools.
• Consider the 80/20 rule: Eighty percent of the time the student intern is developing skills by working on projects and obtaining mentorship to explore potential career paths. The remaining 20% of the time the student intern may work on administrative duties such as filing, organizing, etc. 

The Career Center follows NACE guidelines for best practices. The above information does not constitute legal advice. Please confirm your state and federal requirements.

For further information, see 15 Best Practices for Internship Programs (NACE).

Transcript Notation and Academic Credit

Transcript Notation

UC Davis students have the opportunity to document approved internship experiences on their official transcript through Transcript Notation (TN). In order to qualify, an internship must:

• Be a minimum of 40 hours over a ten-week quarter (minimum 4 hours/week).
• Be supervised and evaluated by professionals, not fellow students.
• Involve significant activities, assignments and/or projects.

Employers are encouraged to discuss TN requirements and expectations before interns start work. Employers may provide TN for interns through Handshake.

Academic Credit/Units

Employers can encourage interns to speak with their major academic advisor and/or faculty if they are interested in obtaining academic credit for their internship. Typically, students must: 

• Find a faculty sponsor from their major and explain the internship and learning outcomes to them. It is up to the faculty member to approve an internship for academic credit.
• Complete an Internship Academic Credit/Unit form (forms vary depending on major) which can be found through major department.
• Internships can receive both transcript notation and academic credit. 

Please note, academic credit does not exempt an employer from the responsibility to provide worker’s compensation and liability insurance.