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Academic Credit for Internships

These guidelines are designed to assist faculty members in deciding whether academic credit should be granted in connection with an internship and to provide recommended procedures assure the academic integrity of an internship. These guidelines are not meant to apply to Departmentally-based internship programs operated as part of an approved degree program (e.g., Political Science/Public Service). In all other cases, it is expected that individual departments will adopt complementary guidelines that specify the conditions under which academic credit is appropriate (see 3C below).

1. An internship for which academic credit may be awarded is one in which:
A. Students are able to apply the concepts and methods of one or more academic disciplines to an appropriate work experience or field setting;

B. Students are able to grow intellectually by the extension of the general intellectual tools of one or more academic disciplines to the workplace; and

C. Faculty sponsors are able to assess the quality of academic work completed by the student.

D. Work that is clerical in nature or involves routine maintenance or service responsibilities does not qualify for academic credit.
2. A student for whom academic credit may be awarded is one who:
A. Possesses a suitable background in the discipline for which academic credit is sought;

B. Possesses the background or skills necessary to successfully complete the requirements of the internship;

C. Will experience significant intellectual growth as a result of the internship and the associated academic work (see 3C below).
3. When it is determined that an internship is appropriate for academic credit and a student is suitable for that internship, the arrangement for credit must involve the following elements:
A. Prior approval by the appropriate coordinator from the Internship and Career Center (ICC) certifying that the internship is appropriate for academic credit. When an internship is initiated by the student, a written description of the proposed internship must be submitted to an ICC coordinator, accompanied by a letter from the sponsor that describes the student's duties and responsibilities, hours, and the sponsor's expectations. Evidence must be provided that the student intern will be directly supervised by a career professional who is aware of the University's standards for academic credit.

B. Prior approval by a faculty sponsor whose background and expertise is related to the area of the internship and appropriate for supervision of the student's activities.

C. Adherence to department guidelines setting forth specific requirements for the granting of academic credit. Requirements will vary depending upon the nature of the discipline, but generally it is to be expected that a student will complete reading assignments and a research paper or project that requires the student to relate the academic discipline to the internship experience. The paper or project should demonstrate the student's ability to perform critical reasoning and/or methods of research appropriate to the discipline. Student participation in a concurrent seminar or discussion section may also be required and student achievement documented.

D. Faculty/student contact as appropriate, including, at minimum, a preliminary conference setting forth the faculty member's expectations and requirements for satisfactory completion of the internship for credit. Consultation by the faculty sponsor with the field supervisor is encouraged whenever possible.
Time commitment and unit value.
Commitment Per Week Units
3 - 5 hours 1
6 - 8 hours 2
9 - 11 hours 3
12 - 14 hours 4
15 - 17 hours 5
18 - 20 hours 6
21 - 23 hours 7
24 - 26 hours 8
27 - 29 hours 9
30 - 32 hours 10
33 - 35 hours 11
36 - 40 hours 12

Department requirements for research papers or projects should be proportional to the commitment devoted to the internship. Students:  check with your College for possible further restrictions on the number of units of internship credit you may apply toward your degree.

http://academicsenate.ucdavis.edu/documents_regulations.htm#532

Return to ICC internship guidelines.
 
reviewed: 2009/07/07 by jm