Faculty-Sponsored Internships & Cooperative Education Placements

Most internships are linked to the curriculum through a concurrent seminar in which students reflect on concrete experiences at the site and link them to the political, psychological, social, economic, and intellectual forces that shape our views on work and its meaning. Some individual internships are linked to the curriculum through faculty sponsorship instead of through The Internship Seminar. Depending on a number of factors including the individual student's academic plan, the number of hours proposed at the site, and the academic content as specified in a written agreement, an individual "faculty-sponsored" internship may be classified as any of the following: 

• Cooperative Education 499, .25 units, P/F only
• Cooperative Education 499, .5 units, P/F only
• Cooperative Education 499, 1.0 unit, P/F only)
• Internship 497 or 498, 1.0 unit, Grade or P/F

The information below is designed to clarify academic expectations for those cooperative education and internship placements that are sponsored by faculty members. To "sponsor" in this context means to be the instructor of record and therefore responsible for the academic content of the course and the evaluation of the student's academic performance.

I. Cooperative Education 499, .25 units, P/F only

For .25 units of credit, students will be expected to spend a minimum of 120 hours (approximately 8-10 hours each week) during a semester or summer session at the work site as well as complete the academic requirements as specified in a written agreement. Typical academic requirements for this classification are journal entries submitted to the faculty sponsor at predetermined dates (eg., mid-term, end of term) and some culminating exercise which might be a final analytical report submitted to the sponsor or a presentation about the experience to members of the campus community.

II. Cooperative Education 499, .5 units, P/F only

For .5 units of credit, students will be expected to work full-time (30 - 40 hours each week) during a semester or summer at the worksite as well as complete the academic requirements as specified in a written agreement. Usually, this means alternating semesters of full-time study with periods of full-time, paid employment. Typical academic requirements for this classification are journal entries submitted to the faculty sponsor at predetermined dates (eg., mid-term, end of term) and some culminating exercise which might be a final analytical report submitted to the sponsor or a presentation about the experience to members of the campus community.

III. Cooperative Education 499, 1.0 unit, P/F only

In special placements that include academic seminars pre-approved by the department, 1.0 unit of credit is allowed. These situations are exceptional and determined on a case by case basis by the internship coordinator and the department.

IV. Internship 497, 498, 1.0 unit, Grade or P/F

For 1.0 unit of credit, students will be expected to spend a minimum of 120 hours (approximately 8-10 hours each week) during a semester or summer session at the work site as well as complete the academic requirements as specified in a written agreement. Those requirements must measure up to the standards of the concurrent seminar and typically would include a reading list and specific writing assignments. Students will prepare the written agreement in consultation with their faculty sponsors and will participate in regular meetings with the sponsors to discuss the experience, its relationship to knowledge previously acquired, and complete academic assignments.

Learning Agreement forms are available in CES or you can download a form. Completed agreements must be submitted to the internship coordinator before a student may register for any of the above courses.