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Internship Course Design
Academic Internship Course Development
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. While the emphasis is on students' academic, professional, and personal development, the goals of the host organization may also be met. They typically span the dates of the semester (fall, spring, and/or summer).
The National Association of Colleges and Employers (NACE) defines internships as “a form of experiential learning that integrates knowledge and theory learned in the classroom with practical application and skills development in a professional workplace setting (across in-person, remote, or hybrid modalities).”
Academic Internships can be developed in a variety of ways and can encompass the following:
- Engage students in work at a for-profit business, a nonprofit organization, or a government entity
- Take place on campus, at an external employer/organization, or virtually
- May be paid or unpaid positions
- May or may not include internship preparation/professional development coursework
- In addition to the required internship hours, may include weekly class meetings with course content, regular one-on-one check-ins between student and faculty
- Be repeatable for credit (students can take the internship class as many times as they want) or not
Internship Course Development Steps
We recommend that you start your Academic Internship journey by reading the following articles and policies. We update this list as we learn of new developments, so we encourage you to check here for new materials.
Below you will find the list of all Academic Internship courses currently active in the Cal Poly Humboldt catalog. (Note that some of these classes may not be offered on a regular basis.)
Course | Title | Description | Units | CS Number |
| ANTH 482 | Anthropology Internship | Engages students at Cal Poly Humboldt anthropology research and teaching facilities, local agencies, community organizations, and other institutions to enhance students' knowledge of applied anthropology contexts, methodologies, institutional cultures, and work environments. | 1 | C-5 |
| ANTH 682 | Internship/Field Placement | Engage directly in anthropology-related work, such as in research libraries, museums, community organizations, field programs, government agencies, and/or other agencies; enhance knowledge of sources, methodologies, institutional cultures, and work environments. | 1-3 | C-78 |
| ART 482 | Museum and Gallery Practices Internship | Culminating course for Art Museum and Gallery Practices Certificate. Intern at an arts institution chosen in consultation with the instructor. | 3 | C-7 |
| BA 482 | Internship | Supervised experience in business, governmental, or service agencies. Match theory with practice. Weekly conferences and final report. | 1-4 | S-36 |
| BIOL 482 | Supervised Internship | Students implement the theory and practice of their major by working for a public agency or a private firm/organization. | 1-12 | C-78 |
| CANN 482 | Internship | Design and carry out an internship-based culminating project in partnership with a local agency, community organization, research institute, or faculty. Proposal due in semester before enrollment to receive permission number. | 3 | C-5, C-78 |
| CD 482 | Directed Field Experience/Internship | Supervised community field work integrating theory into practice. Arrange prior to semester enrolled. | 1-4 | S-36 |
| CRGS 482 | Internship | Supervised internship in organization or institution. Workplace cultures; policy development/review; plan implementation. | 1-3 | S-36 |
| CS 482 | Internship | Supervised experience in business, governmental, or service agencies, matching theory with practice. | 1-4 | S-36 |
| ECON 482 | Small Business Development Center Economic Development Internships | Learn about Economic Development and the role of Small Business Development Center (SBDC) and prepare for summer Internship with SBDC. Internship Approval required. Permission number required. | 3 | C-5, C-78 |
| ENGL 482 | Internship | Supervised internship in teaching, digital media, editing and publishing, curating and archiving, and/or writing for an organization such as a University/Community College classroom, library, or community setting. | 2 | S-36 |
| ENGL 681 | Internship in Teaching | Supervised practice in college, high school, elementary school, or community setting. | 2 | S-25 |
| ENGL 682 | Internship | Supervised internship in digital media, editing and publishing, curating and archiving, and/or writing for an organization or institution. Campus library or community setting. | 2 | S-25 |
| ESM 482 | Internship | Students implement the theory and practice of their major by working for a public agency or private firm/organization. | 1-3 | S-36 |
| FIRE 482 | Applied Fire Internship | Gain practical experience in the field of wildland fire management outside the classroom through working with governmental agencies, non-profit organizations, or private companies. | 3 | C-78 |
| FOR 482 | Internship | Students reflect critically upon work experience and report their critical reflections in a written report under faculty guidance. | 1-3 | S-25 |
| FREN 482 | Francophone Internship Abroad | Students plan an internship project with their major advisor, following "Francophone Internships Abroad" guidelines and an individual student contract. Opportunities favor those with advanced French-language skills. | 1-6 | C-78 |
| GSP 482 | Geospatial Internship | Engage in an internship in an applied or research-related setting, and implement the theory and practice of the major by working for a public agency, private firm, research facility, or non-profit organization. | 2-3 | S-36 |
| HIST 482 | Internship in History | Field observation and placement in a public or private nonprofit agency. | 1-3 | S-36 |
| JMC 482 | Media Internship | Gain professional on-the-job learning experience related to your career interest in a media-related position. Learn relevant skills and network with potential employers. | 1-3 | S-36 |
| KINS 482 | Internship in Kinesiology | Supervised experience in corporate/private business, clinical, community, educational, research, or sport performance setting. Application of knowledge, skills, and abilities in exercise science and/or health promotion. | 2-7 | S-36 |
| MBA 682 | Business Internship | Supervised experience in business, governmental, or service agencies. Apply graduate-level, business-relevant theory and tools to a defined business problem in the sponsoring organization. Document results. | 1-4 | C-48 |
| PSCI 482 | Internship | Field observation; placement in a public or private nonprofit agency. | 3 | C-78 |
| REC 482 | Internship in Recreation | Supervised experience. Apply academic understanding to a functioning recreational agency. | 1-6 | S-36 |
| SOC 482 | Internship | Capstone. Student must secure campus or community 90-hour placement in the semester prior to enrollment and instructor approval. Paper on related research literature. | 3 | C-5, C-78 |
| SOC 682 | Teaching Internship | Students emphasizing teaching may apply. If selected, a student is supervised by a faculty mentor. Supervising faculty member monitors and mentors intern. | 1-3 | S-25 |
| SP 482 | Experiential Learning, Internship | Explore and gain practical experience related to educational and/or career goals. Reflect critically on experiential learning and report reflections under faculty guidance. | 1-6 | C-78 |
BIOL 482 - Supervised Internship with Dr. Jianmin Zhong (2024-25)
Catalog description: Students implement the theory and practice of their major by working for a public agency or private firm/organization.
Course history and details: Developed by Dr. Jianmin Zhong, with CCBL, to support students in the Pre-Med and Pre-PA tracks. Offered every fall, spring, & summer semester, students rotate shadowing medical professionals. Summer offering is a paid intensive internship experience that includes a weekly course and presentations on their experiences. The summer offering is paid through grant funding.
| Units | 1-12 | Meetings | Weekly meetings, plus hours in placement |
| Course classification | C-78 | Grading mode | Optional Grade Basis |
| Permission to enroll | Instructor Consent Required | Prerequisites | Sophomore, junior, or senior |
PSCI 482 - Internship with Kelly Fortner (2024-25)
Catalog Description: Field observation; placement in a public or private nonprofit agency.
Course history and details: Counts as one of three options that political science majors can take as part of the experiential learning requirement of their major. Weekly class meetings are focused on career readiness activities and internship check-ins. This course is open to students in all majors.
| Units | 3 | Meetings | Weekly meetings, plus 90 |
| Course classification | C-78 | Grading mode | Mandatory Letter Grade |
| Permission to enroll | Instructor Consent Required | Prerequisites | none |
REC 482 - Internship in Recreation with Dr. Genevieve Marchand (2024-25)
Catalog Description: Supervised experience. Apply academic understanding to a functioning recreational agency.
Course history and details: This course incorporates professional hands-on experience with student reflection through class meetings and assignments. Required for the recreation administration major. The required REC 455 Internship and Career Preparation Workshop prerequisite supports students with finding internships and career preparation, such as resume building, interview prep, and e-portfolio development
| Units | 1-6 | Meetings | Check-ins, plus hours in placement |
| Course classification | S-36 | Grading mode | Mandatory CR/NC |
| Permission to enroll | No Special Consent Required | Prerequisites | REC 100 , REC 210, REC 220, REC 302, REC 320, REC 420, REC 455; senior standing; Recreation Administration majors only. |
When designing your course syllabus, we strongly encourage you to include the following syllabus components:
- Course number is 482, 582, or 682. Per the Course Numbering Policy, baccalaureate and master 's-level academic internship courses are numbered 482 (undergraduate) or 582 and 682 (graduate).
- Assignments / Grading & Evaluation:
- Explain the expectations for securing the internship placement.
- Clearly outline student responsibilities, internship hours requirements (typically 45 hrs for 1 unit of academic credit), and how the students' success will be measured and assessed.
- Include instructions for using S4, the campus database for risk management and placement records. A Canvas module with this content is available through CCBL. Register for this resource here.
- In some cases (e.g., when students intern in medical facilities or schools), it may be prudent to list known additional requirements, particularly ones for which the students may incur out-of-pocket expenses, e.g.,
Peruse the Cal Poly Humboldt Syllabus Repository to find past syllabi of Academic Internship courses.
Visit the Syllabus Resources website for syllabus templates, policy, tips, etc.
New Course Proposal
When submitting the New Course Proposal in Modern Campus Curriculum, ensure that the following proposal components are addressed:
- Course number is 482, 582, or 682. Per the Course Numbering Policy, baccalaureate and master's-level academic internship courses are numbered 482 (undergraduate) or 582 and 682 (graduate).
- Course classification and units: peruse the various models of Cal Poly Humboldt academic internship courses listed above to find the best model for your course.
- Includes Academic Internship: check the Yes checkbox.
- Files: make sure to attach the following file(s) to your proposal:
- Syllabus (refer to the previous section to learn more about what to include in the service learning course syllabus)
Program Change Proposal
- To incorporate the new academic internship course into the major(s), you will need to submit a Program Change Proposal.
For all curricular proposal guidelines and policies, or Modern Campus Curriculum assistance, visit the Curriculum Development Resources website or email curriculum@humboldt.edu.
When your course is ready to be offered, it is time to grow and formalize the community connections you have made so far and develop new ones. To do so, connect with CCBL's Community Partner Coordinator, Stacy Becker.
- Stacy can connect you with the existing community partners in the field of your course, who already have agreements with the university.
- Stacy can check if the community partners with whom you are working have agreements with the university.
- If you want to bring a new community partner on board, fill out the Faculty Request for New Learning Site form and email it to Stacy.Becker@humboldt.edu. This email will prompt her to reach out to the community partner to fill out and sign our Learning Site Agreement and Site Self-Assessment documents. Stacy will work with the community partner and campus Risk Management to ensure that the risk requirements are met.
Additionally, we strongly recommend that you review our Risk Management FAQ section to prepare for the questions and scenarios you are likely to encounter.
Cal Poly Humboldt students are required to record their internship placements and fill out required forms using the S4 Database. This database serves as a document repository as well as an emergency contact/location tool.
To aid faculty and students, the CCBL developed the following support materials:
S4 User Guides for faculty explaining the basic navigation around S4.
A Canvas module for students that can be copied into a Canvas course content. This module contains video and written instructions on all S4 steps the students are required to complete prior to starting their community placement. Faculty teaching service learning courses, academic internships, and other community-engaged courses can self-register in our Community Engaged Learning Toolkit Canvas course to review and copy this module.
As an alternative to using Canvas for S4 instructions, students can access S4 instructions in the S4 Walkthroughs section of the CCBL website.