Internship Information
Thank you for your interest in offering an internship to a CSUDH student. CSUDH Student Development believes that internships are an integral part of the undergraduate education experience, and we value relationships with businesses, government agencies and non-profit community organizations that also are committed to student learning.
Internship job descriptions may be posted directly on ToroJobs. After approval for posting, students are able to view your announcement.
Please review our guidelines below:
Employer Guidelines for Sponsoring an Internship
- An internship is a practical, applied learning experience that relates to a student's academic studies and/or to a professional field where the student's undergraduate experience/education would be utilized.
- Internship positions provide students with professionally oriented activities and/or projects that are completed under the supervision of a site employee (the site supervisor) who has expertise in the specific type of assignments/projects in which the student intern will be engaged.
- Students should be expected to submit a cover letter and resume in application for internship positions. Students should be expected to participate in an interview with the appropriate company/organization individual(s) as part of the learning and selection process. Once a student is selected and begins an internship, on-going direction and supervision of the student will ensure positive outcomes for both the student and the sponsoring company/organization.
- In order for a student to be an effective part of an organization, CSUDH Student Development requests internship sponsors to provide student interns with an initial orientation related to their duties, organization/company policies, and work-related safety training that any staff member/employee would receive.
- Internships are most effective when the supervisor develops goals and learning objectives for the intern. The supervisor should schedule regular meetings with the intern to provide constructive feedback.
- At the end of the internship, an exit interview should be conducted to review the intern's performance and accomplishments.
- CSUDH seeks to provide students with safe internship experiences. Students are advised not to carry any passengers (clients/service recipients/children) in their own vehicles. Likewise, students are counseled to inquire about any potential personal health or safety risk that may be inherent in an internship.
- An internship should provide a student with a minimum of 120 hours of work during a placement period, typically one semester. (This averages to 8 hours per week in a semester period).
Salary
- Monetary compensation for internships is preferred and recommended. Compensation may range from $9 to $20 per hour based on experience and industry/field. Another compensation option is offering a stipend, an amount of money paid to the intern at the end of the internship.
- For profit businesses are advised to consult the state Division of Labor Standards Enforcement (DLSE), which enforces wage-and-hour laws in California and Federal labor standards before developing and offering unpaid/volunteer internship positions.
Academic Credit
- Students are responsible for arranging internship credit through the academic department for their major.
Liability Insurance
- CSUDH students participating in an experiential learning activity are covered by CSUDH liability insurance ONLY if they are enrolled in an academic course to receive credit for an internship, fieldwork or practicum or another form of community-based learning and if they are covered under a contract agreement with your organization and the CSUDH Office of Procurement and Contracts. Additionally, they are only covered while acting within the scope of their assigned duties/responsibilities.
- Contract arrangements are made through the Center for Service Learning, Internships, & Civic Engagement. You can contact the Center via telephone at (310) 243-2438 or via email at cmcknight@csudh.edu.