Internship
Learn from hands-on internship
IS3D Internship Resources
All IS3D students are required to complete an internship applying the skills and capabilities that are learning in their coursework. We work with students through their coursework in GEN S 300, through individual meetings, and in partnership with SDSU Career Services to ensure that students find an internship that works for them.
IS3D Internship Policies
The National Association of College and Employers defines an internship 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.”
Internships are a chance for you to use the skills you are learning from your three disciplines in a real-life setting, meet professionals in your career pathway, and learn outside of the classroom. This is a really exciting part of your college experience, and many students talk about their internship as the most memorable part of being in college. An internship is both experiential and academic. While you are completing your internship you will also reflect on your experience and draw connections between your SDSU coursework and what you are seeing in the real-world.
For their internship most of our students take General Studies 400 Professional Experience and Community Service. IS3D students will meet the instructor of this course in Gen S 300 Interdisciplinary Processes. Students may also take another internship course offered by one of their three disciplines. However, they must meet with the IS3D team to ensure this course will satisfy our internship requirements.
All students taking an internship must meet with an IS3D advisor prior to the semester of their internship.
Students must be enrolled in General Studies 400 Professional Experience and Community Service or an equivalent course. Credit will not be given for previous internship experiences not accompanied by coursework.
Internships can be paid or unpaid. Internship must be at least 100 hours. This is roughly 8 hours a week.All students must work with IS3D staff to complete the following paperwork:
- Release Liability Waiver - Issued to the student to fill and sign.
- Internship Site Questionnaire - Issued to the internship site supervisor to fill and sign.
- SDSU Service Learning Agreement - requires signature from site supervisor, department, AVP, and procurement.
- IS3D Internship Contract.
Gen S 400 Internship Process
- Must be enrolled in Gen S 300 to begin preparation for Gen S 400
- Complete the Internship Interest Form within the first two weeks of the semester
- Meet with the Internship Coordinator during the first month of the semester to discuss your internship interests
- Review the Gen S 400 presentation (given in Gen S 300 within the first few weeks of the semester)
- Create an updated resume
- Create a standard cover letter
- Attend a career fair and meet with someone from career services to learn about options and opportunities
- Meet with the Internship Coordinator to finalize your internship placement
- If using a current position as your internship, you must submit a pitch to the Internship Coordinator explaining what your position is, how it relates to your three disciplines, and why you think it is a good choice for your IS3D internship
- Submit your application to your internship site and complete any onboarding requirements (ex: interview, background check, medical clearance, etc.)
- Complete the Gen S 400 Pre-Registration Form and submit your Internship Offer Letter
- Register for Gen S 400 for the following semester
- Create a draft outline of 3 learning outcomes and 3 goals that you would like to achieve by the end of your internship
- Once your internship placement has been confirmed by both the internship site and the Internship Coordinator, you must schedule a meeting with your internship site supervisor to discuss the following:
- Determine when your work start date will be and what your weekly schedule will be (work start date would be sometime during the first week of the semester, schedule can vary but should come out to around 7 hours per week)
- Review your draft learning outcomes and goals and establish a final version based on the projects proposed by your internship supervisor. This will be turned in on canvas during the first week of Gen S 40If these steps are not completed by the end of the third month, students will not be able to register for Gen S 400
- If these steps are not completed by the end of the third month, students will not be able to register for Gen S 400
Aztec Mentor Program
Unsure of your next step toward your career? Connect with alumni and professionals through the Aztec Mentor Program. AMP connects juniors, seniors, and graduate students with alumni and professionals to grow your network and hear from professionals in your future industry. Registration opens early in the fall and spring semesters.
