An internship is a work experience that is either directly related to your major field of study or to your career interests. Internships are an opportunity to develop your skills and knowledge under the supervision of a professional in your field. They generally vary from 3 - 12 hours per week during a quarter and are a requirement for certain majors. Students in the Plant Sciences department in majors such as Biotechnology, Ecological Management and Restoration, Environmental Horticulture and Urban Forestry, International Agricultural Development and Plant Sciences are all required to complete an upper division internship for their major.
**NEW!** INTERNSHIP APPLICATION PROGRAM - Request approval of internship for academic credit here
In order to receive academic credit for an internship, please fill out an application in our new, online program which you can find linked at the button above. Once you fill out the application, the program will automatically send an email to your PI/faculty advisor to approve/deny your application electronically. Once it has been reviewed by your PI/faculty, then it will be routed to the Advising Office for processing and you’ll receive an email with a unique CRN to register for your variable unit credit requested. You will receive confirmation emails from the system to know which reviewer has your form. These internship forms are still due by the 10th day of instruction for each quarter. If you attempt to submit a form past the deadline, the system will not allow you to do so. Please note that this online program can only be sent to a UC Davis faculty member for authorization. Graduate students and supervisors are not eligible to approve internships for academic credit. If you do not receive an email with a CRN by the 10th day of instruction, please email our staff at plsadvising@ucdavis.edu to check on the status.
ATTN Biotechnology Majors!: Biotechnology students intending to satisfy the ‘Internship or independent research’ major requirement must have the additional authorization of their emphasis-specific faculty advisor on the internship approval request form. For more information about contacting your emphasis faculty advisor, please visit: http://biotechmajor.ucdavis.edu/advising/. If your internship is/was completed off-campus, then the emphasis advisor will also serve as your faculty sponsor and will sign off on your internship under the ‘faculty authorization’ section, as well as section below approving the internship to count for the major.
SUMMER INTERNSHIPS
If you are planning to do a summer internship there are two options for applying the credit to your academic record.
Option 1: You sign up for units during summer session when you are completing your internship, in which case you would pay summer school fees.
Option 2: You sign up for internships units in the Fall after you have completed your internship over the summer.
SUGGESTED TIME COMMITMENT AND UNIT VALUE FOR A 10-WEEK QUARTER
| 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 |
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
How do I find an internship? If you’re looking for an off-campus internship:
- Check out the postings on the Internship and Career Center’s website and the Undergraduate Research Center's website.
- Attend Internship and Career Fairs. The schedule for campus fairs is here.
- Not all off-campus internships are posted on the ICC website. Check individual company/organization websites for information on their internship programs. Don’t be afraid to call or e-mail for more information, even if you’re not sure that the company/organization offers internships.
- Consider meeting with an advisor at the Undergraduate Research Center.
- Apply for internships you are interested in, even if you’re not sure you’ll be considered.
If you’re looking for an on-campus internship:
- Biotechnology Internship Information
- Check out the postings on the Internship and Career Center’s website and the Undergraduate Research Center's website. These will mostly be off-campus, but it’s worth looking into.
- The Undergraduate Research Center also sends out emails regarding faculty looking for undergraduate research interns. The URC can add you to their listserv if you contact them directly.
- Contact faculty members who are researching topics you are interested in. All department websites include information about what the faculty in that department are studying, as well as their publications and a lab website. Sending an e-mail with your interests and qualifications is a good start, following up in person or with a phone call is better.
- Check the Student Employment Center for student assistant jobs.
- Consider meeting with an advisor at the Undergraduate Research Center.
- If you need/want to receive academic credit for your internship (as 192/199 units), contact your advisor as soon as you obtain the internship.
Will my internship be paid?
Maybe. Most off-campus internships are paid. Most on-campus internships are unpaid. There are many exceptions.
Can I get paid and get units for my internship?
Yes.
How many units of internship/research can I receive?
For every one unit of internship/research you register for you will need to complete 30 hours of internship work during the quarter/summer session. There are limitations on the number of internship/research units you can receive. Please review the limitations for your college. CAES unit credit limitations can be found here.
Do I need to get a transcript notation? What is transcript notation?
The Department of Plant Sciences does not require that you receive transcript notation for your internship, but it may be beneficial to have your internships noted on your official transcript. A transcript notation is not the same as receiving units for your internship, and therefore does not satisfy any internship requirement (192/199) your major may have. Learn more about transcript notation here.