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Academic Internships vs. Service Learning

Academic Internships

  • An academic internship formally integrates the student’s academic study with handson, professional experience in a cooperating organization related to the student’s career interests.
  • Through hands-on work experience, students explore the profession to determine if their chosen career path is right for them without having to make a full commitment.
  • Academic internships assist students in developing new skills and honing ones they already have for post-graduation endeavors. In other words, internships help students get prepared for their desired career field.
  • An academic internship does not have to be related to the community, non-profit, or “civic responsibility”. Rather, it can be strictly related to a business or governmental enterprise.
  • Students may receive financial compensation.
  • Firsthand experience at the academic internship placement itself embodies the vast majority of the student’s time, and may include a small component of class assignments, such as a reflective journal. (Approximately 45 hours for each credit earned).
  • Usually offered to upper division students thru a designated internship course and occasionally through a field placement course or as an independent study.
  • Academic departments may offer in variable units, depending on the total number of hours invested in the internship.
  • May be offered as credit/no credit or with a traditional letter grade, depending on department.
  • Guidelines for internships are found in CSUSM’s internship policy.
  • Students are required to complete placement documents and a safety and workplace orientation through the Internship and Service Learning database to ensure liability coverage with the University.
  • Existing internships courses automatically have the internship attribute.

Contact Academic Internships

Phone: 760-750-7005
Email: internships@csusm.edu  

Service Learning

  • Service learning is a teaching method that promotes student learning through active participation in meaningful and planned service experiences based on community needs that are substantively related to course content.
  • Through reflective activities, students enhance their understanding of course content, general knowledge, sense of civic responsibility, self-awareness and commitment to the community.
  • Service Learning prepares students to better understand course content via learning by doing or “experiential learning.”
  • Student learning provides students opportunities to participate in organized service activities that meet community needs while linking the community service experience to course content.
  • Students do not receive financial compensation.
  • Firsthand experience at the organization includes a small, but important component of the course assignments, in particular reflections about the service engagement. (Approximately 20-30 hours over the course of the semester).
  • From first year undergraduates to graduate students, service learning can be integrated into most courses.
  • Units are tied to the service learning course, usually 3 units.
  • Graded as a component of the course.
  • Guidelines for Service Learning are found in the CSU system-wide document, Managing Risk for Student Learning.
  • Students are required to complete placement documents and a safety and workplace orientation through the Internship and Service Learning database to ensure liability coverage with the University.
  • Instructors are required to request that their AC add the service learning attribute each semester to indicate that this course includes service learning.

Contact Service Learning

Phone: 760-750-4055
Email: servicelearning@csusm.edu