Faculty Internship Guide

Faculty are encouraged to utilize the phases and resources below when leading internship courses. These materials are designed to support you in structuring meaningful, high-impact internship experiences for your students. Students also have access to a dedicated internship guide to help them navigate their own journey. The Career Center Internship Team is a collaborative partner in this process and is available to consult, provide resources, and support you and your students at any stage.

1️⃣ Prepare Your Students

Beginning 6-9 months before the course, advertise and educate students on internship course in conjunction with your department

- Share information through department communications to encourage early action from students
- Direct students to the Career Center and Academic Advising for planning and preparation
- Request a 10-minute internship presentation in pre-req courses from the Career Center
- Encourage all students to attend the Navigating the Road to Academic Internships Workshop hosted by the Career Center

Encourage students to seek out opportunities:

- Apply for internships listed on S4 Academic Internship Database, Handshake, LinkedIn, Job Boards and via networking
- Attend Career Fairs, Academic Internship Events, Career and Industry Networking events both on and off campus

2️⃣ Prepare Your Course

Access and set up your S4 Academic Internship Course Page:

Attend Academic Internship Council meetings to stay informed on internship happenings – Email Career Center for details: internships@csusm.edu
Join Internship Campus Partner Teams Channel for faculty and staff facing internship updates, job alerts and more
Understand your role as an instructor, the Career Center, employer, and the Student.

3️⃣ Student Enrollment & Internship Approval

Manage and communicate with students enrolling in your class
Instruct students to actively look for internships early and share the Career Center Academic Internship Resource Hub
Ensure you or a designated contact in your department is always available to approve internships and answer department specific questions for students
Approve internships while keeping in mind:

- CSUSM internship guidelines
- Internship placement is in line with approved industries and job titles for students in your course
- Academic Internships for credit can be paid or unpaid – See Career Center for guidance: FLSA Guidelines: Fact Sheet #71: Internship Programs Under The Fair Labor Standards Act | U.S. Department of Labor

Remind students that internships found outside S4 must be added to the database and require additional steps and time. Refer students early to Stage 4 of Student Roadmap

4️⃣ Student Placement in S4 Academic Internship Database

Direct students to Stage 5 in the student Step-By-Step Guide to officially place in S4.

Goal is for all students to be officially placed in S4 by the first day of class

Students not placed are given a soft hold on myCSUSM account, one month into the semester.

5️⃣ Instruct Internship Class and Track Student Experience

Track Hours and Timesheet: Example
Get Feedback from site at the end: Example
Student feedback form in s4
- Students are prompted by Career Center to complete feedback form. Please reinforce this practice. You can view results in S4 for your students.

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