Internship Guidelines

Employers interested in hosting a CBU student intern are encouraged to register as an employer on Handshake. All internships, whether paid or unpaid, must meet the criteria for academic credit in order to be posted as an internship on Handshake. We can assist employers in connecting with students but cannot assign a student to an internship. If you would like to host an intern but are not sure where to begin, call the Career Center at (951) 343-5031 and our staff would be happy to assist you in the process. 

What Qualifies as a Legitimate Internship?

• The internship must be an extension of the classroom: a learning experience that allows the student to apply the knowledge they’ve gained in the classroom and not simply advance the operations of the employer or do the work that a regular employee would routinely perform.
• The skills or knowledge learned must be transferable to other employment settings.
• The experience has a defined beginning and end as well as a job description with desired qualifications.
• There are clearly defined learning objectives related to the professional goals of the student's academic coursework.
• There is supervision by a professional with expertise and educational and/or professional background in the field.
• There is routine feedback by the experienced supervisor.
• The host employer provides resources, equipment and facilities that support learning objectives and goals.

Paid vs. Unpaid Internships?

It is important to realize that some unpaid internships may have legal limitations, and simply requiring a student to enroll for academic credit for an unpaid internship may not absolve the legal responsibility of an employer to pay an individual for work performed. For-profit companies are more likely to run this risk with an unpaid internship, but it is helpful for nonprofits and government agencies to consider these implications as well.