Core courses

Below is a general overview of AIP's core courses. See Course Catalog for official descriptions. All AIP courses are open to eligible students of any major who follow the application and enrollment process in the quarter preceding the internship.

• AIP 197: Academic Internship Program. Upper-division, Pass/No Pass Special Studies course. Students engage in independent internships, identify Learning Objectives, and develop a related paper or project under guidance of a faculty advisor. Internships may be in any industry, and are vetted by AIP for alignment with established internship criteria.
• AIP 97: Academic Internship. Lower-division, Pass/No Pass Special Studies course, making enrollment in an internship course accessible to lower-division students. Course structure and requirements mirror AIP 197.
• AIP 197P: Public Service Internship. Upper-division, Pass/No Pass Special Studies course. Students intern with non-profit or government entities, and may apply credit toward Public Service Minor requirements.Overall course structure is similar to AIP 197.

In addition to AIP's core courses, we support enrollment in internship courses linked to partner programs, including BISP 197 (Biology Research Internship Program), ANTH 197 (Anthropology Internships), and GLBH 197 (Global Health Internships).

Course structure

AIP courses are intended to deepen learning from the internship through facilitated reflection, and a final paper or project that connects the experience with students' studies or research by applying an academic lens to a topic or project relevant to the internship context. 

The independent study nature of AIP offers autonomy in crafting a learning experience that builds upon students' strengths and curiosities; students select an internship, develop an independent paper/project with a faculty advisor, and establish individualized learning objectives. 

Core components of AIP courses are:

• Internship: All internships are vetted by AIP prior to enrollment, and  students fulfill a time commitment based on the number of units elected.
• Reflection: Reflection is essential to the experiential learning process.Reflection facilitated by the AIP team is incorporated into the AIP course to create opportunities for students to think about and learn from the internship experience, particularly in relation to career development. Typical reflection opportunities include a check-in session with peers and and/or an AIP Counselor, and informational interviews with colleagues at the host site.
• Demonstration of Learning: Students work under the guidance of a Faculty Advisor to develop and execute a final deliverable (paper or project) that applies an academic lens to the internship context, connecting theory and practice.

Enrolling in AIP courses

Students wishing to enroll in AIP 97, AIP 197, or AIP 197P should apply the quarter prior to commencement of the internship. The two-part application and enrollment process includes:

1. Learning Agreement submitted via AIP's InternLink system (login required). The Learning Agreement is used to vet the internship and ensure agreement among all parties (student, internship site, and UC San Diego).
2. Enrollment request submitted via the Enrollment Authorization System (login required) to request authorization for enrollment in an Academic Internship special studies course.

Unit options, deadlines, eligibility requirements, and a detailed overview of the enrollment process are outlined on our Apply for AIP page.