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Academic Internship Program AIP
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Partner Programs & Collaborations

The Academic Internship Program collaborates with campus, industry, and community partners to develop and deliver high-impact academic internship and experiential learning opportunities, including:

  •  Internships integrated with major and minor curricula
  • Structured and mentored internship opportunities with campus start-up incubators
  • Interdisciplinary and team-based experiential learning programs
  • Course-linked community engagement
  • Collaborative pilots of academic experiential learning opportunities

Academic Department & Program Partnerships

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Public Service Minor

Academic Internship Program partners with the Public Service Minor (PSM) offered by Thurgood Marshall College to facilitate credit-bearing public service internships that fulfill the Minor's Academic Internships in Public Service  requirement. 

Public Service Internships through AIP (AIP 197P)

Public Service Internships are completed with a non-profit or government entity that aligns with one of the Public Service Minor's specializations. Public service internships are an excellent opportunity to engage with the community while exploring personal career and academic goals and developing essential professional competencies. 

Students may enroll in AIP 197P: Public Service Internship to earn internship credit for application toward the minor, and may opt  to intern for multiple quarters at one internship site, or intern at different sites over several quarters. 

AIP 197P unit options:

4 units: 10 hours/week (100 total)
8 units: 20 hours/week (200 total)
12 units: 30 hours/week (300 total)

Internships completed as part of the UCDC Program in Washington, DC or the UC Center Sacramento program may also apply toward the PSM requirement. Students may be able to count an academic internship already completed through AIP, UCDC or UCCS towards PSM internship requirements. For alternative pre-approved options that fulfill the PSM internship requirement, please consult with the Public Service Minor advisor in Marshall College Advising.

Internship Planning

Students are encouraged to meet with an AIP Counselor to discuss their internship interests and goals and align participation with their overall academic plan. Send a message to Academic Internship Program via the Virtual Advising Center (VAC) to request an appointment.

Identify Internships

Resources for identifying internship opportunities include:

  • Search AIP's InternLink database (login required) for internship opportunities
  • Request credit for an internship identified via other resources (Handshake, departmental resources, networking, etc.)
  • Meet with an AIP Counselor to discuss strategies for identifying opportunities relevant to your goals and interests, or to discuss whether an opportunity meets AIP and PSM criteria. Send a message to Academic Internship Program via the Virtual Advising Center (VAC) to request an appointment.

Apply and enroll in AIP 197P

  • Follow the process and deadlines to Apply for AIP 97/197/197P
  • Internships must align with one of UC San Diego's academic terms, and students submit enrollment requests the quarter prior to the commencement of the internship.

Questions?

Urban Studies and Planning Senior Sequence

AIP collaborates with the Urban Studies and Planning department to support the internship requirement for the USP Senior Sequence (USP 187/187). Credit for the internship is integrated into the USP 186/187 course sequence, and students do not separately enroll in an AIP course.

Details about the internship requirement for the USP Senior Sequence will be provided by the Urban Studies and Planning department, and discussed in the USP 186 course.

Identify internship opportunities

Internship resources available through AIP and USP are detailed on the Urban Studies and Planning department's website. Students needing guidance identifying or securing an internship may access Internship Advising with USP Advisors, or contact Academic Internship Program via the Virtual Advising Center (VAC) to request an appointment with the appropriate AIP Counselor.

Submit a Learning Agreement

Students enrolled in USP 186/187 who have secured an internship submit a Learning Agreement via the Academic Internship Program's InternLink database (login required). The Learning Agreement provides details about the internship, and will be used by the USP 186 Instructor to confirm engagement in an internship that fulfills the course requirement.

More information

USP Senior Sequence
USP Internships

Biology Research Internship Program (BISP 197)

The Biology Research Internship Program is a partnership between UC San Diego Biological Sciences, Academic Internship Program, and off-campus research institutes. This program provides opportunities for students to earn Biology credit for internships in approved off-campus research settings by enrolling in BISP 197.

Earn Biology Credit

Visit the Division of Biology's BISP 197 site for details on:
  • Application and enrollment deadlines and process for BISP 197
  • Research internship criteria
  • Applying BISP 197 credit toward Biology major requirements. Please note application toward major requirements is at the discretion of the Division of Biology, not AIP.

InternLink

Students may access AIP's InternLink database (login required) as a resource for applying to BISP 197 internship opportunities, and submitting a Learning Agreement for review by AIP once an internship has been secured.

Questions?

Students may send questions to Academic Internship Program and/or request an appointment via the Virtual Advising Center (VAC) to meet with the AIP Counselor who coordinates the BISP 197 partnership. Other inquiries may be directed to AIP at aipinfo@ucsd.edu.

Anthropology Internships

Anthropology majors have the option to enroll in their departmental ANTH 197 course in lieu of AIP 197 to earn credit for an anthropology internship.

Identify opportunities

Resources for identifying internship opportunities include:
  • Search AIP's InternLink database (login required) for internship opportunities
  • Request credit for an internship identified via other resources (Handshake, departmental resources, networking, etc.)
  • Meet with an AIP Counselor to discuss your goals and strategies for identifying relevant opportunities, or to discuss whether an opportunity meets AIP's criteria. Send a message to Academic Internship Program via the Virtual Advising Center (VAC) to request an appointment.

All internships must meet AIP's general Internship Guidelines, and should have a focus aligning with one of the Anthropology specializations offered at UC San Diego.

Apply and enroll in ANTH 197

  • Secure an anthropological internship, and submit a Learning Agreement to Academic Internship Program via InternLink (login required) as outlined in the process to Apply for AIP 97/197/197P. The same general requirements and deadlines apply to ANTH 197.
  • Identify a Faculty Advisor from the Anthropology Department
  • Submit a Special Studies request via the Enrollment Authorization (EASy) system (login required) to the Anthropology Department to request enrollment in ANTH 197.

Once enrolled, complete course requirements including the minimum internship hours required (10-12 hours/week for 4 units), reflection activities facilitated by AIP, and a final paper or project developed under the direction of a Faculty Advisor.

Make ANTH 197 Count

Inquire with the Anthropology Department about options, requirements, and procedures for counting ANTH 197 as a major elective. Please note application toward degree requirements is at the discretion of the Anthropology Department, not AIP. Visit the Anthropology website for an overview of academic opportunities, including academic internships.

Questions?

Students may send questions to Academic Internship Program and/or request an appointment with an AIP Counselor  via the Virtual Advising Center (VAC). Other inquiries may be directed to AIP at aipinfo@ucsd.edu.

Global Health Internships

Global Health majors and minors have the option to enroll in the GLBH 197 course in lieu of AIP 197 to earn credit for a global health internship. This option is recommended for students wishing to apply their internship toward the Global Health Fieldwork requirement.

Global Health Internship credit

Visit the Global Health Program's website for information on earning Special Studies credit for an internship, including:

  • Identifying relevant internship opportunities
  • Identifying eligible Faculty Advisors
  • Enrolling in GLBH 197
  • Applying GLBH 197 to Global Health major or minor requirements

InternLink

Students may access AIP's InternLink database (login required) as a resource for applying to internship opportunities, and submitting a Learning Agreement for review by AIP once an internship has been secured.

Questions?

Students may send questions to Academic Internship Program and/or request an appointment with an AIP Counselor via the Virtual Advising Center (VAC). Other inquiries may be directed to AIP at aipinfo@ucsd.edu.

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Entrepreneurship, Innovation, and Interdisciplinary Projects

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The Basement at UC San Diego

Students engaged in structured experiential learning projects via the start-up incubator and entrepreneurship programs offered by The Basement may earn academic credit through AIP. The programming and mentorship facilitated by The Basement team creates a structure that facilitates learning from these hands-on experiences. Basement programs for which students have earned AIP credit have included the Blackstone LaunchPad Incubator, and Innovation Sprints with community and industry partners.

Enrolling in AIP 97/197

Students selected for approved Basement programs may enroll in AIP 97 (lower division) or AIP 197 (upper-division). To enroll, follow AIP's standard application and enrollment process and deadlines.

  1. Submit an AIP Learning Agreement via InternLink (login required)
    • List UC San Diego Basement as the Organization
    • List the Basement Director as Supervisor
    • In the Internship Description, note both the Basement program (LaunchPad, Innovation Sprints) and describe the specific project or startup to be worked on
  2. Identify a Faculty Advisor. Staff at The Basement can help identify faculty affiliated with their programs who may serve as Faculty Advisor
  3. Submit an Academic Internship enrollment request via Enrollment Authorization System (EASy) with your requested course and unit option.

Questions?

Students may send questions to Academic Internship Program and/or request an appointment with an AIP Counselor via the Virtual Advising Center (VAC). Other inquiries may be directed to AIP at aipinfo@ucsd.edu.

Innovating for National Security (i4NS)

The UC San Diego Office of Innovation and Commercialization has partnered with the U.S. Department of Defense (DOD) to offer a quarter-long Innovating for National Security Program (i4NS). Students learn Lean LaunchPad Methodology, and work in interdisciplinary teams to understand and identify solutions to select real-world problems.

Students may enroll in AIP 97 (lower division) or AIP 197 (upper division) for 4 units to earn academic credit for engagement in this experiential program.

Apply and enroll

  • Visit the i4NS website for program details, timelines, and application procedures
  • Selected students will be connected with affiliated faculty advisors and instructed on the process for AIP 97/AIP 197 enrollment

Questions?

Students may send questions to Academic Internship Program and/or request an appointment with an AIP Counselor via the Virtual Advising Center (VAC). Other inquiries may be directed to AIP at aipinfo@ucsd.edu.

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Community Engagement

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AIP in the Classroom

AIP in the Classroom is an experiential learning model that engages students in the community as an integrated component of a specific course.  AIP partners with faculty to develop fieldwork experiences linked to the learning objectives of a course, and aligned with needs identified by community partners.  This active approach to learning can

  • provide opportunities for students to directly observe or apply concepts covered in class
  • challenge students to think more critically and deeply about the subjects they are studying
  • integrate theory and practice while emphasizing civic responsibility, and learning with and from community partners

AIP collaborates with individual faculty members to develop mutually beneficial partnerships with community partners, and facilitates the opportunity for students to earn academic credit for the experience via enrollment in our two-unit AIP 197T course.

Recent examples of AIP in the Classroom have included:

  • Sociology of Immigration: The Instructor teaching the course wanted to build upon their existing relationships with local immigrant-serving organizations, and help lay a foundation for students who may be interested in future community-based research. Students in the course are given the option to enroll in a two-unit AIP course and be connected with one of the partner organizations to work on projects and programs identified by the partner.
  • Race and Oral History in San Diego: This course engages students in the creation an oral history archive documenting the stories of of understudied racial and ethnic communities in the Greater San Diego region. The team of faculty designing the course wanted to deepen connections with the community organizations with whom they partnered by engaging students in ongoing interaction and shared projects with partners throughout the quarter, not only at the time of their interviews. Students have the option to enroll in a 2-unit AIP course to earn academic credit for the expanded time commitment to engaging with partner organizations and communities.

Questions?

Faculty may contact AIP for more details about this model, and to discuss implementation in a course. Please connect with us at least a quarter ahead of the class to allow time for planning and coordination.

Details on connecting with community partners and the enrollment process for AIP 197T will be shared in class with students enrolled in partner courses. Students with questions about AIP in the Classroom or AIP 197T enrollment may send questions to Academic Internship Program and/or request an appointment with an AIP Counselor via the Virtual Advising Center (VAC). 

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Social Justice Practicum

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Campus Community Center Internships

AIP partners with UC San Diego's Campus Community Centers to offer academic credit to their interns via enrollment in AIP's 197T Special Programs course. The partnership creates opportunities for deep engagement that helps student interns connect what they learn through practical experience as interns with social justice frameworks examined through readings, group reflection, and a final reflective paper. At the same time, interns develop and demonstrate critical competencies valued by graduate schools and employers across disciplines, and essential to work as an agents of change.

AIP works with staff at the Campus Community Centers to design the program structure and facilitate the enrollment process. Student interns at partner Centers will be guided through the enrollment process and reflection activities. 

Questions?

Campus Community Center staff may contact AIP for more details about this model, and to discuss implementation in their Center. 

Students with questions about the program or AIP 197T enrollment may send questions to Academic Internship Program and/or request an appointment with an AIP Counselor via the Virtual Advising Center (VAC). 

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