Internships

Get credit for real-world experience. Work with an organization engaging in activities that provide you with new learning while benefiting your host organization, the “site” of your internship.

The exact terms of your Internship Learning Contract will be negotiated between you, the supervisor at the site, and your faculty or staff sponsor, then approved by the Academic Deans.

Internships may be paid or unpaid. You can earn a maximum of 48 credits toward your degree through internships.

Some programs include optional or required internships. Look under “Individual Study” in the academic catalog for a current listing.

Plan What You Want To Learn

Get started early: if you want to start an internship for a specific quarter, you should start working on it at the beginning of the previous quarter (except fall internships, which should be planned in previous spring quarter).

Meet with an Academic Advisor to talk about how an internship will fit into your academic journey and future plans.

Consider how many hours per week you have to devote to an internship, based on how many credits you want to earn.

Find an Internship Organization

You may already have an idea of where you want to work based on personal or professional connections. In that case, you can start the paperwork in motion. (Review the Conflict of Interest Policy (PDF) to make sure your relationship isn't too close.)

Otherwise, there are many ways to find a good place for your internship.

Students can search for internship opportunities through our student employment platform provided by Handshake.
The Center for Community-Based Learning and Action has information about internships in community-based organizations.
Faculty who teach in your area of interest may be aware of organizations that have hosted Evergreen interns in the past.
You can approach an organization that's doing work that interests you and see if you can negotiate an internship with them.
If you are applying for an internship that is high demand or where you don't already have a connection, you may need to write a resume and cover letter. You may also be interviewed for the position. Academic and Career Advising can help you prepare.

You may view a list of Internship Organizations that have previously supported Evergreen students.

Your internship organization must complete an Internship Site Agreement (PDF) if it hasn't already done so in the last year, unless it is an official Washington state government agency.

Your supervisor at the site will be considered your field supervisor for contract approval and evaluations.

Develop a Learning Contract

Go to My Evergreen and select “Individual Study Contracts.” Once there, follow the online application prompts. Review the contract system documentation or submit a help ticket.

Once you have a site and a field supervisor you’ll need to complete a contract in My Evergreen in which you spell out your planned internship activities as well as your learning objectives. In order to earn academic credit for an internship, your work must lead to college-level learning. So, for example, you couldn’t earn credit for an internship that just involves filing papers, but could for an internship that involves developing a database system.

Your contract must meet the Academic Deans’ Review Criteria to make sure it is a valid educational opportunity. If you have worked or volunteered at this internship site for more than 3 months you may be required to complete a Verification of New Learning (PDF).

Find an Internal Sponsor

You must have a faculty or staff sponsor for your internship. Faculty expect to see a working draft of your internship proposal at the time you are approaching them to be your sponsor. You may be able to identify this sponsor before or after finding your internship site. Find out more about contract sponsors.

Once you have a sponsor, you can share drafts in progress with your field supervisor and faculty sponsor.

Finalize Your Internship

When your internship is ready for approval, you will mark it “Ready for Approval.” All required approvals will appear in your contract as a checklist.

Registering Your internship: All approvals must be done by the internship deadline prior to academic dean approval. Once a dean approves the internship, you will “Accept Term and Conditions” of the internship and it will move forward in the registration process.

Documenting Your In Program Internship: Once all approvals are complete within the contract you will “Accept Term and Conditions” of the internship and it will be confirmed. You do not need to register your contract with Registration and Records.