UCOP Student Internships

Internship Info for Students | Internship Info for Managers | How to hire an Intern | UC Academic Calendar

What is the UCOP Student Internship Program?

Internships for UCOP are defined as follows:

  • A form of experiential education
  • Offered to UC undergraduate and graduate students
  • Provide work experience and related training in a professional setting
  • Paid hourly; Part-time or full-time; Specified duration
  • Coordinated by Talent Acquisition staff
  • Subject to Position Control Approval

Student internships at UCOP are a form of experiential education offered to UC undergraduates and graduate students to provide them with practical skills development, related training, and work experience in a professional setting at the University of California, Office of the President.

An important element that distinguishes an internship from a short-term job is that an intentional "learning agenda" is structured into the experience, in addition to the student performing a job or completing a project.

The students are paid wages, except in some very limited situations where the internship is provided in partnership with a degree-granting, educational institution that provides academic credit.

The duration of the internship is fixed and short-term, and may be part-time or full-time (or a combination of full-time and part-time, for example, if the internship begins in the summer and extends through the fall term). During the summer, student may work up to 40 hours per week. While school is in session, students are limited to a maximum of 20 hours per week or less across all active appointments.

The work/learning arrangement is overseen by an employee in the hiring department and by the UCOP and UCPath Student Internship Program Coordinator(s) in UCOP Human Resources.

All UCOP and UCPath Student Internships are subject to position control and approval must be granted before an intern is hired.

How do I recruit an intern? What are the guidelines the hiring department should use for recruiting an intern?

If you are a hiring manager or in charge of hiring student interns for your department, it is recommended that you please work closely with your HR Business Partner as you would for other hires. They will contact the UCOP Student Intern Coordinator to register your intern for intern specific events.

UCOP HR Business Partners works with UCOP hiring managers and in many cases, the UC Campus Student Career Centers for recruitment and job posting. They can assist you with the title code, pay grade, position control, on-boarding and off-boarding.

All employment opportunities, including student internship job openings, are posted on UCOP’s Job Board and UC’s Systemwide Job Board. All interns must complete a job application for the specific opening they are interested on UCOP’s Job Board to be considered for the position.

When considering hiring a student intern, we recommend that your department first assess the needs and resources, goals, duration of the internship, and the on-boarding and off-boarding policies.

Who can I hire as a student intern? What are the requirements?

The UCOP and UCPath Student Internship Program is open to current and recently graduated UC undergraduate and graduate students.

How do internships benefit UCOP?

  • UCOP contributes to the experiential experience of UC students, gives them work experience and income, and helps prepare them to join the workforce after graduation
  • Visibility of UCOP is increased on UC campuses
  • Students bring new perspectives to old problems
  • Flexible, cost-effective workforce without a long-term commitment
  • Proven, cost-effective way to recruit and evaluate potential employees

What are the internship session timelines?

The UCOP and UCPath’s Summer Internship Programs run for 10 to 12 weeks, with option of part-time or full-time. Start dates align with students' school schedules (quarter or semester system), beginning as early as late May and concluding by the end of September. Keep in mind that many Bay Area students attend UC campuses outside of the San Francisco Bay Area and come back home during summer break.

The tentative start date for the 2025 Summer Internship Program is: 06/23/2025

For more information on the hiring timelines, please visit the ‘How to Hire an Intern’ section.


UC Campus 2025 Academic Calendar

Campus

Quarter / Semester

Spring 2025

End Date

Fall 2025

Start Date

UC Berkeley

Semester

May 16, 2025

August 20, 2025

UC Davis

Quarter

June 12, 2025

September 22, 2025

UC Irvine

Quarter

June 13, 2025

September 22, 2025

UCLA

Quarter

June 13, 2025

September 22, 2025

UC Merced

Semester

May 16, 2025

August 20, 2025

UC Riverside

Quarter

June 13, 2025

September 22, 2025

UC San Diego

Quarter

June 13, 2025

September 22, 2025

UC San Francisco

Quarter

June 15, 2025

September 25, 2025

UC Santa Barbara

Quarter

June 13, 2025

September 21, 2025

UC Santa Cruz

Quarter

June 12, 2025

September 20, 2025