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 college 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). Student may work up to 100 percent time during summer, but are limited to a maximum of 49 percent time when school is in session.

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

All UCOP Student Internships are subject to position control and approval must be granted before an internship 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 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 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 in CATS, the UCOP Classification/Applicant Tracking System. Your HR Business Partner may also be able to post a student internship job opening on specific UC campus career websites with a link back to the application in CATS. All interns will need to fill out an application in the system and submit it to the specific opening they are interested in.

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 Student Internship Program is open to UC undergraduate and graduate students. If you have an internship candidate who is not a student, please consult your HR Business Partner for further details.

How do internships benefit UCOP?

  • UCOP contributes to the experiential experience of UC students, gives them work experience and income, and helps ready them to join the workforce after graduation
  • Visibility of UCOP is increased on UC campuses
  • Students bring new perspectives to old problems
  • Year round source of highly motivated pre-professionals
  • Quality candidates for temporary or seasonal positions and projects
  • Flexible, cost-effective work force not requiring a long-term commitment
  • Proven, cost-effective way to recruit and evaluate potential employees

What are the title code and pay rates for UCOP interns?

  • Most undergraduate interns fall under title code 4921 - STDT 2, Grade 2
    • Minimum: $12.86, Midpoint: $13.93, Maximum: $15.00 UCOP: pays living minimum wage $15.00
  • Some undergraduate and graduate students fall under title code 4920 - STDT 3, Grade 3
    • Minimum: $15.00, Midpoint: $16.43, Maximum: $22.00
  • Most graduate student interns will fall under title code 4919 - STDT 4, Grade 4
    • Minimum: $16.00, Midpoint: $25.50, Maximum: $35.00
  • Non UC student
    • Level 1 of Career Tracks in Job Builder; Limited Appointment

Non UC intern’s title codes and pay rates are specific to job field and family, level one.  See the Career Tracks website for more information.

What are the internship session timelines?

Semester campuses (Berkeley and Merced) allow for an earlier start and can have a 10-12 week internship in the summer. All other campuses will have a shorter internship window. Information on the specific dates and length of internships by campus can be found below. 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.

UC Campus Academic Calendar

Campus Spring Term Ends Fall Term Begins
Berkeley May 17 August 21
Davis June 13 September 23
Irvine June 14 September 23
UCLA June 14 September 23
Merced May 17 August 21
Riverside June 14 September 23
San Diego June 14 September 23
Santa Barbara June 14 September 22
Santa Cruz June 13 September 21