When developing an internship program, it will be important to consider the following:

• Intern activities and projects: what will the student intern do? Do you have projects that you would like to take on but have not had the bandwidth to start?
• Minimum Qualifications: what knowledge and skills should the student intern have upon starting the internship? Do you have completed coursework or minimum GPA requirements?
• Training, supervision and mentorship: who will train, supervise, and mentor the intern? How often will the intern meet with her supervisor? Will the intern participate in company meetings?
• Intern Learning Objectives: what skills will the intern develop during the internship? What projects will they complete?
• Will the internship be paid or unpaid? We understand that not every company is in a position to pay student interns, but we strongly recommend it. The majority of Palomar College students are working part-time and taking classes. Pay makes it more feasible for them to participate in internships. Paid internships do require more hours per unit – please see the table below.
• How many hours per week will the intern work, on average? Internships average 8 – 15 hours per week. Unpaid internship tend to be fewer hours per week while paid internships tend to be more. Students need to complete a minimum number of hours to earn credit for their internship class, as indicated in the table below.
• TImeline: when would you like the intern to start? Will this internship be available in the fall, spring, and summer semesters or just during certain times of year?

If you have questions about any of these areas or would like to discuss them further, please do not hesitate to reach out to Jason Jarvinen, Associate Professor/Work Experience Coordinator, at 760.744.1150 x2355 or  jjarvinen@palomar.edu.

Internship Class Hours Requirement