Internships are professional learning experiences that offer meaningful, practical work, related to a student’s field of study or career interest. An internship can give students the opportunity for career exploration and development, in addition to learning new skills. Students can offer the employer an opportunity to bring new ideas and energy into the workplace, develop home-grown talent, and potentially build a pipeline for future full-time employees.
Before you begin to look for an internship, a decision should be made whether you would like to complete an internship for credit or noncredit, paid or unpaid. The Career Center Team is ready and willing to help you explore your internship options.
There are four types of internship programs that the Ventura College Career Center can assist you with:
- Internship Program at Ventura College (IP at VC)
- Internships for Academic Credit
- Learning-Aligned Employment Program (LAEP)
- S:AIL in Stem
- Employer Facilitated Internships
Please read details below on each internship program.
The Internship Program at Ventura College (IP at VC) is a semester-long program to which both students and employers apply to be matched (if possible). The internship may be paid or unpaid, for credit or non-credit. The Career Center will help place the student, monitor, and work with the employer. We will provide both students and employers with orientations, evaluations and surveys, in addition to helping each student with their professional development along the way.
*Keep in mind, students will be asked the three top industries/employers they would like to be placed with. The Career Center will try their best to match each student to an employer which meets their needs.
The Career Center can help facilitate both paid and unpaid internships for credit for all students. Internships for credit must align with the coursework associated with a student's program or major. Some internship courses may be built-in to your program of study.
Internship Course |
Pay |
Units |
| V95 | Unpaid | 1-3 |
| V96 | Paid | 1-3 |
| WEXP95 | Unpaid | 1-3 |
| WEXP96 | Paid | 1-3 |
The number of credits earned will depend on the length of the internship. For example, a 1 unit credit internships will be 75 hours long, 2 units will be 150 hours, and 3 units will be 225 hours, over the length of one semester.
*Please keep in mind, no matter which type of internship course a student registers for, they will be required to pay for the course.
See below instructions on how to sign up for an internship course for credit. Please also view the section "Internship Enrollment Deadlines*" for information on future terms.
The LAEP allows a participating student placement in an educationally beneficial position that relates to the student’s area of study, career objective, or the exploration of career objectives. The program includes and emphasizes positions for students with employers that are capable of providing them with full-time employment opportunities after graduation, or opportunities to connect with other employers that are capable of providing them with full-time employment opportunities after graduation, within their areas of study.
Eligibility
Eligible students are from an underrepresented background and meet all of the following criteria:
- At least half-time enrollment at a participating public postsecondary educational institution
- California resident classification
- Satisfactory academic progress in a program leading to a degree or certificate
- Demonstrated financial need
- Eligibility to work in the U.S.
S:ail in STEM Program
S:AIL in STEM's Student Internship Program expands internships and experiential work-based learning in collaboration with Ventura College's Career Services, STEM community advisory boards, and industry leaders to connect Latine/a/o and other historically marginalized students to real-world experiences that augment classroom learning.
*Student must meet certain requirements to be eligible for the S:AIL in STEM Program
For more details about the program, please visit https://www.venturacollege.edu/project-sail-stem/stem-student-internships
Employer facilitated Internships are internship programs in which the student applies directly through the employer and does not receive college credit. These internships may be paid or unpaid depending on the company which is facilitating the internship. Pay close attention to internship application deadlines as they are often far in advance.
