Practicums and Internships

What is a practicum or an internship? This terminology is sometimes used interchangeably.

Practicums and internships involve supervised professional experience that allows students to develop professional skills and career interests related to their course of academic study. Practicums and internships are forms of experiential learning and socialization into the professions. They connect students’ education to professional practice and functions. Practicums and internships are different from volunteer positions.

Some academic departments require students to enroll in a credit-bearing internship course, in which case the course may have additional requirements for a successful attainment of credit and grade.

Generally speaking, practicums and internships:

• Involve a written position description that at a minimum:
  • Articulates clearly defined learning objectives that are relevant to the student’s course of study and professional development
  • Lists desired qualifications in the applicant (i.e., the student)
• Are of a specific duration and number of hours. For example, 16 weeks with 8-10 hours of commitment per week
• Are supervised by a professional with appropriate expertise and background 
• Involve structured feedback and learning outcomes
• Help students develop transferable professional skills and experiences
• Are an opportunity to build relationships and to network

Students interested in applying to a practicum or an internship should:

• Have a plan, or at least an idea, as to the professional experience they would like to pursue
• Clearly identify their own skills and knowledge garnered through coursework
• Prepare a professional resume that may list the following as relevant, in descending order of recency:
  • Personal information: Name, contact information
  • Education: Include all college-level degrees, certificates, and licenses
  • Work experiences, if any
  • Service experience, as applicable
  • Conferences, publications, presentations, if any
• Write a professional letter of interest geared to a specific practicum or internship
• Be prepared to be interviewed
• Be prepared to discuss their goals and objectives for the practicum or internship

The USC Career Center provides student resources for career preparation.