1. EXPERIENTIAL LEARNING CENTER
… Serving as a Trusted Resource
Bridging Academic Learning with Professional Experience
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Welcome to the University of Colorado Denver Experiential Learning Center’s Internship & Co-op Orientation. This is a narrated presentation; please check that speakers are on and volume adjusted. The presentation transitions automatically to the next slide. If you need an alternative to audio narration, speaker notes can be viewed in the notes tabs. If you need to go back or ahead to another slide, click on the slide outline to the left of the page. 1

2. BY THE END OF THIS PRESENTATION . . .
You will better understand:
Whether you want an Internship or a Co-op
Eligibility requirements
Available resources
Next steps …
By the end of this presentation you’ll have a better understanding of:
Whether you want to pursue an internship or a co-op,
If you meet eligibility requirements,
Available resources for finding internships & co-ops,
and –
What your next steps are for finding an internship or co-op that best suits your needs. 2 2

3. BENEFITS OF INTERNSHIPS & CO-OPS
Improve your marketability upon graduation
Develop new professional skills and abilities Improve your knowledge of career choices and working environments
Build valuable connections for networking
Prepare for transition to the working world or graduate school
Why should you include an internship or co-op in your college experience? One of the most important benefits of an internship or co-op is that both make you more marketable to employers and graduate schools. Other benefits of participating in an internship or co-op while you’re still in school include: greater certainty regarding career choice, improved career skills, increased connections, and better preparation for professional life. You’ll also learn the best way to go about searching for a job. 3

4. INTERNSHIPS AND COOPERATIVE EDUCATION (CO-OP) EXPERIENCES
An Internship is an academic experience
Takes place in a professional setting
Student ALWAYS earns academic credit
May be paid or unpaid
Minimum GPA of 2.75
Minimum of 10 weeks
A Co-op is a UCD sponsored education-related work experience
Student NEVER earns academic credit
Is always PAID
Minimum GPA of 2.0
BOTH Internships and Co-ops are:
Coordinated through the Experiential Learning Center (The ELC)
Must have a UCD approved Learning Agreement in place before you begin working
An Internship is an academic experience that takes place in a professional setting for which the student ALWAYS earns academic credit. Internships may be either paid or unpaid, depending on the employer, and require a minimum GPA of 2.75.
An important note: Some departments have additional requirements so be sure to check with your internship advisor for details.
A Co-op is a UCD sponsored education-related work experience that takes place in a professional setting for which the student NEVER earns academic credit. A co-op is always a PAID experience and requires a minimum GPA of 2.0
BOTH Internships and Co-ops are coordinated through the Experiential Learning Center and both must have a UCD approved Learning Agreement in place before you begin working.

5. INTERNSHIPS Carefully designed and monitored Educational experience
1 semester (10 week minimum) work & learning experience
Either paid or unpaid (determined by employer)
Documented learning objectives
Site Supervisor & Faculty Sponsor
Performance evaluation and grade
Educational experience
Related to your field of study
Integrate classroom knowledge with practical work experience
Hands-on, real-life work experiences
Exposure to professional environment
INTERNSHIPS: An internship is a carefully designed activity that incorporates academic coursework along with work-related experience.
An internship is a one semester work experience with verifiable learning objectives and evaluation by both an employer site supervisor and faculty sponsor. Your site supervisor agrees to help teach you about the field and the inner workings of the organization while your faculty sponsor provides academic assignments and assists you in deepening your learning throughout the experience. Once you’ve completed a successful search and are offered an internship, you’ll choose a faculty sponsor from your department who’s been approved to supervise interns; your Internship and Co-op advisor can provide you with the names of approved faculty for your major. At the end of the semester, your faculty sponsor will assign your grade based on the quality of your academic work and your site supervisor’s evaluation.
An internship is first and foremost, an educational experience. A good rule of thumb is that at least 80% of what you’ll be doing should apply to your field of study. If, however, you’re performing unrelated or menial tasks, such as filing, the position does not qualify as an internship. 5

6. REGISTERING YOUR INTERNSHIP
Once you secure an internship, contact your Internship and Co-op Advisor to go over the Learning Agreement.
** Internships must be added before the semester
Drop/Add deadline **
Once you secure an internship, contact your Internship and Co-op Advisor to go over the Learning Agreement.  The Learning Agreement serves as a contract between you, your site supervisor, your faculty sponsor, and the Experiential Learning Center. After you complete the Learning Agreement, you will complete an add slip to add the credits to your schedule with your Internship and Co-op Advisor. The course will appear on your academic schedule and you will be billed the appropriate tuition and fees. 6

7. CO-OPS
Education-related, work experience program where students integrate academic coursework with relevant work experience in a professional environment
Requires a UCD approved Learning Agreement before you begin working
Not listed on transcripts and do NOT earn academic credit
Always PAID work experience and can last multiple semesters
Require a performance evaluation at the end of each semester
Available in all fields, especially Engineering & Business
CO-OPS: Co-ops are similar to Internships in that they:
are UCD sponsored, Education-related work experiences coordinated through the ELC, are related to your academic major, and must have a UCD approved Learning Agreement on file at the ELC before you begin your co-op. Co-ops receive the same support as interns from the Internship and Co-op Advisor and Site Supervisor.
Co-ops are unlike Internships in that:
you do not earn academic credit, you do not have a faculty sponsor, and co-ops are not listed on your academic transcript. You will instead receive a Certificate of Completion. Co-ops are always paid work experiences. 7

8. REGISTERING YOUR CO-OP
Once you secure an co-op, contact your Internship and Co-op Advisor to go over the Learning Agreement.
Once you secure a co-op, contact your Internship and Co-op Advisor to go over the Learning Agreement.  The Learning Agreement serves as a contract between you, your site supervisor, and the Experiential Learning Center to ensure that you will have a quality learning experience. 8

9. SEARCHING FOR AN INTERNSHIP/CO-OP
Experiential Learning Center Resources
InternLink
Over 600 registered employers
Your Internship and Co-op Advisor
Your Personal Network
Professional Associations/Student Chapters
Attend Job Fairs
Create A Targeted Employer List
Conduct Informational Interviews
By now, you may have a more clear idea of whether you want an internship or a co-op and may be wondering where to look. The first resource available to you is the Experiential Learning Center, located in Tivoli, 260. There, you can be connected to InternLink, a database that currently includes over 600 active employers. Your Internship and Co-op Advisors are trained to help you develop a strategic search plan and have information for numerous search sites and organizations.
There are several other resources available which you may not have considered. Ask professors, fellow students, co-workers, friends and relatives if they know of any internship or co-op possibilities, or can refer anyone who might. You’ll be surprised at what they know and the advice they can offer. Join a professional association; some have student chapters with networking events and job boards.
Attend Internship and Job Fairs sponsored by the University as well as other organizations. The University hosts an Internship and Job Fair at the beginning of the fall and spring semesters.
Additionally, make a list of 5-10 companies you want to work for after graduation. Directly target these organizations. Research their websites and contact their human resources to find out about any available internships or co-ops. Ask your Internship and Co-op advisor about Informational Interviewing – a very valuable tool for finding out about jobs in your field of study.
Please note: There are a number of companies & websites that charge students to access internship databases. The ELC is here to provide those services for you – without charge. We suggest you use the ELC resources and assistance before paying for similar services. 9

10. SITE VISITS: AN OPPORTUNITY FOR US TO SEE YOU IN ACTION!
Arapahoe County Coroner Health and Safety
Bentley Lab - Biochemistry and Molecular Genetics
Live Nation
Department of Environmental
During your internship or co-op experience, your Internship and Co-op Advisor may request a site visit. This is an opportunity for us to see your internship first hand. Typical site visits include: meeting the internship or co-op mentor, learning about daily tasks, taking a few pictures of where the student works, and getting a tour of the facility.
Site visits are a great way for the University to solidify a relationship with an employer, paving the way for future interns & co-op students.
Bessie’s Hope
UCD Virology Lab
The Integer Group 10 10

11. READY, SET, GO! … Register on InternLink
Schedule an appointment with your Internship and Co-op Advisor: define your goals
Update & Review your resume
Upload resume and other documents to InternLink
Apply for internships/co-ops
Seeking an internship or co-op is your opportunity to more clearly define your career goals.
Once you’ve registered on InternLink, you can search for and apply for internships and co-ops, access important documents, locate guidelines, and gain access to additional resources specific to your major.
Update your resume; customize it to match specific internship or co-op postings. Your Internship and Co-op Advisor, InternLink, and the Career Center are here to help you with these steps. For a resume review, take your resume draft to the UCD Career Center, located in Tivoli 259, across the hall from the ELC. Then upload your resume to InternLink along with any other documents required by the position posting – such as cover letters, writing samples, and letters of reference. 11

12. The Experiential Learning Center
QUESTIONS?
The Experiential Learning Center
Tivoli 260
Register for InternLink
International students must view another presentation
to see their additional responsibilities.
Thank you for taking the time to complete this orientation. *International students, click the “International Students” link for additional steps you need.
For questions, see FAQs on our website, ask our front desk staff or contact your Internship and Co-op Advisor.
Please register on InternLink now. Accounts are activated within one business day. Watch for your notification that you’ve been approved to view and apply for qualifying internships on InternLink.
We look forward to assisting you toward a rewarding experience!
International Students 12