Internships, Co-ops & More
Field experience—co-ops and internships—will give you the chance to work as an “apprentice” in your field and build invaluable experience. With this type of experiential education, you will learn new skills, work alongside professionals in the field, and explore your career goals. It is one of the best ways to prepare for your career.
There is a wide range of field experience opportunities for students. You can intern during the academic year or during breaks, and work near UMass Amherst, in Boston, or in another part of the country. Some positions are salaried, some offer stipends or housing, and others are entirely unpaid.
Although most students participate in these programs as juniors and seniors, it is never too early to start thinking about field experience and career planning. First- and second-year students who do not yet qualify for credited internships may begin by participating in uncredited internships and other opportunities (volunteer work, campus activities, job shadowing, informational interviewing) to build skills and prepare for later field experience. Go to Other Opportunities for more ideas.
Internship mistakes to avoid.
Differences Between Internships
and Co-ops
An internship is generally a position in a company or organization that provides you with a professional-level education or training experience. Internships happen year-round, they may be paid or unpaid, for credit or not. Credited internships require an academic sponsor to determine the applicable number of credits.
A co-op is a three- to nine-month position related to your major, for which you earn at least minimum wage. During a co-op, you will set school aside for a period of time, work at least 20 hours a week, and maintain your status as an enrolled UMass Amherst student without paying tuition. When you complete the co-op, it will appear on your transcript.
Getting Started
There are different processes for credited internships and co-ops. Go to Internship Process or Co-op Process for details on each.
1. Career Services offers a comprehensive internship program which has served the campus community for over 40 years.
2. Career Services has trained professionals which will assist in the development and review of application materials of students.
3. Career Services maintains a data base of hundreds of internships and is in constant contact with the agencies and companies. Faculty can maintain control over key employers which they have worked closely with.
4. Career Services constantly assesses and monitors the quality of internships listed.
5. Career Services maintains a blog which enables students to read comments of prior interns at the places they are thinking of interning at
6. Career Services can provide shadowing and mentoring experiences for undergraduate students with former UMass students in many industries.
7. Provides a centralized record of internship placements which academic departments as well as Whitmore administrative offices need.
8. Provide tuition waivers for qualified internship supervisors.(6 credits earned by their student or students)
Once a student is placed
1. Career Services assists in the creation of a written academic contract which the student and faculty complete. This document provides clear and concise guidelines to the students on the academic expectations of the faculty. The faculty sponsor has complete control over the academic part of the internship. Career Services can provide assistance to faculty before, during and even after an internship.
2. Provides access to UMass 298Y course credits for internships. These are general pass fail graduation credits.
3. Forwards a written job description of the internship to faculty.
4. Career Services staff will contact all interns as well as supervisors at the start of each placement period.
5. Career Services staff will visit with a proportion of students placed and provide written reports to the faculty sponsor.
6. Staff is available to assist students, employers and faculty with concerns regarding the internship.
7. Written evaluations are submitted by the students half way through the internship and are forwarded to the faculty sponsor.
8. Career Services staff will respond to problems or concerns raised by the student on the midterm evaluation, or during or after the placement.
9. Written evaluations from the supervisors will be collected and forwarded to the faculty sponsor at the end of the internship.
10. The staff of Career Services is available to respond to a crisis such as any kind of abuse that a student will report during an internship.
Post Graduate Internship Program
UMass Amherst students must complete their credited internship or co-op experience before they graduate. However, if you want to do an internship after graduation, contact the Field Experience Office to learn more about our Post Graduate Internship Program.
Contact Information & Staff
Career Services Main Desk
413-545-2224
ccnhelp@acad.umass.edu
Jeff Silver, Director
T.B.A., Assistant Director for Field Experience
Diane Smithers, Field Experience Office Supervisor
Vivian Schumacher, Field Experience Office Support
