Your situation is perfectly normal!
As the UW Career Center states “Some students come to college knowing exactly what they want to do and never waver. Others have virtually no idea what they want to do because everything (or nothing!) seems to interest them. Many have an initial plan in mind but decide they want to look around and explore other options as they move through college.”
One of the best ways to clarify where your interests, talents, values, personality, and workplace preferences lie is to do the assessments in PathwayU. When your assessments are complete you will be directed towards career paths and internships that align with your interests.
As the UW Career Center states, “Internships are a key way to learn outside the classroom. An internship can help shape your career trajectory, expand your professional network, build your resume, and bolster your chances of securing a good job after graduation.”
The UW Career Center offers these resources to help you figure out which internships are right for you:
Additional resources:
Unpaid internships are unfortunately common in certain industries. The Career Center offers resources for finding internship funding. Registering for credit for an internship will also allow you to receive a quarterly financial aid award.
Visit the UW Campus Jobs page. Any student jobs in SEFS will be advertised directly to SEFS students via department email lists too.
BSE students
BSE students can receive internship credit through BSE 399 but presently internship does not apply to BSE graduation requirements except by petition.
BSE students who have a multi-quarter internship and need to retain UW student status will find it much cheaper to register for ENGR 321 credit instead, as the per-credit costs for this course are not assessed at the standard UW tuition rates. Learn more about ENGR 321 and its costs. ENGR 321 must be registered for during the same quarter you are completing the internship work.
BSE 399 must also be registered for in the same quarter you are completing the internship work.
ESRM students
ESRM – General students can count ESRM 399 credit towards their 300-400 level ESRM elective requirement. For all other ESRM degree options, ESRM 399 credit does not apply to the degree.
ESRM 399 must be registered for during the same quarter you are completing the internship work.
Other students
Non-SEFS major students who do not have an internship course in their major department can register for internship credit through GEN ST 350.
Internship Overview
Internships provide students with the opportunity to gain professional-related experience either in a workplace setting or in teaching.
To receive Internship credit, participating students must fulfill specific academic requirements in addition to the work expectations of the organization or faculty member where the student is interning.
Internship Credit set-up
NEW FOR SUMMER QUARTER 2024: We are piloting a new section of ESRM 399 – section B in Summer 2024. Students who do NOT have a faculty sponsor for their internship have the option of registering for internship credit in the B section of ESRM 399. Sign-up instructions for ESRM 399 section B are available on this page. For ESRM 399 A – faculty-sponsored internships – read on in this section for registration instructions.
Signing up for ESRM/BSE 399 A section
Students must identify both a professional-related internship and a SEFS faculty member to be the faculty supervisor for the internship; a student can be supervised by the same SEFS faculty member they are interning with, if applicable.
Students may receive compensation from the organization sponsoring the internship in addition to credit.
The student needs to obtain a list of work expectations from the internship supervisor. This list should be shared with the supervising faculty to assist in determining the basis for earning a grade in the internship. The faculty supervisor should determine if they will want an end-of-internship evaluation of the student from the internship supervisor, so the internship supervisor can be informed of this at the start. Please note: Teaching internships are not appropriate training for students to run independent labs or sections of courses.
To register for BSE/ESRM 399 credit, the student and faculty supervisor must jointly complete the Internship Registration Form, found on the Student Forms page. Once the form is submitted, they will be registered for the course.
Grading and Responsibilities
Both BSE and ESRM 399 are graded CR/NC, and the student can register for 1-5 credits. Students are expected to spend approximately three hours of work/study each week per credit earned. BSE/ESRM 399 is repeatable up to 15 credits.
Participating students are expected to check in regularly with both their internship and faculty supervisors to make sure that expectations are clear, guidelines are being followed, and assignments are being completed.
Conduct and Safety
Students are representing the UW and SEFS during their internship and are expected to behave professionally and practice good field and classroom safety. Reports to the contrary may result in the student being asked to leave the internship without receiving credit.
International students must receive CPT authorization in order to work an internship in the United States. Here are some information resources that you may need or find helpful:
