Paid vs. Unpaid Internships

We pride ourselves in establishing paid internships for our student talent. In situations where an unpaid internship is created by your agency, please keep the information below as a reference.

For tracking and vetting purposes, please follow the steps for establishing an internship before posting the position on our job board Handshake. 

Paid Internships

Employers who provide paid internships can hire an intern at anytime during the school year. Ideally, we encourage internships to follow our semester dates to allow students to enroll in a Work Experience course and earn college credit while interning. 

Paid internships do not qualify for insurance coverage through the community college district. 

Unpaid Internships

Government or non-profit employers who offer unpaid internships through the Work Experience Program benefit from a reduced insurance risk. Students who participate in an unpaid internship and are enrolled in a Work Experience course are covered under the district's Workers' Compensation.

Limitations on Insurance Coverage

Students enrolled in any Work Experience course while participating in an unpaid internship only have insurance coverage during the semester session in which the student is enrolled. 

We strongly advise aligning your internship start and end dates with the semester schedule. 

Semester Start and End Dates

The fall and spring semesters offer 16 and 12-week sessions. The summer semester is typically either (8) weeks. 

Session	Summer 2024	Fall 2024	Spring 2025
16 week	N/A	8/26/24 - 12/16/24	1/27/25 - 5/23/25
12 week	N/A	9/23/24 - 12/16/24	2/24/2025 - 5/23/25
8 week	6/10/24 - 8/1/24	N/A	N/A

You may view our course catalog and academic schedules for upcoming semesters. 

Resources

Learn about Internship Programs Under the Fair Labor Standards Act to ensure your internship meets criteria.