SAM internships

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SAM internships

 

SIAS internships

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Open Internships
Students are strongly encouraged to check with an academic advisor find out how an internship can fit with their graduation plan.
Amara Emergency Sanctuary (Foster Care)
BCRA (marketing)
Bloodworks Northwest (Biomedical lab, medical research, transfusion medicine)
Boys & Girls Club of South Puget Sound (Tutoring or teaching K-12 students, leading activities. Volunteer positions can be done as internship.)
Buffalo Soldiers Museum (Historical research and writing educational text for K-12 students)
Buffalo Soldiers Museum (Nonprofit Management; grant writing)
The Center for Psychological Research (College-aged autism spectrum clients)
Community Alliance For Global Justice (food justice, event coordination, publicity, social media, fundraising)
Lehrer-Lucien Commons for Civic Engagement (Pacific Northwest Historical Research)
Congressman Denny Heck (Public Relations, Administrative)
Earth Economics (GIS internship)
Earth Economics (Environmental research, public health)
Earth Economics (Communications, public relations)

El Centro de la Raza (Community Outreach programs)
Explorer Media (Travel magazine writing and editing)
Feast Arts Center (Youth and adult art classes)
Global Health Leadership (public health)
Institute for Policy Studies Next Leaders (public health)
LEGO Robotics (Teaching Lego Robotics class to intermediate school students)
Tacoma Rescue Mission (Nonprofit Management)
NOAA (Environmental research and field projects)
Center for Disease Control (Healthcare research/lab)
Health Resources & Services Administration (HRSA: Federal agency. Healthcare research/lab)
JBLM Fish & Wildlife (Various environmental projects)
King County (Various internships; environmental, public relations, finance, etc.)
LeMay-America's Car Museum (Public Education)
LeMay Collections (Historical collections, public education, community engagement, marketing)
Liberty Mutual (Actuarial)
Metro Parks Internships (Various internships; environmental, public relations, parks and recreation, etc. Includes Point Defiance Zoo and Aquarium internships)
Harbor History Museum (Marketing, Collections, Programming, Museum Administration)
NARAL Pro-Choice Washington (political organizing)
Northwest Trek Wildlife Park (Biology internships)
Pacific Northwest Salmon Center (K-12 education, & Environmental: Chum, Steelhead, Stream, and Farm)
Pierce County Internships (Various: Public Relations, Administrative, Environmental)
Pierce County Juvenile Court (Various programs serving at-risk youth)
Rainbow Center (Event planning)
Rebuilding Hope; The Sexual Assault Center of Pierce County (Advocacy and Administrative)
St. Vincent de Paul  PAID INTERNSHIP (Non-profit administrative support/development)
South Sound Magazine (Writing, design, editorial)
Tacoma Dome (Public relations & events)
Tacoma Tool Library (sustainability, program development)

Treehouse For Kids (foster care; tutoring K-12 students, food and clothing services, general social services)
Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife  (Western Pond Turtle Recovery)
Woodstock Media Group (Marketing research, Video, Visual Signage)
Environmental Science students: Join the Environmental Science Listserv for more opportunities!
 

About School of IAS Internships

An academic internship is one of the most rewarding things you can do while you are a UW Tacoma student. Internships develop your problem-solving skills, sense of responsibility and initiative — traits valued by employers and graduate schools.

Before you commit to an internship, ask yourself:

  • Why do I want to do an internship?
  • What is my area of interest?
  • How does this relate to my degree program?
  • What do I want to learn from an internship?
  • How much time can I commit to an internship?
PLAN AHEAD: Plan your internship at least one quarter before you expect to register for it and do it. Start planning at the BEGINNING of the quarter — not the end. Many internship applications have deadlines — especially internships with government agencies and large corporations.

REGISTRATION TIMELINE: Your paperwork must be submitted by the 8th day of the quarter to receive an entry code from the SIAS office. Visit the SIAS Entry Code page for more information.

Internship FAQs

How do I register for an internship?

The basic steps:

  1. find an internship,
  2. find a faculty supervisor and
  3. fill out the SIAS Internship Learning Agreement available on the Internship Forms page.
  4. Bring the internship learning agreement to the SIAS office. You'll be given an entry code to register.
  5. Register for an internship just as you would any academic course. For more details on the registration process and the academic requirements during an internship, see below.

Does the School of IAS provide internship placements?

No. Students are expected to find their own internship site. The SIAS Internship Program Manager may know of internship openings in your major and can help and guide you with ideas.

Who should I ask to be my faculty supervisor?

A faculty member who knows you; try someone you have taken a class from where you did well. Your faculty advisor may be willing to do it.

What is the required number of hours to earn my credit?

Generally, three (3) hours per week for 10 weeks equals one (1) credit, or a total of 30 hours.

Credit Hours Hours Worked per Week
1 3
2 6
3 9
4 12
5 15

How many credits can I earn for internships?

A student can receive 1-10 credits for an internship, but can only register for 5 credits per quarter. An internship can be done more than one quarter to earn up to a total of 10 credits. All of the credits may not count toward a student's major; some of the credits may have to be counted as elective credits. It depends on what your major allows and what courses you already have taken. Please contact your academic advisor to see how the credits can be applied.

Can my internship be more than one quarter (for example summer and fall quarters)?

Yes, if your faculty supervisor and site supervisor agree to it. You can earn the same number of credits each quarter, for example, 5 and 5 to equal 10 total credits, or split the number of credits any way that it makes sense for your internship project.
Each quarter requires a new internship contract. For example, if you do an internship for summer and fall quarters, you need to fill out a contract and register for the internship for each of those two quarters.

How do I fill out the learning objectives on the internship learning agreement?

When you meet with your faculty supervisor to discuss the internship, you should talk about the learning objectives. The objectives will outline what you and your faculty supervisor set as your educational goals for the internship. They will reflect what tasks the site supervisor has assigned to you; "task 'A' will help me to learn, understand and develop skills in..."

Can I earn credit for an internship I have already done?

No. Retroactive credit for an internship will not be granted. The work must be academically approved before you begin and guided by a faculty supervisor while you complete the experience.

Do I have to pay tuition for an internship?

Yes. An internship that earns academic credit is the same as taking any other academic course.

Can I do my internship this summer and register for the credits this fall?

We strongly discourage this, but if it is a financial aid hardship it can be done with the approval of the faculty supervisor and the School of IAS.

The internship I am applying for requires a resume and cover letter. Where can I find help writing these documents?

The UW Tacoma Career Development office in MAT 106 can help you with a resume and cover letter. In addition, UW Seattle offers students online help with resumes and cover letters. Check out the Career Guide and Online Streaming Workshops the Seattle Campus Career Center web page.

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Internship Course Numbers & Available Credit

INTERNSHIP COURSE NUMBER GRADING OPTIONS
TCOM 490 Credit/No Credit
TESC 496 Credit/No Credit
TBIOMD 496 Credit/No Credit
TIAS 496 Credit/No Credit
TMATH 496 Credit/No Credit
TNPRFT 490/590 Graded for Practicum
TPOLS 496
Contact Katie Baird to initiate the process		 Graded for capstone project
TPOLS 497
This internship is paid and competitive.		 Graded for capstone project
TPSYCH 496 Credit/No Credit
TSPAN 496 Credit/No Credit

While a student can receive 1-10 credits for an internship, they can earn up to only 5 credits per quarter. All 10 credits may not count toward their major: some credits may count only as electives. Contact your academic advisor to talk about the best way to use these credits. TPOLS 497 students can receive up to 15 credits for the Washington State Legislative internship.

We recommend students complete internships during their junior or senior year, within the last 90 credits of their degree program.

UW Tacoma's Institution to Institution Internship Program (I2I)

These positions are PAID and competitive.

The I2I program is designed to provide year-long internships to current students while providing transformational professional and educational experiences that directly relate to educational and career goals. Students have the option of earning academic credit and should consult with their program and academic advisor for details on degree planning. All students selected for these internships must have a faculty advisor with whom they meet with on a regular basis, regardless of whether they are earning academic credit or not.

For more information, contact Dawn Williams in The Career Development Center.

 
Please refer to the School of Interdisciplinary Arts & Sciences Internship Program Guidebook for complete internship procedures and policies.

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