Today’s employers seek graduates who can pair strong academic performance with tactical, on-the-job skills. From internships and practicums to research and graduate assistantships, the options for enhanced learning are designed to offer invaluable insight and better equip students for their future success.
Internship Spotlight
"My internship consists of communicating with clients on a daily basis to reincorporate them into the financial planning pipeline, study for the Series 7, listen to advisor/client calls, and creating financial plans utilizing specialized software. What I like most about the internship is the support and encouragement from the entire team while studying for the Series 7 licensing exam.”
— Rachel Rabin, Personal and Family Financial Planning
How to find an internship
Connect with Cassandra Ott-Kocon (caott@arizona.edu), Norton School Experiential Learning Coordinator, to start talking about your interests, identifying opportunities, and preparing your resume, cover letter, and job applications to be the best they can be.
College of Agriculture, Life & Environmental Sciences (CALES)
Connect with the CALES Career Center for tips on resume building, interviews, and featured internships.
Student Engagement & Career Development (SECD)
The SECD offers professional development insights and support to all University of Arizona graduates seeking internships and employment, including campus-wide career fairs.
Job Boards
Great places to search for internships or full time jobs are company websites and:
Connect with recruiters for companies you are interested in interning for (the worst they could say is no). In the email or message, include:
- Introduce yourself: mention that you are a University of Arizona student, your academic year and major.
- Why are you interested in this position? Talk about what drew you to this job listing — company culture, brand reputation, the job description, or something else?
- Why should they want to hire you? This is a standard question for introducing yourself! Why you? What can you bring to the table? Is it your experience, passion, skillset, resilience, or love for the company? How can you be an asset to the team?
- Schedule a follow-up. At the end of your email, thank them for their time and try to schedule a call, coffee chat, or anything in the books. Meeting for a 1:1 chat or being scheduled for an interview is the goal.
You never know which connection can lead to your next job. There are many ways to build your network with potential employers:
- Attend events: consider putting yourself out there and attending events specifically designed for networking on campus and in the Tucson community.
- Join alumni LinkedIn Groups. Join our alumni groups on LinkedIn to connect with people in the industry and find job listings in your field:
- Connect with alumni. Consider talking to alumni through the Bear Down Network. Gain professional tips, advice and insights from Arizona alumni, faculty and advisors - no matter your professional focus or career level.
Earning Internship Credit
Once you receive an internship offer, contact Cassandra Ott-Kocon (caott@arizona.edu), Experiential Learning Coordinator to get approval for the internship and fill out your Internship Work Plan. Your internship site supervisor will need to sign the work plan. Once signed, submit the work plan to Cassandra Ott-Kocon to enroll in the internship course. To receive credit, you must enroll in the internship course during the same semester that you complete the internship.
Upon submitting your completed Internship Work Plan and receiving approval from Cassandra Ott-Kocon (caott@arizona.edu), you will be enrolled in the FITS 493 internship course.
Below are some of the companies and organizations that FITS students often seek internships at:
- Sax 5th Ave
- Macy's
- Levi Strauss
- Christian Dior
- Neiman Marcus
- Christian Le Bouton
- Tommy Hilfiger
- Dolce and Gabbana
- Ralph Lauren
- Harper's Bazaar
- Women's Wear Daily
- Shape
- Elle
- Vogue
Every HDFS major needs to complete at least one "Applied Skills" Requirement. This includes one of the following:
- Internship (HDFS 493)
- Preceptorship (HDFS 491)
- Research (HDFS 492)
- Independent Study (HDFS 499)
- Honors Thesis (HDFS 498H)
It is important that you register for the correct number of internship units, based on the total hours you will complete at your internship site. You will not be able to adjust your registered number of internship units at the end of the semester.
- Internships in the Fall/Spring are available only to HDFS majors. Internships in Summer are open to HDFS majors and minors.
- Unit and internship-hours worked equivalency:
- 135 hours = 3 units
- 180 hours = 4 units
- 225 hours = 5 units
- 270 hours = 6 units
- An internship is typically 3 units, requiring a minimum of 135 hours of work which is typically 9 to 10 hours per week in Fall semester or Spring semester. Summer session hours may be worked between mid-May through early August.
- Hours must be worked within the semester (Fall, Spring, or Summer) for which the student is receiving credit.
Once you enroll in an internship, you will have access to a D2L course page so that you can communicate regularly with your site supervisor and internship coordinator. The HDFS internship course will require regular reflections, monthly class check-ins and a final presentation.
Information for Community Partners & Internship Sites
Organizations interested in hosting an HDFS student as an intern can find more information about requirements, including guidelines for community partners and internship supervisors here:
Upon submitting your completed Internship Work Plan and receiving approval from Cassandra Ott-Kocon (caott@arizona.edu), you will be enrolled in the PFFP 493. The PFFP internship is a 6-unit internship. The total hours needed to complete six units is 270.
Below are some of the companies and organizations that PFFP students often seek internships at:
- RBC Wealth
- Underhill Financial Advisors
- Meridian Wealth Management
- Mass Mutual Arizona
- Affirm Wealth Advisors
- Raskob Kambourian Financial Advisors
- Presidio Group Wealth Management
- Northwestern Mutual
- Cardinal Pointe Financial Group
- Edward Jones, Fidelity Investments
- Vanguard Group
- Cambridge Financial
Within the Retailing and Consumer Science program, internship credit is considered Optional Experiential Credit and counts towards your upper level elective credits. You can take up to a total 9 Optional Experiential Credits in the RCSC program, including preceptorships, independent study and practicums. In unique circumstances, you might be allowed more, but this is only for specific scenarios. If you have questions about how internship credit will fit into your degree plan, email or set up an appointment with your academic advisor.
After finding an internship, complete the following steps to enroll in academic credit for an internship for an upcoming semester:
- Determine the number of units you qualify for (you must enroll in 3 units or more) with the equation: (total number of internship weeks * the number of hours per week) / 45
- Credit is based on the total number of hours interned: 45 hours = 1 unit of academic credit.
- Using the UA's Tuition Calculator determine the cost of your academic credit based on the number of units you want to enroll in and the term you are planning to complete the credit.
- Optional: Meet with your academic advisor if you have questions about how academic internship credit fulfills the units you need for graduation, how many units you actually need, or other questions about your degree plan.
- Complete the Internship Work Plan and email it to Cassandra Ott-Kocon (caott@arizona.edu) to enroll in the internship course (RCSC 493B):
- Scroll to the very last page to view examples and instructions to help you complete the learning goals and objectives section.
- You will need a signature from a representative at your internship employer. Contact caott@arizona.edu if you need support.
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