An internship is similar to a job in a professional organization, with responsibilities to complete projects toward fulfilling its goals or mission. Organizations that host interns are willing to provide on-the-job training for their projects, and dedicate a supervisor to support your learning. Internship opportunities are shared out just like jobs, and you usually apply to and interview for them the same way you would a job.

The primary differences between a job and an internship is that organizations understand that interns are not bringing full expertise to the project and provide training and guidance in order to complete it, and that interns are paid a “stipend” instead of a salary usually in one or two lump sums.

Internship:

• Sites do not expect students to know how to do everything; they commit offering training and experience.
• Internships are not paid biweekly; they are paid in two lump sums (at the midpoint and endpoint of the schedule for this program)
• Once a schedule is set, students are expected to complete all the hours

Job

• A person is hired to bring skills and experience to fulfill a role with only limited training
• Wages are paid hourly or by a salary
• A person can usually quit their job (or be fired) with little advance notice

Colin Powell School undergraduate students with 30+ credits are welcome to apply! 

There are no restrictions or barriers for DACA, international, age, or any other status. 

Must be majoring in a CPS degree

Students are paid via a stipend. The stipends are typically distributed in two batches; the first stipend arrives near the midpoint of the internship and the second stipend at the end of the internship. The students will receive a physical check that they must pick up unless alternate arrangements are made.

Visit our Internships Database to view all open positions.

Additionally, you can also visit the CPDI website to view other available opportunities.

If you don’t feel ready for an internship but want to get started, volunteering is actually a great first step.
Learn more here: Ways to Volunteer to Gain Professional Experience

Our internships have a large range of availability, so students and sites can set the schedule together! The Paid Internship Program does not have a hour minimum, but does have a maximum of 300 hours. 

Alumni may access an internship for up to 12 months after their graduation date.

With your bank of 300 hours, you can decide to do one, two, or more internships! 

If you are exploring your field, it will make sense to do a couple of internships. If you already know what you want to do and just need to gain experience, go for the full 300 hours in one internship!

Anytime! Our offices, and most of our internships, are available at any time of the year and are not tied to the school schedule.

While some of our internships have set start and end dates, most of our internships are flexible with how long they are, and when students can start and end. We do not set mandatory minimums or length times; it all depends on the intern and the internship site.

You can access your bank of hours for up to 12 months after you graduate.

There are two differences between volunteering and interning with an organization:

1. Interns have a supervisor assigned to them who provides training and sets learning objectives to make the experience a growth opportunity
2. Interns do more than physical labor, they apply skills they have learned in college or other professional experiences.

Here is an example: Volunteer Vince is helping out at a food pantry. He unboxes cans of food and puts them on a shelf.  Intern Iris is at the same food pantry. Their major is communications, and they are working with the Marketing Director to draw up a social media communication schedule and conducting research on best practices for graphics.  Both students are helping this organization reach its goal to feed hungry people, but one is a career development opportunity, and one is not.

See the difference?

If you don’t feel ready for an internship but want to get started, volunteering is actually a great first step. Sometimes, students begin volunteering and then convert it into an internship.

Learn more by reaching out to our Internships Coordinator at dmatos1@ccny.cuny.edu

Nope! All internships have their own time requirements, but most understand that students are in school and have other life commitments and won’t require more than 20 hours a week. We have a range of micro to macro internships with many different levels of commitment!

You and the site will set the hours and the schedule at the beginning of the internship.  You are expected to honor the commitment, or talk with your site supervisor if things change and you need to adjust the schedule.

Yes! If your internship is unpaid or paid less than $18/hour, this program may cover the difference. Send a copy of the offer letter to Maya Gutierrez, mgutierrez1@ccny.cuny.edu. We welcome new intern partners!

Students receiving a stipend are optionally invited to attend our Internship Insiders workshop series offered every first and third Tuesday to discuss goals and progress. 

We require students to complete a brief midpoint and endpoint survey.

That's it!

Internships must have a dedicated supervisor who sets and tracks learning goals with the student. Please see our Site Partner Overview. 

We welcome site partners from all sectors, and there are no MOUs, contracts, or tax implications. 

We are especially happy to partner with alumni!

For more information on internships and our professional development workshops, email Career Hub Director, Maya Gutierrez, mgutierrez1@ccny.cuny.edu