City Planning Program Internships
The internship in urban planning is considered an important component to the MCP instructional program. However, it is important to bear in mind that the internship must not compromise classroom work to the extent that it interferes with class preparation and attendance. In general, planning agencies and other groups offering internships are cooperative in allowing students to coordinate their internship schedules with their other academic activities. Students should therefore adjust the class load when serving in an internship. Internship responsibilities cannot be used as an excuse for missed classes, exams, or assignments.
Internships, or possibly interviews for internships, are generally arranged by the MCP Program Internship Coordinator. Agencies are contacted at the beginning of each semester to determine the availability of positions and students are notified of such availability in classroom announcements and/or in announcements placed in student mail boxes. In some cases, students will be required by the agency to submit an application and/or a resume and attend a personal interview.
Many planning agencies, public and private sector, are seeking students with specific skills or interests. Where possible, the MCP Program Internship Coordinator will attempt to secure a match with a student's area of interest, but it should be recognized that this may not always be accomplished.
Students are not precluded from making contacts with planning agencies in order to secure an internship. In all cases, the student must clear the acceptability of the internship with the MCP Program Internship Coordinator. All internships must be in the field of urban planning or in a closely related area.
Internships may take place in public or private sector agencies or with nonprofit organizations. Internships may also be served outside of the San Diego region or the state (if the student has previously arranged the internship and had it approved by the MCP Program Internship Coordinator). However, such internships may only be undertaken during the summer.
Students wishing to take an internship in a given semester should contact the MCP Program Internship Coordinator prior to registering for the internship. Students continuing in an internship may register for credits but should verify the number of hours they are working and significant changes in their situation with the MCP Program Internship Coordinator. Continuing interns must fill out an Internship Record form each semester.
Students who have full- or part-time jobs in planning and related fields may use those jobs for internship requirements; however, past time spent in such jobs may not be used retroactively for internship credit. Students who have significant past experience in planning and related fields may elect to substitute course work for the internship. Such substitutions should be cleared with the MCP Program Internship Coordinator.
Students may elect to undertake successive internships with more than one agency, although they are not allowed, except under special circumstances, to have more than one internship at the same time. Such students should be aware that the MCP Program Internship Coordinator will attempt to secure internships for students who have not had an internship before releasing internships to students wishing to take a second internship.
In some cases internships may begin or conclude at times which are not coterminous with a given semester. In such cases the MCP Program Internship Coordinator will decide which semester is most appropriate for the students to enroll for credit for such internships.
Interns should respect the policies and work rules of the agencies for which they are working, especially with regard to confidential information. Students should not give information to media or write papers based on information obtained in their internships without prior permission of the agency. Interns should be aware that their work reflects upon the MCP Program, the University, and their fellow students.
Credit Hours Per Internship Hours
Minimum:
15 days (120 hours) = 3 units credit
30 days (240 hours) = 6 units credit
Remuneration for Internship
The MCP Program Internship Coordinator attempts to secure as many paid internships as possible. However, payment is neither a condition, nor a guarantee, for an internship. Hence, some students should be prepared to accept unpaid internships, if necessary. In some cases, students preferring specific work situations, or internships in specific agencies may find it necessary to accept unpaid internships.
Meetings and Reports
The MCP Program Internship Coordinator may call one or two meetings during the course of the semester to permit interns to share aspects of their respective experiences, to discuss other matters related to professional practice, and to deal with any problems which may arise with individual students' internships. Attendance at internship meetings is a required part of the internship. This requirement may be waived, with the prior approval of the MCP Program Internship Coordinator, if the internship is out of the immediate area.
Internship Report
Interns are required to submit an internship report to the MCP Program Internship Coordinator each semester. The report, which must be typewritten, must be submitted by the first day of the examination period for the semester for which the intern is enrolled if the intern is to receive academic credit for that semester. The report should discuss, in detail, the activities and work responsibilities of the intern during the semester; the knowledge and skills that were learned substantively and procedurally by the intern; a commentary about professional practice; a commentary on the relationship of the internship to the course work which the student has completed or was taking concurrent with the internship; and any problems encountered during the course of the internship. The internship report is part of the internship; therefore, failure to submit a satisfactory report will result in the necessity to apply for an incomplete, and beyond the agreed upon time for submittal of the report, a grade of "no-credit."
The intern's immediate supervisor will be contacted by the MCP Program Internship Coordinator and requested to submit a general letter of evaluation of the intern's performance in the workplace. This letter will become part of the intern's internship file.