Internship Guide
The USC Career Center’s Internship Engagement Office is designed to help explore the many resources, programs, and collaborative opportunities available to support your career journey. We encourage you to learn about the internship process, engage in career programming, and connect with resources across the USC community.
For a video overview, please review the following recordings from our Internships 101: Finding & Applying For Internships:
- Handshake: Getting Ready for Fall Recruitment
- Undergraduate Students
- Graduate Students
- International Students
We encourage students to seek internships for the following benefits:
- Apply your strengths, coursework and group experiences into real world applications
- Gain training and connections in a particular field, industry, and organization
- Enhance your professional experience and identify mentors in your areas of expertise
- Access potential pipeline for future roles and full-time employment post-graduation
To get started, consider:
- Exploring options
- Making connections (with the industry/field/job function/geographic location)
- Balancing an Internship (part-time/full-time internships during the fall/spring/summer)
Most organizations are looking for candidates to fill an immediate opening. This typically means you should be applying the semester prior to the anticipated start date. Similarly, most internship recruitment occurs at least a semester (sometimes a year) in advance. However, depending on the industry/organization you are targeting, you may have to apply earlier. Refer to the guide below for a general timeline. (Note: This may not apply to every organization, so please do your research!)
Search by career topic, industry or student community to discover online resources and opportunities in Handshake that support your goals.
The process for securing an internship takes time and can involve many steps. We suggest participating in events and speaking with:
Peers: Attend a coffee chat or workshop with an Peer Career Navigator
Staff: Join the Networking Hub (smaller group sessions) to learn how to start the process, learn about expectations and how to maintain these critical events. Join us for an Industry Trek to meet the employees in the industry you’re interested in.
Faculty: Take advantage of office hours to speak with your professors about their academic/industry expertise.
USC Alums: Request for informational interviews (informal coffee chats) to gain more insight into their career launch and professional experiences as you pave the way for your chosen path through the Trojan Network and LinkedIn.
Need a headshot or looking to gain an overview of LinkedIn to start this process? Check out our Headshots to Handshakes program.
Internships are offered each semester (fall/spring/summer) for at least 6 weeks/term. Most students choose to work between 8 – 20 hours to balance coursework and other obligations. During the summer, many students opt to intern full-time (40 hours/week) when not enrolled in classes.
Course Credit If an employer requires course credit (speak with the HR department or supervisor for clarification), USC offers several courses for internships year round and MDA 250 is open to all students, in all majors. You must already have secured an internship to obtain D-clearance.
When to apply?
Internship recruitment varies by industry. The chart below represents the application, interview, and offer periods for USC students who accepted internships for Summer 2025 based on industry. The data can be referred to as a general timeline regarding some of the most competitive roles during the a recent hiring cycle.
Please refer to Handshake for available internships in addition to individual company websites/ job descriptions for specific deadlines.
Where to look?
Students can find internships promoted at events hosted during On-Campus Recruitment and posted via Handshake online.
Internal Resources
We host career fairs during fall and spring semesters. Employers participate in career fairs to recruit for full-time and internship opportunities.
Our OCR program attracts companies from a variety of industries looking to hire for entry-level positions and internships. It is a convenient opportunity for you to interview on-campus in our interview rooms.
Employers share information about their organizations and provide students a chance to network with recruiters and alumni. To learn more review What is a Trojan Talk?
Through this online portal, you can connect with employers hiring for internships, part-time, and full-time roles. Handshake provides you insightful information about numerous career paths by exploring roles, industries, and salary information.
The Career Center has compiled a list of opportunities affiliated with USC colleges, research institutes, and more!
Next Steps?
Additional tools to aid you on your internship journey:
USC Career Center Impact Scholarship provides $2,500 to selected, continuing undergraduate students pursuing unpaid summer internships (minimum 6 weeks).
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