Practicum Courses and Internships
Our graduate program offers a number of opportunities designed to support professionalization for diverse careers and bring the department’s community-engaged learning to our graduate students.
Yearly Proseminars also cover topics related to professionalization and include visits by alumni sharing their experience in a variety of careers.
Summer Internship Funding
Internships are an exciting opportunity for graduate students to engage in meaningful work experiences that enhance their professional development. The Department of Spanish & Portuguese is happy to provide support for our students as they explore possible careers in a wide range of fields.
Each summer, the Department provides $6,000 to two graduate students who are able to secure an internship at an organization of their choice. The funding supports students as they explore possible careers through on-the-job experience. Students have interned with arts education organizations, environmental NGOs, museums, and more. The stipend is awarded through a competitive application process, with a call for applications announced in the Spring Quarter. Priority is given to students who have advanced to candidacy.
Practicum Courses
During the academic year, we offer a two-quarter Practicum designed to give students experience with organizations outside UCLA. The first quarter is devoted to researching possible positions within the student’s scope of research and becoming acquainted with best practices for community-engaged work. The second quarter involves interning at the organization of the student’s choice, for a total of 30-40 hours over course of the term (3-4 hours per week). Students receive two units of course credit for each quarter.
Students may contact our Director of Community Engagement, Professor Carla Suhr, to identify potential partner organizations based on their areas of interest.
UCLA in the Community
The University also provides resources to help search for internships and other enriching professional experiences:
- UCLA Graduate Division hosts a graduate funding search engine that includes available internships along with fellowships and awards.
- UCLA Career Center offers workshops, events, and advising, as well as online databases of jobs and internships, including Handshake.