Los Angeles seen through palm trees
Berkeley Global Internships

Global Internships: Los Angeles, California, USA

  • Summary

    Summary

    Gain first-hand knowledge, connections, and professional work experience through an academic internship in the Los Angeles area. On this program, you will:

    • Undertake a professional internship in the field of your choice
    • Earn academic credit for your internship via a ten-week online course
    • Have the option to take additional courses through UC Berkeley Summer Sessions

    Location Summary

    Los Angeles boasts the third largest metropolitan economy in the world - and its rise to global prominence is a testament to the spirit of its business and residents, and to a culture of thinking big.

    LA’s economy is extremely diversified, with established industry clusters ranging from entertainment, technology, and fashion to financial services, consumer products, and tourism. The city also invests heavily in public transportation, infrastructure, and cost-effective rideshares.

    As a global city and hub of diversity, LA is home to people from 140 countries speaking over 220 different languages.

    Students interning in the Los Angeles area will be placed with companies ranging from innovative start-ups to global organizations and NGOs in a variety of industry sectors.


    Program Details

    Dates:

    • June 9 – August 3, 2024

    Dates are subject to change.

    Units: 6 units

    Language of Instruction: English

    Two Required Courses:

    • One online course through UC Berkeley Summer Sessions
    • UGIS W158: Global Citizenship (3 units)

    Housing

    • Students will live in apartment-style accommodations in the Westside neighborhood of Los Angeles.
    • Students will have access to a shared bathroom and communal kitchen to prepare meals.
    • Students will be housed with other program participants in shared rooms of two students per room. Please note that there are gender-inclusive rooming options available for this program. If you have clarifying questions, please feel free to reach out to the program staff.

    Eligibility

    • Currently enrolled in a degree program or have graduated within the last 12 months [Graduate students are eligible to apply]
    • At least one year of college coursework completed by the start of the program
    • 2.0 GPA or higher
    • At least 18 years old at the time of application
    • Not on academic probation or under censure for student misconduct at any point from application review to the end of your program
    • International students must have completed one year of full-time study at a college in the United States in the year immediately preceding your internship, be authorized for F-1 Curricular Practical Training or J-1 Academic Training under federal visa regulations, and have a valid visa for the extent of the program.

    Application

    • Application opens December 1, 2023
    • Space is limited and applications are accepted on a first-come, first-served basis
    • Deadline to apply is January 16, 2024
  • Courses

    Courses

    In addition to your internship, you will be required to take two online courses for a total of 6 Berkeley units. 

    Possible Course Combinations

    • UGIS W158 + Additional UC Berkeley Summer Sessions Online Course

    Internship Courses

    Course: Undergraduate & Interdisciplinary Studies W158 
    Title: Global Citizenship
    Dates: June 3 – August 9, 2024
    Instructor: Jeroen Dewulf, Ph.D.
    Units: 3 units
    Prerequisites: None

    With this course, you will be able to add a new dimension to your internship experience: a reflection on global citizenship. You will be challenged to use your internship experience as an opportunity to critically explore cultural differences, modes of conduct and values. A series of audio-visual lectures, practical exercises, writing assignments, projects, and online group discussions will stimulate you to leave the comfort zone of what you are familiar with and to explore alternative views on right and wrong, good and bad and the beautiful and the ugly. The course will also encourage you to interact with locals and to engage with the city/region/country where you live during your internship. It is our hope that this course will help to increase your consciousness about the challenges of being a global citizen.

    Consult with your college/major advisor to see which degree requirements these courses may fulfill.

    Summer Sessions Online Courses

    Please choose one of the courses offered through the Berkeley Resource Center for Online Education listed here. It is your responsibility to make sure you meet any course related prerequisites as these are general UC Berkeley courses. Please note, these courses do fill up, so the earlier you apply, the higher the likelihood of you getting your first choice.

    Registration

    Global Internships staff will enroll you in courses after your acceptance to the program. Please make sure there are no active blocks on your student account that may impact your course enrollment.

    Instructors

    Jeroen Dewulf, Ph.D. 

    UGIS W158: Global Citizenship
    Email: jdewulf@berkeley.edu

    Dr. Jeroen Dewulf is Associate Professor in the Department of German at the University of California Berkeley where he teaches courses in German Studies and Dutch Studies. He is also Queen Beatrix chair as well as Director of Institute of European Studies and Director of Dutch Studies.

    Born in Ostend, Belgium, Dr. Dewulf graduated in Dutch and German Philology at the University of Ghent. He holds a Master's degree from the University of Porto and a Ph.D. from the University of Bern. His areas of specialization are European Studies, particularly related to (multi)cultural identity in Belgium and the Netherlands, and Post-Colonial Studies, in particular, Dutch colonial history and literature.

  • Internship

    Internship

    The Global Internships team works one-on-one with you to find an internship that matches your career goals, interests, and experience level. Internships in the Los Angeles Area are available in a wide variety of fields, and internship placement is guaranteed.

    Example internship placements:

    • Management and tech consulting services for a start-up company
    • Film/Entertainment Industry: assisting with pre-production, editing, conducting film research, collaborating on funding proposals and budget documents
    • Graphic Design Firm: working with clients to create logs, revamp websites, implement SEO plans
    • Ecommerce Company: developing social media plans, drafting communications, researching competitors and clients

     

    Some challenging internship fields to place in Los Angeles are:

    • Hospitality & Tourism locations prefer longer (up to six month) placements. Alternate opportunities include marketing, social media, market research, and planning for virtual events.
    • Medical placements or any field requiring handling of confidential data or information is unlikely. Alternate opportunities include public health or general research and support not related to specific clients or patients.

    Opportunities can vary year-to-year by such factors as market trends, time of year, and the economy. Common industry sectors for internships include, but are not limited to:

    Accounting
    Advertising
    Art
    Banking
    Biotechnology
    Business Services
    Cloud Computing
    Communications
    Computer Hardware
    Construction
    Consulting
    Consumer Goods
    Culture
    Cybersecurity
    Data Science
    Data Storage & Management
    Design
    Ecommerce
    Economics
    Education
    Engineering
    Entertainment
    Entrepreneurship
    Environmental Services
    Events
    Fashion
    Financial Services
    FinTech
    Food & Beverage
    Healthcare
    Hospitality
    Human Resources
    Information Technology
    Insurance
    Investment
    Journalism
    Logistics
    Luxury Goods
    Marketing
    Media
    Medical Devices
    Music
    Personal Services
    Pharmaceutical
    Photography
    Politics
    Professional Services
    Public Administration
    Public Health
    Real Estate
    Research
    Restaurants
    Retail
    Robotics
    Security
    Social Media
    Software
    Sports and Fitness
    Sustainability
    Technology
    Telecom
    Trade
    Transportation
    Travel & Tourism
    Video Game
  • Costs

    Costs

    Tuition and Program Fee

    The fees to participate in this program are broken down into 1) tuition and 2) program fees, which are applied to your student billing account as follows:

    2024 Fees

    UC Students

    Visiting Students

    Tuition (6 units)$2,514$3,570
    Program Fee$5,096*$5,096*
    Total Cost$7,610$8,666

    *Program fee includes accommodations. Students have the option to opt out of program housing and find their own accommodations. These students will pay a reduced program fee of $1,905.

    Fees are subject to change. All non-Berkeley students must pay an additional Document Management Fee of $68.

    Estimated Out-of-Pocket Expenses

    In addition to the fees outlined above, Berkeley Study Abroad has estimated amounts for out-of-pocket expenses. These amounts are used to calculate financial aid packages for eligible students. Actual expenses will vary depending on your lifestyle and spending habits.

    Estimated Expenses

    Amount

    International Airfare and Transportation$694
    Additional Meals$2,110
    Books$318
    Personal Expenses (i.e. phone, passport, visas, etc.)$2,800
    Total Estimated Out-of-Pocket Expenses$5,922

    Financial Aid

    Financial aid is available for UC Berkeley students who are enrolled in at least 6 units during the summer.

    Financial aid estimates for 2024 Berkeley Global Internships programs are now available in the Summer Financial Aid Estimator in your Cal Central account.

    Please FIRST obtain your estimate in the Summer Aid Estimator, then write to travelaid@berkeley.edu if you have any questions about the estimate you receive. Your estimate will include a Berkeley Study Abroad Scholarship if you qualify for one based on financial need.

    How to locate the Estimator:

    1) Log into Cal Central
    2) Navigate to the My Finances Tab, and find the "Financial Resources" card
    3) Scroll to the bottom of the Financial Resources card and click on Summer Sessions
    4) From the Summer Sessions menu, click on Summer Cost and Aid Estimator

    Make sure to adjust the number of units in the estimator if your program offers a choice of course selection. If your program only offers one combination or one course for 6 total units units, you do not need to update the units in the estimator.​

    All other students should contact the financial aid office at their home institution for more information.

    Explanation of Fees

    Tuition is based on a per unit cost:

    • The UC undergraduate student rate is $419 per unit
    • The visiting student rate for all non-UC participants is $595 per unit

    The program fee includes the following items: 

    • Student housing in shared, apartment-style accommodations, if you choose to stay in program housing
    • One-on-one meetings with the internship placement coordinator
    • Resume review
    • Interview preparation
    • Professional development seminars
    • Pre-internship orientation meetings
    • The initial non-refundable deposit of $400, which will be charged on February 1, 2024, is applied to the program fee

    The list of items included in the program fee is not all-inclusive and is subject to change.

    The following items are excluded from the program fee:

    • Airfare
    • Personal expenses (emergency expenses, medical expenses, toiletries, etc.)
    • Meals
    • Course materials (textbooks and readers)
    • Commuting costs for the daily travel to and from your internship
    • COVID-19 testing fees for travel-related purposes
  • Timeline

    Timeline

    Application opensDecember 1, 2023
    Application closesJanuary 16, 2024
    Applicants notified of selectionBy February 15, 2024
    Attend internship pre-placement orientationMarch 2024
    Deadline to confirm participation or cancel for a refund of all program-related fees, minus $300 depositMarch 15, 2024
    Attend professional development workshopsApril-May 2024
    Receive a provisional internship placementApril-June 2024
    Interview onsite with your direct internship supervisorApril-June 2024
    Online course beginsJune 3, 2024
    Program beginsJune 9, 2024
    Last day of programAugust 3, 2024
    Online course endsAugust 9, 2024

    *All dates are subject to change.