Internship Programs & Opportunities

Photo of students at the annual spring Occidental College Career and Internship Fair

Internships are a great way to build valuable skills, explore the world of work, and gain a clearer sense of your interests and career goals.

Internships and other meaningful work experiences can give you a head start on life after Oxy, helping you build skills, explore your interests, and prepare for your first professional opportunity after graduation. Students can also earn academic credit toward their degree through internships.

At Oxy, you can pursue internships in three ways: through on-campus recruiting opportunities, such as employer information sessions and the annual career fair; through Hameetman Career Center internship programs; or independently. Students who secure an internship through any of these pathways can earn academic credit through an internship-for-credit course..

We encourage all Oxy students to complete our career education seminars to learn how to conduct a successful job or internship search, and how to earn academic credit for an internship. You will also find hundreds of internship opportunities listed on Handshake.

Getting Credit for Your Internship

By enrolling in one of the two internship-for-credit courses listed below, Occidental students may earn up to two academic credits/units for finding and completing a fall, spring, or summer internship. Completion of an internship is also noted on your academic transcript.

 

Hameetman Career Center (HCC) Internship Programs

In addition to internships that students secure through on-campus recruiting or find independently, the HCC has several signature internship programs that students can apply for. 

 

Student stands in hallway of Los Angeles Mayors Office
InternLA

Every summer, students gain valuable work experience with a variety of organizations throughout the Los Angeles area. Students selected for an InternLA internship receive an educational stipend and need-based on-campus housing for the duration of the program.
Zachary Lipsett ’27 spent the summer as a program assistant at The Ford
LA Phil x Oxy Internship

Oxy students have an exclusive opportunity to intern with either the Hollywood Bowl, Walt Disney Concert Hall, The Ford, or YOLA. Students receive mentorship from industry professionals by immersing themselves in the creativity and excellence of the Los Angeles Philharmonic.
HCC Exterior
Cornuelle Fellows

Occidental honors the remarkable intellectual legacy of the late Richard Cornuelle ’48 through the Richard Cornuelle Fellows Program. Through this program, two fellows are identified annually for a summer internship experience in the areas of social services and advocacy, law, and policy. 

Other Occidental Internship Programs

Tylor Lee '26 interned with Healthcare in Action, which provides healthcare and social services to unhoused people.
The Justice Summer Internship

Explore the Justice Summer Internship program, which centers on affordable housing, urban agriculture, public health, Los Angeles and the Olympics, and immigrant rights. Housed within the Urban & Environmental Policy department and UEPI, the program offers full-time internships over the summer in Los Angeles and in Greece.

LA Phil x Oxy Internship Program

Through an exclusive partnership with the Los Angeles Philharmonic, Oxy students can spend the summer gaining hands-on experience at some of Los Angeles’ most iconic cultural venues, including the Hollywood Bowl, Walt Disney Concert Hall, The Ford, and YOLA.

During the 10-week program, students take on meaningful projects, receive mentorship from industry professionals, and get an inside look at how a major arts and cultural organization operates. Internship opportunities span a variety of areas, including marketing and social media, philanthropy, production, data and evaluation, programming, and orchestra management. The program is open to students from any major.

Designed to help students explore their interests and possible career paths, the program offers a chance to build professional skills while experiencing the creative industries that make Los Angeles such a distinctive place to learn. Thanks to donor support, internships are fully funded, with a stipend and support for living expenses to help make the experience accessible to qualified Oxy students.

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How to Apply

Information for Summer 2027 coming soon.

 

Cornuelle Fellows Program

Occidental College honors the remarkable intellectual legacy of the late Richard Cornuelle ’48—and his vision of a democratic society both “free and humane”—through the Richard Cornuelle Fellows Program. Through this generous gift, two fellows are identified annually for a 10-week summer internship experience. 

Students will pursue internships  in the areas of social services and advocacy, law, and policy. The fellows will complete 32 internship hours per week while working on an academic project that involves reading work in political theory and political philosophy, including some of the work of Richard Cornuelle, and writing a research paper that allows them to reflect on their internship and readings and their overall academic and career goals.

How to Apply

The next fellows program runs from May 26, 2027 through July 30, 2027.

Contact Career Services
Hameetman Career Center

AGC 109, F-34
1600 Campus Road / Los Angeles, CA 90041
Interactive Map to HCC

Office Hours: 9 - 5 pm, Mon - Fri

Phone: (323) 259-2623
careers@oxy.edu