Set Yourself Apart: Internship & Research Opportunities

How can college graduates distinguish themselves when applying to professional schools, graduate school admissions, and employers?

A resume or application that includes practical work outside of a classroom can demonstrate your commitment to and experience in an environment where you must work independently within your discipline. Internships and undergraduate research are two of the ways you can gain valuable practice in your chosen area of study.

You may already know that you can receive credit for participating in an internship — in fact some majors even require an internship. If you are interested in signing up for an internship, contact your academic advisor or visit the Career Development Center to discuss the possibilities.

What you may not know is that most undergraduate majors at Pacific offer directed research courses for credit where you work one-on-one with a faculty mentor. Such research experiences provide excellent preparation for your senior capstone — a requirement of all undergraduate students. If you are interested in doing research speak with the faculty in your major about the possibilities. As an additional benefit, if you complete a research project and present your work at a professional conference in your discipline, Pacific will fund up to $150 in travel and registration expenses for you to attend. (Ask your advisor about applying for travel funds when you start planning to attend a conference.) 

It pays to become involved in your future career sooner rather than later — consider starting an internship or participating in faculty directed research at some point in your undergraduate studies at Pacific! Learn more about undergraduate research at Pacific.