Paid Internships

The Value of Internships

Students
hands-on experiental experience
career related learning
personal development
professional preparation
Sponsoring organizations
delivery of a defined outcome or project
organizational collaboration
further research and recommendations
Humboldt School of Business
providing experiential learning opportunities
enhancing links to the community

Community Internships

The Cal Poly Humboldt School of Business academic internship program, which began in 2012, provides supervised hands-on learning opportunities for undergraduate business students. The program links classroom business concepts with actual business practice and problems and applies learning to a variety of  for-profit and non-profit local settings. Interns will be mentored by two professionals – the Humboldt professor and the organization’s intern supervisor.
Internship opportunities may come in a variety of forms. Some potential focus areas include:

  • Accounting Assistance
  • Business operations
  • Data Analysis
  • Event Planning
  • Finance Assistance
  • Marketing Plan Development
  • Project Management
  • Research and Analysis
  • Sales
  • Social Media Assistance

Details for Prospective Community Interns and Business Contacts:

BA 482 (Internship, 4 units) is offered every spring semester. Students can work with their major advisor to include this course in their major contract. Academic credit is based on the student's performance during the internship and weekly class. Students may begin the application process by filling out the Student Community Internship Application. 

All businesses (for-profits, non-profits, government) interested in providing internship opportunities and lending their valuable time to mentor a student intern, please begin by filling out the Internship Site Application for Businesses.  Once you complete your survey, you will be contacted by Internship Coordination team with further instructions.

VITA Internships

The Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA Internship, 2 units) Program provides students with hands-on opportunities for tax preparation for clients in our community. All of the VITA Interns will be working on-site at Cal Poly Humboldt, with the possibility of helping at additional VITA sites in the community.  Duties will include certifying through the Internal Revenue Service test site at the advanced level of income tax preparation as the prerequisite for all future activities.   Included in the training is a section on ethics and the required Standard of Conduct.  Interns will meet and interview members of the community, and use an on-line tax preparation computer program to input the required information and prepare an accurate and complete Federal and State tax return.  Interns will be required to research and apply current tax law while using accepted accounting procedures as they investigate various issues involving the clients served.
Interns will be required to conduct Quality Review checks on each tax return prepared.  In addition to the technical expertise required, Interns must develop/possess excellent communication skills as they interview clients and discuss the application of the tax law as it pertains to that individual’s tax return.  Upon completing the Internship, students will be proficient in researching and applying tax law, while completing individual tax returns of varying difficulty levels and diverse issues. This program provides critical services to the communities we serve.

  • Position Type: Internship
  • Position Detail: Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA)
  • Undergrad or Graduate: Undergraduate
  • Work Study not accepted
  • Stipend-Funded Positions Available: 15
  • Available for Spring term only
  • 4 Hours per week
  • Academic Credits: 2
  • Submit application materials to VITA Internship Program Director (see School of Business website for details)
  • Academic Preparation and Pre-Requisites: Must enroll in BA 482; Business Major with an Accounting concentration, 3.0 GPA; need recommendation from advisor and Humboldt faculty member; IRS Certification at the Advanced level required after training (provided in class); tax accounting background preferred but not required.
  • Skills Required: Possesses good interpersonal skills; ability to maintain a professional demeanor; maintain high ethical standards while accessing confidential client information; work with computers; ability to research as needed
  • Site of Work: School of Business with the possibility of working ad additional VITA sites in the community
  • Brief Position Description: Prepares tax returns for community members and provides assistance with tax-related issues.

For more information regarding the VITA Program please contact: VITA@humboldt.edu