The Experiential Education program is an optional program designed to provide meaningful career-related experiences in the form of job shadowing, informational interviewing, internships, and co-ops. The purpose of these experiences is to provide direction and enrichment to the students' education and to enhance their value as employees upon graduation. The program involves a cooperative effort between employers and the University in operating a system for their mutual benefit. 

The USCA Career Services Office has developed relationships with a variety of employers who are interested in hiring USCA students and alumni. For this reason and others, our hope is that all students interested in any type of experiential education will utilize our services as we can expedite the placement and offer additional networking opportunities.

For direct information or to apply, contact
Heather Hanami
Coordinator of Experiential Education and Employer Relations
USCA Career Services Office / Penland Buidling, Suite 107
803-641-3533 / hhanami@usca.edu

• Provides a chance to identify interests and talents and to explore options within one's major field.
• Provides an early understanding of the business world and a smoother transition into work life.
• Facilitates development of skills necessary for starting a career.
• Enhances development of maturity, self-confidence, and independence.
• Enables students to build a career-oriented work record, increasing their marketability and value to employers upon graduation.
• Provides students with the opportunity to apply classroom concepts to work experiences and work experiences to the classroom
• Helps the student increase their network

Job Shadowing

• Shadowing is a short-term experience where a student ‘shadows’ or observes a professional working in a field that interest them.
• Learn about the day-to-day activities of that particular career field, investigate the work environment, ask related questions, and get a first-hand look at the career in the real world.
• Shadowing is a great tool for any student! It is especially useful in helping choose the right major, investigating a particular industry, or clarifying the right career path.

Informational Interviewing

• Informational Interviewing is similar to the traditional shadow; however, it has become a popular alternative for career fields that do not permit shadowing due to strict confidentially laws (i.e. counseling, health care).
• The student and professional meet and engage in a Q & A discussion where the student asks the questions.
• It is a great tool because it involves less time creating flexibility, gives the student a more significant understanding of the career field as they can ask the questions that most intrigue them, and give the employer a chance to mentor.

Internship (non-credit)

• An internship is a professional work experience that provides students with the ability to gain knowledge and skills in a particular career area.
• Internships can be paid, unpaid, for credit, or non-credit. Generally, credit is awarded for non paying internships.*
• The length of the internship varies depending on the type of work or project.
• Employers looking for interns generally hire students with considerable academic experience to assist them in performing daily tasks or to work on special projects.
• The non-credit internship component of our Experiential Education program allows students to be placed in professional settings where they are monitored by knowledgeable individuals working in the field.
• Non-credit internships are available for those students that would simply like to enrich their résumé with an experience related to their field of study and potentially earn a wage.**

*All Academic Internships (for credit) must be approved by academic department.
** Not all positions are paid.

Cooperative Education (Co-op)

• Co-ops and Internships are essentially the same thing. Co-ops by definition are paying positions.
• Co-op positions generally have two work plans:

Alternating : The student rotates between semesters of full-time work and full-time college attendance. Students return to the same cooperative employer each work semester until completion of that particular co-op assignment.

Parallel : The student attends classes during one segment of the day and works part-time during another segment of the day. Students return to the same employer for each work semester.

Searching and applying for an internship and/or co-op position is similar to the typical job search and application process. There are two ways that you, the student, can connect to an experiential education opportunity.

1. Notify Heather Hanami (hhanami@usca.edu) in the Career Services Office of your interest in experiential education, complete a simple program application, and work directly with the Coordinator of Experiential Education to secure the opportunity.
   
   -OR-
   
   
2. Search Pacer Career Connection (click on the Jobs link located on the Career Services homepage) for ‘internships’ and/or ‘co-ops’. If you find one that you’re interested in, contact Aimeé Carter for application instructions.

If you’re interested in a job shadow or informational interview, simply contact Heather Hanami in the Career Services Office to get started.

• Must be currently enrolled at USCA
• Must fill out and sign a program application
• Internship/co-op students must maintain a minimum 2.0 GPA
• Internship/co-op students must have a résumé on file with application

Internship and Co-op Placements

The employer will be expected to complete an evaluation prior to the conclusion of each work experience. This evaluation will be formal feedback of the student’s performance during their assignment. The student will also be encouraged to complete a self-appraisal so they can reflect on their experience.

Job Shadows and Informational Interviews

The student will be expected to complete a Job Shadow Evaluation Form so they can formally reflect on their experience. Click here to access a PDF version of the evaluation which can be filled out online and printed.