FAQ about Chancellor's Undergraduate Internship Program (CUIP)
Frequently Asked Questions and Resources for Interns, Mentors, and Applicants
1. What is CUIP?
2. Who can participate?
3. What are the internships like?
4. What is the compensation?
5. Will the CUIP scholarship change my financial aid?
6. How do I apply?
7. How do I upload my application(s): resume, and cover letter(s)?
8. Do I need a separate resume and/or cover letters for each internship I apply for?
9. Who should I address the cover letter to?
10. I don't have good conduct standing/I have poor academic standing. Does this mean I cannot apply?
11. How much time will the internship require?
12. What do interns learn?
13. What do CUIP Alumni do with the experience?
14. What is the application timeline?
1. CUIP provides on-campus internships in administrative departments throughout campus. Interns work with a mentor to develop personal and professional skills, and take a lead role in producing a product or result in their one-year internship, e.g., campus-wide recycling program; department newsletter or web page; policy recommendation report. Interns also attend a two-unit leadership seminar. CUIP interns are compensated with up to a $5,500 scholarship, depending on their financial aid package. If you have questions about your financial aid package, please contact UCSC Financial Aid directly.
2. CUIP is an opportunity available to full-time, continuously enrolled undergraduate students in good standing* (academic and conduct) in any major with at least one quarter completed at UCSC.
*Please note that students will need to sign a records release allowing for quarterly checks of their academic and conduct standing for the duration of the internship.
3. CUIP now has one internship offering. It requires all students to be enrolled in a 2 Unit course for all three quarters, and work roughly 10 hours a week within a department to total to 300 hours by the end of the academic year.
Different internship positions are proposed every year.
4. Interns are awarded up to a $5,500 scholarship disbursed evenly each quarter (Fall, Winter, and Spring) of the academic year. This scholarship is applied to your cost of attendance. For international students, the scholarship is for tuition and fees only, and is therefore non-taxable. If you have questions about your financial aid package, please contact UCSC Financial Aid directly.
5. The CUIP may affect your Financial Aid depending on your package. Like all scholarships, it may reduce Work-Study and government loans. Please contact your Financial Aid Advisor or the Financial Aid Office to find out about your individual case.
6. The full list of CUIP applications will be posted each year in January. You can apply for as many positions as you have the capacity to interview for, though we recommend no more than 4.
To increase your chances of getting an interview, you should research the positions, write a cover letter (one for each position), polish your general resume (attend a resume/cover letter session with our wonderful peer advisor and even interview tips from our career coach through Handshake!) Once you have all your materials ready, you will apply to the roles via Handshake and complete a brief google form.
The deadline is typically in February. Please start early and give yourself plenty of time to apply! If you need help applying to CUIP, email cuip@ucsc.edu.
You can also check out the section "CUIP Application Process" using the left-hand tab navigation to see the full description!
7. Submitting your
The application process will be through a brief Google sheet and direct applications in Handshake.
8. You may submit the same documents for each position. However, we HIGHLY recommend catering each document (especially your cover letter) to each position as we have a variety of internships that call for different skill sets.
9. You can address the letter to CUIP Selection Committee. However, if you do know the primary mentor or the department of the internship you can address the letter to that specific person.
10. You must have good conduct standing to be in the CUIP cohort. We will check your standing prior to submitting your application to mentors. We will check your conduct standing at the end of each quarter during your internship.
Additionally, we want to ensure you are successful in your academics, so students who aren't in good academic standing won't have their applications advanced. We also check GPAs at the end of every quarter during your internship. If your GPA drops below a 2.0, you will be given a quarter to raise your grade or else we will ask you to withdraw from the internship to focus on your academic performance.
11. Internships take place over three academic quarters: Fall, Winter, and Spring, and will average about 10 hours per week.
Interns are also REQUIRED to attend a 2 Unit course during Fall, Winter, and Spring quarters. The Leadership and Institution Building course fulfills the PR-S General Education Requirement.
12. A former CUIP Class brainstormed a list of skills they gained during CUIP.
Through a series of lectures by senior administrators and student-led discussions, students will be introduced to the problems faced in building an institution such as the University of California and specifically, UC Santa Cruz. They will learn about leadership skills, and how leaders work with constituent groups to reach consensus, develop solutions and implement plans. Students will have the opportunity to discuss current issues with campus leaders and suggest solutions. Course requirements include attendance at all classes, required readings, assigned projects, and formal presentations of a professional development plan in Fall and the results of the plan at the celebration in the Spring.
13. Interns gain skills in the internship and in the Leadership and Institution Building Course which they apply in their careers. A list of examples is available.
- December - Internships Finalized
- January - Internship Applications Open
- Mid-February - Student Intern Applications Due
- February/March - Mentors interview Student applicants
- April - Chosen CUIPs notified
- May - CUIP Orientation
- September - Internships begin
