Pre-Internship Projects
CLA Career Services prepares liberal arts students for participation in internships, research, or learning abroad experiences — what we refer to as high-impact practices. Research shows that students' career outcomes improve with engagement in one of these high-impact experiences.
In order for students to be competitive for future internships, it's important that they gain career experience early in their college experience. We offer pre-internship projects as a stepping stone to future internships and career opportunities.
Pre-Internship Projects
Pre-internship projects are professional assignments that are similar to those given to new hires or interns. Projects are short-term (1 week) and are completed by a small team of students. Organizations will need to have a project concept and designate an industry expert mentor for the groups of students who are working on the projects.
As a participating organization in a pre-internship project, you will be supporting students’ career development, building your brand in CLA, getting a preview of students’ work for your internship opportunities, and you’ll get fresh ideas to enhance a program or initiative; or strengthen your capacity to serve your community.
CLA staff will offer extensive support throughout the project to ensure a mutually beneficial experience for students and employer partners.
FAQs About Pre-Internship Projects
- Build your organization’s brand in the largest college at the University of Minnesota (CLA)
- Expand your organization’s candidate pool for internships and recruiting needs. Project participants may be your next best employee!
- Strengthen your capacity to serve your community, develop new initiatives or enhance existing programs with fresh ideas.
- Identify a project concept or need at your organization. This list of project concept ideas (PDF) can help you get started.
- Provide clear outcomes for students completing the project.
- Host students on-site two of the five days for a project launch meeting and a final Project Showcase where students will present their project outcomes.
- Participate in 2-3 virtual check-in meetings throughout the week.
Organizations can host projects during either of our two annual cycles, which are timed to coincide with students' academic schedules."
Upcoming cycles
May term: May 19-22, 2026
You can meet with a CLA staff member to work through the details of your project, as well as your project outcomes. We will help make sure that the project has definition and clear roles for our student teams as they collaborate.
Once the project week starts, you will have an assigned CLA staff member to support you and your students throughout the week.
Not at this time. We have found that a hybrid model is ideal for team cohesion and meeting project outcomes in the short term format.
Students receive $600 for their participation in a pre-internship project. By providing compensation, you are creating an accessible entrance point for students who often hold historically underserved identities. Student participants of this program often experience barriers to gaining access to experiences and networks that are necessary for success after graduation.
We ask that organizations who would like to support a team of students provide funding to compensate their student teams. In the circumstances that your organization is unable to provide funding to compensate your student teams, a CLA staff member will work with you to discuss options.
Yes! While pre-internship projects center student learning and career growth, our hope is that students will gain real experience creating something tangible. Students will be proud to have an organization use their work!
For more information about pre-internship projects, contact Tonny Yang, coordinator of employer & alumni engagement: [email protected].
Pre-Internship Project Stories | 2022-25
Read about recent pre-internship projects at a variety of employer sites.
Discover CLA alum and employer Jay O'Neill learned how hosting pre-internship projects are a successful employee recruitment strategy.
The Minnesota Daily followed students participating in pre-internship projects during their spring break. Read the article and hear from the employer and students about the experience.
As a sophomore Sahra Jilaow gained hands-on experience with Agape Movement Co, Read about Sahra's experience in the pre-internship program.
Angel Even, CEO and founder of Led by Truth, built relationships with the students in her pre-internship project. Read more about Even's experience with the pre-internship program students.