Graduate Student Career Development Assistance Award

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Graduate Student Career Development Assistance Award

An unpaid internship fund for UC Davis graduate students

An award available to current UC Davis graduate students who completed an unpaid internship in support of their career development goals. Awards range from $500 to $1,000. In-progress and remote internships qualify.

Eligibility
  • Internship was a supervised work-learn experience in a professional environment outside the classroom in support of a graduate student's career goals. (See UC Davis internship policies for details).
  • Internship took place while the applicant was a current UC Davis Master's, PhD, or EdD student. Incoming graduate students who did internships before they began coursework at UC Davis are not eligible to apply.
  • Applicants must be current Master's, PhD, or EdD student when they receive the award. Graduate students who have already graduated are not eligible to apply.
  • Students enrolled in other professional degree programs (e.g. MBA, DVM, MD) are not eligible.
  • Internship was unpaid, not required part of the applicant's graduate program (major field, minor field, or designated emphasis), and not used primarily to conduct dissertation or thesis research.
  • Priority for the award will be given to graduate students exploring diverse career paths beyond academia.
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Application Materials
  1. Application form, including short answer responses (preview questions below).
  2. CV or Resume.
  3. Upload documents through Handshake posting.

Additional details below.

Offered by the UC Davis Internship and Career Center, made possible with support from the UC Davis GradPathways Institute for Professional Development.

Questions: email iccmpp@ucdavis.edu

Read about some of the previous award recipients

Additional Details

Preview of the questions asked in the application form:
  • Internship experience description, including role and the organization/company, total number of hours, start and end dates, and supervisor contact information
  • What did you learn / are you learning from this internship experience?
  • How does this internship experience support your career development goals?
  • How would receiving this monetary award assist you?

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

Content last updated February 9, 2024.

  • I have an internship that took place during multiple quarters  - can I apply for this award?
  • Yes, as long as the internship experience took place while you were a current (not incoming) UC Davis graduate student, you have not already graduated, and the internship took place during the time period specified for the current application window.
  • I am an incoming or new graduate student and my internship was before I started graduate coursework at UC Davis. Can I apply for this award?
  • No, the award is for continuing graduate students only. The internship must have take place after you began graduate coursework at UC Davis.
  • Can international graduate students apply for this award?
  • Most international graduate students (with few exceptions) can apply for this award. International students are responsible for making sure their internship complies with the appropriate work authorization guidelines for their visa status (e.g., CPT). Contact SISS for additional questions on work authorization.
    For more detailed questions, email iccmpp@ucdavis.edu
  • Can undocumented graduate students apply for this award?
  • Undocumented graduate students with AB540 status are eligible to apply. All graduate students with California Dream Act Applications or FAFSA on file with UC Davis may be eligible to apply -- further updates will be added to this page. For more detailed questions, email iccmpp@ucdavis.edu
  • My unpaid position was not called an "internship" but I think it still qualifies --can I still apply?
  • Yes, you may apply as long as your experience meets the eligibility criteria above. See UC Davis internship policies and NACE internship criteria for more detailed descriptions of internship experiences.
  • What should go on my CV or resume for this application?
  • Other than the internship experience, the content of your CV or resume is up to you. See the ICC website for advanced degree resume and CV examples.
  • What if I am currently doing an internship?
  • You can still apply. Just be sure to specify which quarter(s) you are completing the internship.