The Career Catalyst course is filled up for the Fall 2026 semester. There will be another section available in Spring 2027. If you'd like to receive additional information on the section, please complete the following form: Group Internship Interest Form.
Group Internships are a series of courses that let students gain hands-on experience through real projects with real employers. In these courses, students collaborate in a small group to solve a real organization problem, helping you build your career experience and setting yourself apart in the job market.
The courses are generally available to various majors, but check out information below on each type of program to understand more details and requirements.
Student Testimonials
I would recommend this employer project to other students because it gives real-world experience that you don't always get in class. It helped me understand how to find the right companies, do research, and communicate professionally with potential clients. I also became more confident in my outreach and learned how to apply what we learn in class to real situations. Overall, it's a great way to build practical skills that will be useful in future jobs. - Former participant
The course is built around consistent teamwork, individual and group evaluations, and reflections. Since you’re working with a real employer, it’s important to stay on top of project work with your team and have strong time management. Additional requirements may be found in the details of each course section.
Projects typically get finalized 6-8 weeks before the class starts. Projects are generally focused on the process of doing work, and are highly transferable between different types of organizations and businesses.
You will be working with 2-3 other students on a real life project with an employer. Your work will be split amongst the team, and you’ll have recurring checkpoints and deliverables as a group.
During the project, you’ll work closely with a real employer partner on your project. This person will serve as a project supervisor and career mentor, guiding you through your work and providing feedback on performance and engagement.
Your instructor will help facilitate your class and assess your work from an academic perspective. They also serve as a career mentor for you, giving insight into how to tackle complex issues and how to show up professionally in your work.
Your work will be done as a team, but you’ll primarily be graded on individual contributions and engagement. You’ll be graded on the quality of your project deliverables, reflections, your professional engagement, and a final presentation.
The Career Catalyst Program is a 3 credit hour, 15-week experiential learning course for undergraduate students. The program is best for Sophomores or Juniors and focused on foundational career exploration and exposure.
Projects fall into categories that represent common types of professional work: market and user analysis, competitive intelligence, strategy and growth planning, marketing and engagement strategy, and operations and program improvement. The specific topic and organization varies, but the type of work you'll do is transferable across industries and careers.
This is not a traditional course. Instead, you'll develop professional skills by doing the kind of work that professionals do: researching a problem, developing a strategy, creating deliverables, using feedback, and presenting your work to a real audience. Take a deeper dive into this program
Available Courses & Sections:
- Fall 2026
- UCOL 3410-002 - Career Catalyst Program (CRN: 17498)
- 30 seats total
- Spring 2027
- UCOL 3410 - Career Catalyst Program (CRN: TBD)
- 30 seats total
Other Group Internship courses are 8-week, 1-credit hour experiential learning courses. They're intended for Juniors or Seniors who already have some academic experience.
These courses allow you to bridge your academic learning with real life application. Take a deeper dive into this program
Available Courses & Sections:
- Fall 2026
- UCOL 3410-006 - Group Internship Program (Course Registration Number: 16400)
- 25 seats, Open to all Majors
- UCOL 3410-006 - Group Internship Program (Course Registration Number: 16400)
Future Courses & Sections (subject to change):
- Spring 2027
- 1 Section for all majors
- 1 Section for College of Computing and Informatics Majors - Coding/tech project focus
Group Internship courses cannot be paid positions because they're for academic credit; however, these courses provide you relevant, hands-on experience that can still be put on a resume and discussed in interviews.
Yes! International students may complete any Group Internship courses since they are for academic credit.
Be sure to read thoroughly through your program's specific page to understand the experience and commitment level required for each course. Since these courses include projects sourced from real employers, it is important that you fully commit to the experience. The section's credit hours can give you an idea of the level of commitment, but since this is project-based learning it can shift from week to week.
Additional considerations:
- Engage and maintain strong communication with your employer partner at all times.
- If you quit before the end of the program, access to the Career Center may be blocked.
All project work is done virtually and includes work on your own, as well as occasional work and meetings with your group and the employer. The exact requirements and preferences for your group will be identified when you start the course, but in the past typical synchronous work has included.
- Regular check-ins with the employer (weekly or bi-weekly)
- Regular meetings or communication with your group
Check out each page for additional information on project timelines and how the work is structured.