*UCSC does not offer this as an undergraduate major.

UC Santa Cruz offers a variety of field and exchange programs. Through field-placement programs, students gain or refine practical skills not usually taught in the classroom and provide needed services to various organizations, groups, and businesses. Students can receive academic credit for courses taken at other institutions and for fieldwork completed through almost all of these programs.

In addition to the opportunities available through the programs described below, internships are sponsored by UC Santa Cruz's Career Center, and independent field study is available through most departments on campus.

Economics Field-Study Program

The Economics Field-Study Program offers students an opportunity to integrate academic theory with hands-on experience. Students usually complete field studies locally, although there are some placements in Silicon Valley and the San Francisco Bay Area. Field placements have been arranged with businesses, industry, state and local governments, and nonprofit organizations. Students have completed projects in marketing, financial analysis, accounting, human resources, and international trade. They have conducted research on issues involving monetary trends, public policy, and the problems of small businesses.

Students must prepare for field study a quarter in advance, in consultation with program staff. The program is open to junior and senior economics majors. For further information, contact the Economics Field-Study Program, (831) 459-5028, econintern@ucsc.edu

Education Field Programs

Education Field Programs at UC Santa Cruz offer a variety of field opportunities, both for students who are preparing for careers in education and for those who wish to broaden their programs in the liberal arts and sciences through the study of education as a major social institution. Education Department web site at education.ucsc.edu.

The general minor in education is an undergraduate program in which students explore the history of educational thought and philosophy, the politics and economics of education, learn­ing theory and pedagogy, and issues of cultural and linguistic diversity in education. As a part of the six-course minor sequence, students engage in field study in schools through Education 180, Introduction to Teaching. For more information, visit the Education Department web site at education.ucsc.edu.

The Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) minor in education serves students in STEM majors who are considering careers in secondary mathematics or science teaching. As a part of an eight-course sequence, students engage in field study in schools through Education 185L, Introduction to Teaching: Cal Teach 3. For more information, visit the Cal Teach web site at calteach.ucsc.edu.

Environmental Studies Internship Program

Open to all UC Santa Cruz students, the Environmental Studies Internship Program is an integral academic component of the environmental studies major, and it augments the research and professional development of undergraduate and graduate students (see Environmental Studies Major Page). Placements include interning with faculty, graduate students, and partner research institutes locally, statewide, and internationally. Students can complete a senior project, and often find future employment, with the agency where they interned. Many students complete two to four internships, completing undergraduate careers with not only career-building experiences but significant professional contacts and impressive resumes as well.

Further information is available from the Environmental Studies Internship Program Office, 491 Interdisciplinary Sciences Building, (831) 459-2104, ckrohn@ucsc.edu, envs.ucsc.edu/internships.

Global Information Internship Program (GIIP)

GIIP is an academic/cocurricular program that turns undergraduates into "info activists," individuals who are trained in technology and use that training to benefit the underserved, both in the U.S. and abroad. Prospective GIIP interns take a sequence of three quarter-long classes that focus on the theoretical and practical aspects of "info activism," or the process of addressing social inequalities through the use of information and communication technologies, and on technical skills such as web design, digital storytelling, databases, and other software. During its 10-year history, GIIP has placed students in internships in the U.S., Indonesia, India, Central America, and many African countries. For more information, please see the GIIP web site at giip.org or call (831) 459-1572.

Health Sciences Internship Program

The Health Sciences Internship Program is a required course within the human biology major. The program offers students in the major a unique opportunity for career exploration, personal growth, and professional development. Paired with a professional mentor, students spend one quarter interning in a community health care setting. Placement opportunities cover a broad range, from private practice to community clinics and hospitals, hospice, and public health agencies. Participating mentors include physicians, nurses, physical therapists, dentists, optometrists, physician's assistants, and more. Students enroll concurrently in the Biology 189W class, which uses the internship experience as a basis for scientific writing instruction, and fulfills the Disciplinary Communication General Education requirement for majors.

The Health Sciences Internship Coordinator works with students to prepare them for their internship and maintains a database of appropriate placements. Junior and senior human biology majors are eligible to apply. Applications are due two quarters in advance. For further information, contact the Health Sciences Internship Coordinator, Caroline Berger, at (831) 459-5647, cmberger@ucsc.edu.

Intercampus Visitor Program

The Intercampus Visitor Program enables students to take advantage of educational opportunities at other campuses of the University of California. Students may take courses not available at UC Santa Cruz, participate in special programs, or study with distinguished faculty at other campuses. The program is for one term only; students are expected to return to the Santa Cruz campus after the visit.

Each host campus establishes its own criteria for accepting students from other campuses as visitors. For further information, see registrar.ucsc.edu/enrollment/special-programs/ or contact the special programs assistant in the Office of the Registrar, 190 Hahn Student Services Building, (831) 459-3459, registrar@ucsc.edu.

International Education Office - Programs Abroad

The International Education Office (IEO) is the locus of responsibility and leadership for Programs Abroad at the UC Santa Cruz campus. We provide services in the areas of advising, information, and guidance to students seeking acceptance to the UC Education Abroad Program (EAP), UC Summer and Quarter Abroad Programs, or Independent Programs. Students interested in exploring their Programs Abroad options should visit the International Education Office early in their college career. Applications are generally due approximately one year in advance of the program abroad.

The UC Education Abroad Program (EAP) offers graduate and undergraduate students the opportunity to study abroad while earning full UC academic credit. EAP course work may be used to fulfill UCSC major and GE requirements with advance planning and approval from the appropriate departments. Diverse program offerings are available in over 200 programs affiliated with 125 host institutions in 39 countries throughout Asia, Southeast Asia, Australia/New Zealand, Africa, Europe, Latin America, North America, and the Middle East. EAP serves students at all UC campuses at the sophomore, junior, senior, and graduate level. Summer, short-term, and yearlong program options are available. Students receiving financial aid may apply their full award toward their EAP program fees, cost of living abroad, and round-trip airfare. In addition, a wide variety of scholarships are offered for the purposes of studying abroad on EAP. Further information on EAP program offerings can be found on the EAP web site: eap.ucop.edu.

In addition, UCSC students may avail themselves of quarter and summer abroad programs offered through other UC campuses. Some financial aid is transferable to UC study abroad programs, and course work may be integrated into students’ academic degrees.

Students who wish to study abroad independently also have many options. UCSC Programs Abroad is affiliated with a number of reputable study abroad organizations that run college-level academic programs all over the world. With approval from UCSC Admissions, students who study abroad independently may receive transfer credit for the courses they complete abroad. Transferrable courses may be used to satisfy major, minor, or general education requirements at the discretion of the appropriate department. Unfortunately, the UCSC Financial Aid Office is not able to package financial aid for students who study abroad independently. However, some independent program providers have the capability to package aid on students’ behalf, and many independent program providers offer scholarships to offset the costs of the program. Further information on studying abroad independently can be found on the Programs Abroad section of the International Education Office web site: ieo.ucsc.edu/programs-abroad.

Latin American and Latino Studies (LALS) Fieldwork

Field studies are independent, community-based study projects for academic credit, done under faculty sponsorship and arranged on an individual basis. Local opportunities for internships and field study in Latino/a communities on California’s Central Coast are numerous. Credit for up to three upper-division courses may be applied toward the major from field study; however, course credit from field study and study abroad combined may not exceed three upper-division courses. Students should check the Latin American and Latino Studies Department web site at lals.ucsc.edu for further information regarding the field-study process and course credit. A listing of local field-study programs and petition forms are available at the Latin American and Latino Studies Department office, 32 Merrill. 

Psychology Field-Study Program

The Psychology Field-Study Program provides qualified students with an opportunity to integrate what they have learned in the classroom with direct experience in a community agency. Students develop new skills and clarify personal and professional goals by working as interns in schools, criminal justice programs, corporations, and mental health and other social service agencies, where they are supervised by a professional within that organization. Psychology faculty members sponsor field-study students, helping them to synthesize their intern experience with psychology course work and guiding them through an academic project.

Junior and senior psychology majors in good academic standing are eligible to apply for two quarters of field study. Interested students should attend an "Information Meeting," held each quarter, to obtain an overview of the program and an application. The meeting schedule is available at the start of each quarter and posted online. For more information: psychology.ucsc.edu/undergraduate/field-study/index.html.

UCDC

The UCDC (quarter in Washington, D.C.) Program supervises and supports students who pursue internships and academic study in the nation’s capital. The program is open through a competitive application process to juniors and seniors in all majors. Students enroll for fall, winter, or spring quarter, earn 12–15 course credits, and continue to be registered as full-time students. Courses are taught by UC faculty along with visiting faculty from the Washing­ton, D.C. area. Applicant selection is based on academic record, a written statement, letters of recommendation, and a personal interview.

Students live in the UC Washington Center, together with students from all of the participating UC campuses. This provides a social and intellectual community throughout the quarter.

Interested students in junior or senior standing with strong academic records are encouraged to apply. For further information, contact the UCDC coordinator, 5 Merrill College, (831) 459-2855, ucdc@ucsc.edu, politics.ucsc.edu/ucdc.

UNH and UNM Exchange Programs

The University of New Hampshire (UNH) and University of New Mexico (UNM) Exchange Programs, through reciprocal agreements, allow students to study and live in different educational, geographic, and cultural environments for one term or for a full academic year. Participants are usually in good academic standing. Students pay UC Santa Cruz registration fees and are expected to return to Santa Cruz to complete their studies. Students are selected for the programs during winter quarter.

Further information is available from the special programs assistant in the Office of the Registrar, registrar@ucsc.edu, (831) 459-3459, registrar.ucsc.edu/enrollment/special-programs/domestic-exchange.html.