Hameetman Career Center
Students are encouraged, beginning in the first year, to utilize the services of the Hameetman Career Center (HCC). The HCC offers career education and career counseling to help students better understand their career options and preparation for obtaining employment.
Career Exploration Opportunities
The Hameetman Career Center (HCC) supports internships that integrate knowledge and theory learned in the classroom and applied in a professional setting. Internship opportunities are available in all occupational sectors and may or may not directly correlate with a student’s major. Internships are an opportunity to create learning experiences for the student by providing exposure in a career field or job function of interest. Students can secure nonprofit, governmental, and for-profit opportunities. Additionally, the HCC sponsors InternLA, a broad-based, funded internship program in Los Angeles that places students in full-time professional internships for ten weeks during the summer. Through the HCC, Occidental College offers both a two unit (INT 200) and a zero unit (INT 100) option for students. The HCC coordinates both courses and supports students during their INT 200 and INT 100 internship.
Community-Based Learning Opportunities
Internships supported by the Center for Community Based Learning (CCBL) allow students to continue work initiated as part of a community based learning and/or research course. Internships are defined in partnership with community partners, faculty, and the CCBL. A CCBL internship allows students to continue to develop skills in community engagement, community based research, and other professional skills, while providing ongoing support for projects that cannot be completed within a single semester. Depending on the focus and structure of the internship, a student can earn 2-units through the HCC internship program and receive a stipend from the CCBL. CCBL also supports community-engaged courses through its Education in Action (EIA) program where students receive a stipend to support faculty in facilitating the community aspect of the course.
International Opportunities
Over half of Occidental’s four-dozen semester and summer study abroad programs include opportunities for internships or community-engaged projects. Participants test theories, concepts, and competencies encountered on campus in dynamic intercultural settings and set a course for global citizenship. Most earn academic credit and some tackle significant research projects. From Amsterdam to Rabat, from Cape Town to Lima, and from Tokyo to Beijing participants expect to grow in their capacity to lead in a complex world, contribute to solving transnational problems, compete in the global workforce, and thrive in intercultural situations. Students consider community engagement abroad among their most power learning experiences.