Photo of a plaza in Italy. There are people walking around taking pictures. Old buildings surround the plaza.

Summer Internships in Italy - Placements

Design and Fashion

Each UC Davis Summer Abroad Internship program pairs UC Davis Study Abroad with a partner organization that manages the personalized internship placements; arranges accommodations and excursions; leads onsite orientations and optional social events; and provides 24/7 emergency support. As part of the placement process for Summer Internships, participants will first enroll through UC Davis Study Abroad and then complete a supplemental application for the partner organization associated with their particular Summer Internship program.

Although Study Abroad partners with outside organizations for some aspects of Summer Abroad Internships, the official provider for these programs is UC Davis Study Abroad, and course credit is issued by UC Davis.

Internship Placement Process

After you enroll through UC Davis Study Abroad in the Design & Fashion Internships program, you will receive the link to the online application with Global Experiences (GE). GE’s application will require a resume, transcript, and statement of professional goals. A GE Program Advisor helps you prepare for your interview with a Strengths assessment and provides support through the process. A cover letter may be required before the interview process.

While effort will be made to accommodate your preferences, specific internship placements are not guaranteed. You are encouraged to be open-minded and approach the program with a willingness to learn and grow, both professionally and personally.

Final placement will be determined approximately a month before the program.

You will take a no-credit Italian language “crash course” the first two weeks of the program before starting your internship during the third week of the program. This Italian class is part of  an Italian government requirement for foreign students to participate in an internship in Italy. The ability to speak Italian is not required for internship placement. Students with Italian language skills may have placement opportunities open to them that have required language skills.

Sample Internship Placements 

Students will participate in a professional internship (unpaid) for approximately 32-40 hours per week over the last 6 weeks of the program. You are matched with an organization based on your skills, experience, career goals, and interests.

The global pandemic has changed the way some career fields approach daily work in Italy. Students may encounter a hybrid workplace where they will adopt schedules similar to their coworkers, such as some days in the office, some days working remotely, and experiences both in person and online.

All enrolled students will be placed in an internship. All internships are unpaid. Students with relevant experience and a GPA over 2.5 may have more placement options or an internship role with greater responsibility than students without experience or a lower GPA.

Resume and Cover Letter Resources

We strongly recommend that you meet with an advisor at the UC Davis Internship and Career Center or the Career Center on your home campus to have your resume and cover letter reviewed prior to submitting these documents to Global Experiences. The ICC provides many online resources, such as resume, cover letter, and letter of recommendation examples.

Our Program Partner

For the Design & Fashion Internships in Italy program, UC Davis Study Abroad partners with Global Experiences (GE), a study abroad organization that offers international internship experiences in select cities around the world. GE offers customized internship placements to provide students with hands-on, professional experience within their chosen field.

The Design & Fashion Internships in Italy program is a customized program designed by GE uniquely for UC Davis Study Abroad. Onsite, a team of Global Experiences staff will lead the welcome orientation, coordinate group excursions and optional activities, and be on-call 24/7 for emergency support.

Transcript Notation

Students participating in UC Davis Study Abroad Internships are eligible to receive Transcript Notation (TN). Transcript notation documents your academically approved internship on your official UC Davis transcript. By having your experience noted, it provides proof of where and when you participated in an internship. This is especially valuable for international internships that may be difficult for a prospective employer or program to contact.

Transcript Notation is a process you’ll start within the first two weeks of your internship placement through Handshake, the tool UC Davis Internship and Career Center uses to connect students and employers.