Work Experience Education & Internships

    Person Smiling and Looking at Laptop
    Earn college units with a job, internship, or volunteer role that provides hands-on learning. Through Work Experience Education (WORK) courses, you can apply classroom learning to real-life situations, build a career-related transcript for transfer to a four-year university, strengthen your resume, and gain the professional skills needed for a successful career transition.

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    Turn Your Work, Internship, or Volunteer Experience into College Credits

    Work Experience Education Logo

     

    Work Experience courses are offered every semester, though you won't find most of them listed in the standard semester class schedule. Instead, your course is custom-built around your specific needs, including start date, schedule, and credit or noncredit hours.

    We look forward to helping you put your degree to work. Your resume and transcript will thank you for it.

     

    How to Get Started

    1. Prepare Your Resume, Cover Letter, and Interview Skills, you can:
    2. Find an Internship That Fits Your Goals:
    3. Schedule Your Enrollment Appointment:

    Appointments outside of office hours and at the Marina Campus are available upon request. Translation can also be provided by request. Se puede proporcionar traducción durante la reunión a pedido.

    Built-In Opportunities

    Many MPC programs have chosen to incorporate Work Experience classes as part of their degree and certificate requirements. These programs include:

    Design Your Own

    If your program doesn't have Work Experience built in, you can still participate. Units qualify for MPC general education credit and are transferable to CSUs. 

    Lecture/lab courses provide employment and business skills, while work experience courses are designed to align with your job or internship role. 

    MPC Catalog - Work Experience Classes

    Current & Recent Work Experience Employers

    Classes & Certificates to Choose From

    MPC’s Work Experience Education combines classroom learning with real-world experience. Whether through a job, internship, or volunteer placement, these programs help students build essential workplace skills and prepare for future career opportunities.

    Credit Classes

    Customer representative speaking with supervisor
    Certificate of Achievement

    Workforce Skills

    volunteer assisting someone at food tent
    Certificate of Achievement

    Public Service & Civic Engagement

    Coworkers communicating in the office
    Certificate of Achievement

    Workforce Essentials

    Noncredit Classes

    Coworkers communicating in the office
    Certificate of Completion

    Workforce Skills

    mpc student pushing cart across campus
    Certificate of Completion

    Public Service & Civic Engagement

    What Your Semester Will Look Like

    Follow this plan to make the most of your experience and document activity thoroughly.

    Before the Course Starts:

    1. Book an Appointment during office hours.
    2. Have your worksite supervisor sign your placement agreement.
    3. Work with your worksite supervisor to create three measurable and specific learning objectives.
    4. Record the learning objectives and have your instructor approve them.

    During the Semester:

    1. Focus on achieving your learning objectives at work.
    2. Log your hours worked and link your recorded hours to your learning objectives as you progress through the course.
    3. Use the Office Hours Scheduler as needed to check in with your instructor.
    4. Coordinate and schedule your worksite visit with both your instructor and supervisor. Use the Worksite Visit Scheduler to book the meeting.

    Three Weeks Before the End of the Semester:

    1. Review your checklist to make sure you have everything completed.
    2. Have your employer fill out your performance evaluation.
    3. Write a final reflection on your experience.
    4. Add your new skills to your resume.
    5. Consider re-enrolling for the next semester!

    Learning Objectives

    What is a Learning Objective? A learning objective is a measurable goal set to enhance your skills, solve a problem, or gain new job knowledge through your work experience. It goes beyond routine tasks and must be specific, measurable, and aimed at a clear result.

    For Each Learning Objective, Answer:

    • What will you attempt?
    • How will you accomplish it?
    • When will you complete it?
    • How will success be measured?

    Each Semester, Set New Objectives: Create specific, achievable goals, and have them approved by both your supervisor and instructor. It’s your responsibility to ensure mutual agreement on these objectives.

    Explore Available Internships

    Internships can provide valuable industry insight, strengthen your resume, turn into full-time employment, and give you tangible working experience & confidence. View sources to find opportunities for available internships. MPC does not receive compensation or endorse any of these companies—these are simply informational.

    The possibilities are endless. Here are some of the places where MPC students are earning college units while gaining valuable work experience.

    • Congressman Jimmy Panetta's Office 
    • Action Council
    • CHOMP
    • Pebble Beach Company
    • United Way Monterey County
    • Chevy Salinas
    • Mercedes Benz
    • Granite Rock
    • Skip's Auto
    • MPI-Jet
    • PGUSD
    • MEE Memorial
    • Joby Aviation
    • Monterey County District Attorney's Office
    • Meals on Wheels
    • Natividad
    • Salinas Valley Health
    • Carver Studio
    • Victory Toyota
    • Silva Farms
    • County of Monterey
    • Light and Motion
    • El Sistema 
    • Monterey Motors
    • Cypress Coast Subaru
    • Tesla
    • Housing Matters Santa Cruz
    • Hidden Valley
    • Carmel Valley Ranch
    • Carmel Mission Inn
    • Loaves, Fishes & Computers 
    • SPCA
    • ReGen Monterey
    • Driscoll's
    • Pattullo Swim Center
    • Law Offices of William V. Pernik
    • Windsor Monterey Care Center
    • San Jose State
    • Rayne Technology Solutions
    • MC Office of Education
    • UC Santa Cruz
    • Gateway Center
    • Bernardus
    • Big Sur Land Trust
    • Monterey Bay Football Club
    • Justice Coalition
    • Lavender Brothers
    • State Farm
    • MPC Foundation
    • Laguna Seca
    • Monterey Behavioral Health
    • Monterey Peninsula Water Management District
    • Monterey Chamber of Commerce
    • Blue Zones Project
    • MPC Adapted PE
    • Windsor
    • Allen Berg Racing School
    • Pacific Grove Motors
    • Robert Rivas Office
    • & Many More!

    Preparing Students for Professional Success

    "My time at Monterey Peninsula College was nothing but amazing. While attending MPC, I had the opportunity to participate in the Facebook (Meta) Career Connections Summer Fellowship Program, where I worked as a part-time marketing intern. Through this experience, I was trained by Facebook professionals and gained valuable skills in digital marketing, communication, and leadership. MPC truly prepared me for this opportunity. My instructors were incredibly supportive and dedicated, and they helped build the confidence I needed to succeed in a professional environment. I believe that successful businesses can make dreams come true, and MPC gave me the foundation to start turning my dreams into reality."
    Quy Huynh
    Quy Huynh
    Business Administration Major
    "My internship with the City of Pacific Grove has been a great learning experience. As an Accounting Intern, I gained hands-on experience creating invoices, processing accounts receivable and payable, maintaining financial records, and preparing reports. I also learned how to reconcile daily cash registers, manage petty cash, and record daily financial transactions in the system. One of the most valuable parts of my internship was improving my communication skills by working at the front desk and assisting customers by directing them to the appropriate departments. This experience helped me better understand how a city finance department operates and gave me the confidence to apply for future opportunities in municipal accounting.”
    Ismail Nawabi
    Ismail Nawabi
    Accounting Major
    “My internship as an Administrative Assistant at Gateway Center was a meaningful and rewarding experience. Working closely with the Executive Director and various leadership committees helped me understand how a nonprofit organization functions and how important communication and teamwork are in a professional setting. One of the most valuable lessons I gained was learning to be an active listener, observing the needs of others, and working collaboratively with patience and positivity. This experience prepared me for my future career in social work and for continuing my education.”
    Gerson Orellana
    Gerson Orellana
    Sociology Major
    “Despite having many years of work experience, I felt ready for a career change and decided to pursue an accounting degree at MPC. Carla was incredibly supportive throughout the process and helped me update my resume and secure an internship with Major Accountancy Group in Monterey. The team was exceptionally friendly and welcoming, and they were always available to answer my questions. Because of the skills I gained in the classroom, I was able to quickly begin entering financial transactions into QuickBooks Online, with my co-workers providing guidance and support along the way. This internship gave me confidence in my abilities and valuable hands-on experience experiences.”
    Susan Richards
    Susan Richards
    Accounting Major
    "As an Aircraft Charter & Ownership Sales Associate Intern, I work closely with the MPI Jet team on customer retention initiatives, including outreach templates, loyalty programs, client recognition, and data analysis. Through the support of the Work-Based Learning Coordinator, Carla Becerra, I have grown professionally and gained confidence by contributing to meaningful projects and sharing results in team meetings. This experience has strengthened my skills, helped me overcome professional inhibitions, and taught me that transparency is the foundation of a successful business.”
    Ricardo Rodriguez
    Ricardo Rodriguez
    Business Administration