Preparing students for fulfilling careers after graduation is a priority at CAPLA, and internships and externships are two excellent ways to gain hands-on experience in a professional setting.
Internships
Each spring, CAPLA holds a Job Interview Fair which brings 35-40 different businesses to interview students. These interview sessions are meant to help students hone their presentation and speaking skills in a professional environment, but also lead to job and internship opportunities. Design and design-build firms, nonprofit organizations, and local government agencies from across the country come to meet our students.
Internships provide excellent opportunities for students to learn about specific industries and firms from within those areas. The opportunities presented to students as a part of these experiences will help shape the students' future career goals and allow them to network with potential prospective employers. As a part of the academic program, internships are required for Bachelor of Science in Sustainable Built Environments students and recommended for Bachelor of Architecture and Bachelor of Landscape Architecture students and all master's program students. Each school has an internship coordinator who works with students to help them find an internship position that fits their needs.
Externships
Like internships, externships allow a student to learn about an organization by spending dedicated time onsite. Because of their shorter duration—in CAPLA’s case, over spring break—externships provide a more concentrated and holistic experience in which students shadow members of the firm and observe how the firm as a whole operates. Sponsored by the firms that host the students, externships benefit both the student and the organization.
Internship Spotlights
Opening Doors to a Bright Future: Juliana Seymour '20 B.Arch
Juliana Seymour '20 B.Arch landed her internship at Tucson architecture firm Swaim Associates thanks to the CAPLA Job Interview Fair.
Building Experience in the Field: Diego Limon '23 B.Arch
Bachelor of Architecture student Diego Limon's first internship was with Chasse Building Team, an internship he landed thanks to CAPLA's Job Interview Fair.