The 2024–25 cohort of Berkeley’s Social Sciences Career Readiness Internship Program (SSCRIP) has officially begun their fall course, the start of a year-long journey that will equip students with the practical skills and essential knowledge to succeed in a variety of professions. The program offers them workshops, guidance from Berkeley alumni and staff, internship placement and financial assistance.
SSCRIP’s emphasis on hands-on experience allows Berkeley Social Sciences students to gain the knowledge and confidence they need to navigate a competitive job market after graduation with at least one internship under their belt. Additionally, the financial assistance provided by the program ensures broader access and equal opportunity for students from various backgrounds, particularly economically challenged students who may be unable to take an unpaid internship.
“Our Social Sciences student population is very diverse. Based on their pre-collegiate educational background, family histories and experiences, students are unevenly prepared at the time of their enrollment and have differential access to opportunities, information and support needed to prepare themselves for success after they graduate,” said Khatharya Um, Berkeley Social Sciences associate dean for DEIBJ and Ethnic Studies professor, who leads the program.
Um added: “SSCRIP is designed with these gaps and disparities in mind. We aim to reach all Social Sciences students, but we are particularly committed to creating opportunities for students with more limited access, resources and exposure.”
Building on the inaugural pilot cohort of last spring, the program has seen significant expansion, with this year's cohort of 50 students doubling the size of the last cohort. SSCRIP has also been able to reach students from a wider net of majors, with students from all departments in the Social Sciences Division represented.
Career Advice and Internships
The program begins with a semester-long professional development course where students participate in a variety of workshops to prepare themselves for applying to their internships, including resume building and cover letter writing.
A panel of distinguished Berkeley Social Sciences alumni will also speak to students about their career journeys and provide insight and advice on navigating the job market as a Berkeley alum. Speakers include alumni from a diverse array of fields, including nonprofit, finance, AI, tech, higher education and law.
Supplementing these alumni panels, the program has also developed a “library” of taped interviews of alumni in different job sectors regarding their career trajectories, the job market and employment trends, and tips for success.
Along with the class sessions, students also have an opportunity to sign up for a one-to-one coaching session through Berkeley Career Engagement.
In the spring, students will participate in structured activities to further prepare them for their summer internships, including mentoring, practice interviews and filling out job applications. SSCRIP students will also be placed in a paid summer internship in one of three sectors of their choice (corporate, nonprofit and public service), either in the U.S. or abroad.
Student Support
The program is designed to level the playing field of a competitive internship and job market by actively reaching out to first-generation, economically-challenged and transfer students in the efforts to ensure broader and more equitable access to opportunities.
Recognizing that economic hardships keep many students from accessing these opportunities, especially the opportunity to live and work abroad, SSCRIP covers the cost of airfare, housing and local transportation. Students are also given a stipend to aid them in their time living abroad. All students in the program are provided with a living wage while doing their internship.
By addressing the disparities many students face, SSCRIP can offer support to students like Cynthia Hernandez, who, as a first-generation student, faced the challenge of navigating higher education without the benefit of family experience.
“I have immigrant parents who were really excited for me to go to Berkeley, but once I got here I felt really lost,” said Hernandez, who is majoring in political economy and legal studies. “Coming to this university, it feels like everyone knows what they’re doing, and I didn’t even really know that I was supposed to be applying to internships and getting background experience. I know that I’m a very ambitious person, I just realized I needed a little help getting to what I want to do.”
Hernandez hopes to cultivate her passion for human rights through an internship that focuses on inequalities in marginalized groups.
Students interested in SSCRIP can visit sscrip.berkeley.edu to learn more about requirements and eligibility and to prepare their application for next semester. Alumni and donors can support the program by posting internship positions or making a gift to the Social Sciences Student Experience Fund.
