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GENS 200/400

Professional Experience & Community Service (1-3 units)

PLEASE NOTE THAT BEGINNING IN SPRING 2027, GENS 200 AND GENS 400 WILL ONLY BE OFFERED FOR 3 UNITS.

General Studies 200 (GENS 200) and 400 (GENS 400) courses offer SDSU students the opportunity to receive up to six units of credit applicable to the bachelor’s degree for their participation in a professional experience or community service experiences. The purpose of the program is to provide professional and community engaged experiences for students in departments or schools that do not have formal internship or community-engaged learning programs. Credit may be applied toward fulfillment of major or minor requirements only with the approval of the department chair or designee.

Why Experiential Learning Matters

Experiential learning, including internships and service/community engagement, provide opportunities for students to learn or hone specific skill sets. As an example, the National Association of Colleges and Employers (NACE) eight Career Readiness Competencies:

  1. Critical Thinking/Problem Solving: Exercise sound reasoning to analyze issues, make decisions, and overcome problems. The individual is able to obtain, interpret, and use knowledge, facts, and data in this process, and may demonstrate originality and inventiveness. 
  2. Oral/Written Communications: Articulate thoughts and ideas clearly and effectively in written and oral forms to persons inside and outside of the organization. The individual has public speaking skills; is able to express ideas to others; and can write/edit memos, letters, and complex technical reports clearly and effectively. 
  3. Teamwork/Collaboration: Build collaborative relationships with colleagues and customers representing diverse cultures, races, ages, genders, religions, lifestyles, and viewpoints. The individual is able to work within a team structure and can negotiate and manage conflict. 
  4. Digital Technology: Leverage existing digital technologies ethically and efficiently to solve problems, complete tasks, and accomplish goals. The individual demonstrates effective adaptability to new and emerging technologies. 
  5. Leadership: Leverage the strengths of others to achieve common goals, and use interpersonal skills to coach and develop others. The individual is able to assess and manage his/her emotions and those of others; use empathetic skills to guide and motivate; and organize, prioritize, and delegate work. 
  6. Professionalism/Work Ethic: Demonstrate personal accountability and effective work habits, e.g., punctuality, working productively with others, and time workload management, and understand the impact of non-verbal communication on professional work image. The individual demonstrates integrity and ethical behavior, acts responsibly with the interests of the larger community in mind, and is able to learn from his/her mistakes. 
  7. Career Management: Identify and articulate one's skills, strengths, knowledge, and experiences relevant to the position desired and career goals, and identify areas necessary for professional growth. The individual is able to navigate and explore job options, understands and can take the steps necessary to pursue opportunities, and understands how to self-advocate for opportunities in the workplace. 
  8. Global/Intercultural Fluency: Value, respect, and learn from diverse cultures, races, ages, genders, sexual orientations, and religions. The individual demonstrates openness, inclusiveness, sensitivity, and the ability to interact respectfully with all people and understand individuals’ differences.

Professional Experience Placement

IMPORTANT: A placement for professional experience is a required aspect of this course, and is the student’s responsibility to secure a placement BEFORE applying / submitting a learning plan for the course. 

Resources for identifying and securing a placement:

  • Handshake
  • On-campus employment opportunities
  • Sign up for SDSU Career Leagues by submitting an interest form and get connected to opportunities
  • Review the SLA Master List (comprehensive list of community partners that are approved for student placements) and contact community partners to see if they offer any current internships /opportunities
  • Direct Inquiry with Faculty or Department
  • LinkedIn, or other job search sites
  • Existing employment, as long as relevent to your academic discipline or professional goals

Typically, placements fall into one of four categories: 

  • Non-campus Employment 
  • Non-campus Internship (paid or unpaid)
  • On-campus Employment or Paid Internship
  • On-campus Unpaid Internship

Placement Hours 

PLEASE NOTE THAT BEGINNING IN SPRING 2027, GENS 200 AND GENS 400 WILL ONLY BE OFFERED FOR 3 UNITS.

Students enrolled in GENS 200 (3 units) and GENS 400 (3 units) must complete a minimum of 100 hours in their placement in order to earn credit in this course.

IMPORTANT: Only hours completed between the official term start date and end date can be counted towad satisyfing this requirement.

Additional Considerations

Please note that students should assess the value of participating in a professional or service placement during the academic year if they are required as a condition of the placement to offer more than 20 hours per week of their time. Time commitments of more than 20 hours per week may present issues that can negatively impact a student’s academic coursework or progress toward a degree.

Course Enrollment Steps

IMPORTANT: Be sure to keep an eye on your email and respond promptly to all requests related to course enrollment as long delays happen without prompt responses.

SUBMIT HERE: Course Application & Learning Plan

Open reciept of your course application, the course instructor will reach out to you and provide specific instructions relating to the following list of next steps: 

  1. For ALL STUDENTS: The course instructor will request a placement Offer Letter (or a letter from the supervisor that confirms the student has ongoing employment) from the student.

  2. For ALL OFF-CAMPUS placements: The course instructor will send the student an SDSU Student Release of Liability Waiver to sign electronically (via Adobe Sign). 

  3. For OFF-CAMPUS/NON-EMPLOYMENT placements: The course instructor works directly with the placement supervisor to complete the Internship Site Questionnaire (ISQ) and Service Learning Agreement (SLA). Students can help this process go smoothly by making sure your supervisor is aware that these forms will be sent to them electronically via AdobeSign, and that you cannot start at your placment until the forms are approved.

  4. If you are an INTERNATIONAL STUDENT in a NON-CAMPUS placment: The instructor will request that you send them your Curricular Practical Training (CPT) Form. Students complete the first part of the CPT Form and email it to the course instructor. The instructor completes the second half of the form, signs it, and returns it to the student, who must then submit it to the International Student Center (ISC). You cannot begin at the placement site until your CPT and I-20 work authorization is approved.

  5. ALL STUDENTS: Once all of the steps are complete, the course instructor will update my.sdsu so that the student has permission to enroll in the course. The student is responsible for adding the course to their schedule in my.sdsu.

Additional Information 

  • The course instructor may ask to meet with you to discuss your placement at any point in this process. Failure to respond to requests to meet/discuss may delay your enrollment.
  • Adding the course late is at the discretion of the course instructor for compelling reasons. Students will be required to follow the Late Schedule Adjustment procedures. 
  • The enrollment process can take up to two weeks or more, so please plan ahead and respond promptly. If you have not received permission to enroll, or you have not heard anything from the course instructor for 14 days, feel free to reach out for an update. 
  • Students seeking academic credit while participating in an international internship should purchase FTIP via CSURMA/Alliance when it is part of a campus program. If through an affiliated organization, but not a campus program, then CSURMA coverage is arguably discretionary, but CSU Risk Management does suggest overlap coverage. Read more about insurance requirements for foreign travel here: https://risk-management.sdsu.edu/off-campus-activities/foreign-travel