UX students can choose between taking either Internship or Applied UX Lab. Both courses are excellent options for gaining professional experience, working with clients, and building your portfolio. But there are some key differences you should consider when deciding which course is the best fit for you.
|
Internship |
Applied UX Lab |
|
|
Gain professional experience |
✓ |
✓ |
|
Make professional contacts |
✓ |
✓ |
|
Create professional work |
✓ |
✓ |
|
Build team experience |
Depends on the specific internship |
✓ |
|
Weekly class time to collaborate with peers |
✓ |
|
|
Weekly class time for instructor guidance and feedback |
✓ |
|
|
Potential for paid work |
✓* |
|
|
Potential for remote work |
✓* |
|
|
One semester of preparation required before starting (apps and interviews) |
✓ |
|
|
Offered every semester |
✓ |
Only offered in spring semester |
*Depends on the internship you land.
InternshipThe Internship course is a way to dip gently into the workforce. You’ll receive on-the-job experience, while being supported by an instructor. Your experience in the course can vary depending on the internship you land. You may be part of a team or work alone; you may work remotely or commute to an office; your hours may be flexible or you may have a set schedule. No matter what, your internship must be related to your field of study, and you’ll do real UX work. It’s your responsibility to secure an internship the semester before you take the course, so you’ll need to factor in the time it takes to find an internship. Once you find one, you’re required to work 15–20 hours per week. Consider whether this time commitment will fit into your schedule. Internship is an opportunity to create professional contacts and references for future job opportunities. Many internships are also paid, so you can earn money while receiving college credit. This course is great for students who are self-starters who feel comfortable working alone or in teams. |
Applied UX LabIn Applied UX Lab you’ll gain professional experience while being guided by instructors in a classroom setting. In this course, students work in teams on design UX projects for real-life clients. Students work through a design process similar to one they would encounter in a professional UX team setting. In the past, students have worked on projects for the Austin-Bergstrom Airport, Red Door Preschool, Vision Zero Austin, and the Austin Public Library, to name just a few. This course doesn’t require any special preparation to register. However, the course is only offered in the spring semester, generally in-person at Highland campus. You will be expected to work an additional 10–15 hours per week outside of class. Applied Lab is an opportunity to build your soft skills such as designing to a prompt, team collaboration, giving and receiving feedback, guiding a client through the design process, and final output of your work for implementation. You’ll also make contacts and create real-life work to add to your portfolio. This course is great for students who want more experience working on a team and potentially taking on leadership roles. |
You can take this course if:
|
You can take this course if:
|