Humanities EXCEL and EXPLORE Programs: Frequently Asked Questions

• Humanities EXCEL is a paid internship program for Humanities majors and minors, connecting you with community organizations where you’ll gain hands-on experience, mentorship, and real-world skills.
• Humanities EXPLORE is a paid undergraduate research program where you work on faculty-led research projects, deepening your academic experience while building career-ready skills.

Both programs pay $20/hour for working 10–15 hours per week. Some positions run September–June, while others run January-June (or into the summer).  

• You must be an enrolled major or minor in the Humanities Division at UCSC.
• You must be in good academic standing. Paid experiential learning puts your time management skills to work, so you’ll need to balance your classwork, job, and personal priorities.
• You need to have work authorization to be hired through on-campus student employment.

• Applications are posted and submitted on Handshake by Humanities Student Achievement. Currently open positions for both programs are posted here.
• Submit a resume and cover letter for each position.
• Be prepared for an interview with the mentor/supervisor if you’re selected as a finalist.
• 2025-2026 Deadlines:
  • Sunday, October 19, 2025 

• Real experience: You’ll apply your academic training to meaningful work.
• Mentorship: You’ll receive guidance from community partners or a faculty member.
• Transferable skills: You’ll practice identifying what pieces of your work are transferable to your future endeavors.
• Career readiness: You’ll leave with an updated resume and cover letter that showcase your experience.
• Confidence: Learn to talk about your degree and skills in ways that matter to future employers.

• EXCEL: Focuses on community internships with local organizations.
• EXPLORE: Focuses on research projects with UCSC faculty.
• Both offer reflection, skill-building, and a cohort-based learning experience to meet other students. Both offer staff support from the Employing Humanities team every step of the way.

YES! We are here to support you with your application.

• Book an appointment with our Humanities Career Engagement Specialist Meredith
• You should use these resume and cover letter resources.

• You’ll earn $20/hour and get paid bi-weekly.
• Work 10–15 hours per week, working with your class schedule. You’ll be responsible for keeping a careful track of the hours you work on a Google Sheet timesheet and CruzPay (the portal for payroll).
• Some roles are in-person, some are hybrid, and some are remote

• You will be hired and compensated by the university (UCSC Humanities), through on-campus student employment. A UCSC Humanities staff member will be your CruzPay supervisor. 
• You will not be formally employed by the faculty member or community partner mentor, though on your resume, you can say you held an internship or position with that entity. 
• You can find more information on the hiring process and onboarding steps here.