Undergraduate Internships in History

Internships are great opportunities for students to gain hands-on experience in history-related fields.  They allow interns to sample career options, earn valuable experience, and develop employment and professional networking opportunities.  The most common kinds of internships undertaken by History majors are with area institutions concerned with history; especially museums, historic sites, archives, historic preservation agencies, and libraries.  However, you may explore other options, as long as they involve historical topics or skills.

Typically students take internships worth three semester hours of academic creit; although one and two hour options are available.  You receive one credit hour for every forty hours of meaningful work (i.e. a three semester credit takes 120 housr to complete).  A maximum of six semester hours of internship may be counted towards a degree, of which no more than three semester hours towards the major.

Eligibility
Students interested in pursuing an internship must:

• Be a History major or minor of Junior or Senior Standing
• Have a 2.25 overall grade point average and a 3.0 in their History course work at time of application
• Submit an application form and receive permission from Internship Advisor Dr. Oscar Lansen ( This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it ) to see and internship prior to contacting possible host institutions
• Have all sections of the internship form completed and approved by Dr. Lansen, prior to the start of the internship
• Request the appropriate permit to enroll in History 2400 Internship to receive academic credit

Academic Credit

• Internships provide 2000-level elective credit on a pass/fail basis
• Students receive one semester hour credit for every forty hours of meaningful labor
• In order to receive credit students must submit a detailed log of hours worked, an interim and final report of activities, and have their supervisor forward an evaluative report to the Department (see below)

Procedure

1. Obtain permission to search Fill out the top part of the Undergraduate Internship Contract and submit form with transcript to the Undergraduate Program Coordinator for an authorization to search
2. Obtain an internship The Department maintains a list of host instutions, and may be able to direct students with specific interests.  It is however the student's responsibility to secure an internship.
3. Fill out the contract The student and the project/site supervisor must submit a description of the project that clearly formulates the activities and responsibilities of the intern.  This includes due dates for reports.  Activities cannot commence before the contract is signed and need to conclude by the last day of classes for the (final) semester of the internship.  Both intern and supervisor sign the contract
4. Obtain the course permit Submit the signed contract to Dr. Lansen.  Ask Dr. Lansen to issue you an appropriate permit
5. Submit the final report Write a five to ten page final report that details activities and self-assesses their learning experience.  The report must include

• A discussion of the institution, and how your project fit within its mission.
• A detailed description of the internship project which is to include an overview, a discussion of the material on which you were working, and the day to day activities you carried out
• A discussion of the benefits you gained from the internship project: skills, inside look at an institution in operation, contacts, historical knowledge, overall internship assessment

You are also responsible for having your project supervisor forward a report to your advisor, and have the latter report your grade to the Director of Undergraduate and Honors Studies