Academic Credit for History-Related Internships

Academic Credit for History-Related Internships

To bridge the gap between academic and experiential learning, the Department of History offers academic credit for history/research-related internships (paid or unpaid). The hours spent at the internship will take the place of classroom learning, however, students should understand the internship as a part of their education within the History Department. Some possible
credit-bearing internships include, but are not limited to, working as a research assistant; working in a museum, research facility, or gallery.

To receive credit for an internship, a student must:

• Obtain the internship
• Obtain the approval of a History Department faculty adviser
• Provide a letter from the internship supervisor explaining the hours and tasks of the internship
• Register for an Independent Study (please consult your faculty adviser)
• In conjunction with the faculty adviser, develop a list of key themes and historical questions and a reading list based upon those themes and questions
  • Themes might include, but are not limited to:
    • The relationship between historical research and public consumption of the past
    • Use and/or preservation of primary sources
    • Representation of the past
    • Heritage tourism
    • Questions and themes related to the specific subject
• Complete short weekly journal entries, detailing the week’s activities
• Meet with the faculty adviser a minimum of 3 times during the semester of the internship
• Complete a final 12-pp essay that discusses the ways in which the central themes and questions, in conjunction with the assigned reading, relate to the internship experience. This essay is not a research project and should bring the readings and internship together.