Internship Overview

General SWS Internship Goals
The general purpose of the World Studies Internship Program is to…

• Provide SWS students with important practical experiences under faculty and professional supervision which compliment their field of study and which will, at the same time, be of benefit to the institution to which the intern is assigned;
• Promote among students a better understanding of major global problems confronting the world;
• Offer an opportunity to critically assess their undergraduate education with the opportunity to apply acquired knowledge and skills in a real job setting;
• Complement career and graduate school preparation with systematic experiential and service learning over an extended period of time. (One or two semesters)

Qualifications

To qualify for an internship, a student must have completed a minimum of 6 credits at the 300 level in his or her respective World Studies major/minor.  For foreign language credit, the internship placement must require the use of, and the coursework must be completed in, the target language.  Native speakers or students of languages in which the 300-level courses are not available will be considered for internships on an individual basis. 

Students applying for an Instructional Assistantship (IA) may not assist a professor with a course they are still eligible to take for credit (i.e., the student must have completed, placed out of, or otherwise already received credit for the course).

Applying for and Securing an Internship Placement

You can find a listing of potential internship opportunities at Listings.  The internship coordinator will assist you in identifying appropriate agencies given your particular academic and career interests.  However, you, the student, are ultimately responsible for securing an internship placement.

1. Schedule a meeting with the Internship Coordinator (827-1111).  You will discuss the course requirements and identify potential internship locations.  Internship locations must be approved prior to beginning the internship.

2. Carefully read through the Application Packet. 

3. Contact the agencies that are of interest to you, stating your interest in working with them and asking about their particular application process and required paperwork for securing an internship location.

4. Once accepted for placement, have the supervisor read and sign the Internship Contract.

5. Return the completed Internship Application and the Contract to the internship coordinator to receive the Course Override Form.

6. Take the Course Override to Founders Hall (corner of Shafer and Franklin) to register for the course.  Only students registered for the internship course will receive a grade and academic credit for their internship.  Please Note:  The Internship is an academic course like any other.  The credits will appear on your transcript and will be added to your tuition cost.

Credits

Students may choose a 1 - 6 credit internship, depending upon the number of hours they anticipate working.  Internships require 40 logged hours of work per credit at the internship site, with 10% being allotted for completion of the journal and final report.  Please consult with your supervisor (or professor in the case of an Instructional Assistantship) to determine the number of hours per week you will be able to work and the total credits desired.

1 credit = 40 hours,        2 credits = 80 hours,      3 credits = 120 hours, etc