An internship, by definition, must include a specific learning objective. In other words, the student deliberately sets out to gain knowledge, skill, and/or further understanding of history. Unlike classroom learning, the student gains this knowledge not from lectures, reading, and exams, but rather from on-the-job experience. For this reason, internships are often referred to as "experiential learning.” In general, there are three aspects necessary for an internship to constitute a learning experience:
1. The internship is within the student's area of study; and they bring to the internship the knowledge they've acquired through their academic education.
2. The internship supervisor provides guidance, evaluation, and feedback to facilitate the learning process.
3. The student engages in ongoing contemplation of learning objectives throughout the course of the internship
The objective is to provide students in their junior or senior year with practical work experiences in the application of principles learned in History courses. Through an internship, students often explore careers that they are considering for post-graduation.
History internships are highly dependent upon student interest. For example, students with an interest in working with museums have worked at Warren ICBM & Heritage Museum, the UW Art Museum, Sheridan County Museum and the Fort Morgan Museum. While most of our interns have worked in different counties throughout the state of Wyoming, students have completed internships elsewhere in the nation, such as Colorado and Virginia. We are thrilled to work with students who have ideas about innovative placements! Some recent internships.
Dr. JoAnna Poblete oversees internships for the History Department. She is available to answer questions about internships and to help qualified students set one up. Students will also have a supervisor at the internship site.
Students work a minimum of 100 hours during the course of the semester to complete internship requirements. Internships may take place during any semester. In consultation with the Internship Director, internship students may enroll in 3 units of History 4400 (for undergraduates) or History 5400 (for graduate students).
Before a student is placed with an institution, the student and the internship coordinator will typically meet to discuss the requirements for internship credit. The student will then set-up an internship with a specific institution on their own and get their future site supervisor to fill out and submit a memorandum of understanding to the internship coordinator.
The internship coordinator will decide the final grade with input from the site supervisor.
Students earn three credit hours.
Students should have a minimum GPA of 3.0 in History courses and meet one of the following criteria:
