Internships

Internships offer the opportunity to gain valuable hands-on experience in the practice and processes of historic preservation. In consultation with your advisor, the students select an individual, group, organization or agency whose involvement in historic preservation projects best fits their interests and goals.

Internships require at least 90 hours of time that, ideally, is somewhat equally divided between instruction and the practical application of what you have learned. In addition, the student is asked to submit a brief paper on the internship experience to the advisor, who may also seek an appraisal of the student's performance from the organization. Qualified students may substitute professional service for the internship, though a paper describing the work is still required.

There are three kinds of internships:

  1. Graduate internships or professional practice (co-op) assignments, such as those in the College of Design, Architecture, Art, and Planning, which fulfill the requirement if significant work on a historic preservation project is obtained.
  2. Those with not-for-profit organizations, museums, local interest groups, etc.
  3. Those with commercial firms doing contract work. These firms are expected to agree to pay the student for at least forty-five hours of work at the prevailing minimum wage.

Students not undertaking a graduate internship or co-op assignment must enroll in the appropriate internship or independent study course listed below:

Anthropology

  • 15ANTH512 Public Archaeology Internship

Architecture

  • 23ARCH590 Independent Studies

Art History

  • 23ARTH387 Independent Study
  • 23ARTH791 Graduate Independent Study

Classics

  • 15CLAS852 Art Museum Internship
  • 15CLAS999 Directed Readings in Archaeology

Economics

  • 15ECON931 Advanced Individual Work in Economics

Geography

  • 15GEOG501 Problems in Geography
  • 15GEOG701 Geographic Research

History

  • 15HIST465 Public History Internship
  • 15HIST765 Public History Internship

Interior Design

  • 23INTD588 Independent Studies

Planning

  • 23PLAN511 Independent Study in Community Planning
  • 23PLAN911 Independent Research in Community Planning

Political Science

  • 15POL410 Individual Work: American Politics
  • 15POL819 Advanced Individual Work: American Politics

Sociology

  • 15SOC581 Individual Work in Sociology

Interns are expected to immerse themselves as thoroughly as time and circumstances permit in the practice and processes of historic preservation. Interns should seek opportunities to observe and participate in as broad a range of historic preservation activities. For example, interns should ask - and should be invited - to attend meetings where preservation issues are discussed and should attempt to observe the processes by which policy is implemented. There may also be particular needs on the part of those who sponsor internships or specific requirements of the advisor, such as learning how to prepare and present National Register of Historic Places nominations.