Program Overview

Program Overview

The HIST 880: Archives or Historical Agency Internship is a university program that offers students the opportunity to gain practical experience in archival or historical agency work. The program is designed to provide students with knowledge, experience, and training in archival or historical agency work.

Program Requirements

• The program is open to graduate students with a standing in History.
• Students must have the consent of the department chair to enroll in the program.
• There are no specific course prerequisites for enrollment, but students are expected to have a strong background in history and research methodologies.
  • Undergraduate students should be at least second-semester juniors and have taken relevant courses, such as History 300.
  • Graduate students should have completed History 700.
• Students must have a 3.0 GPA in their major field.

Program Structure

• The program consists of an internship with an archive or historical agency, where students work for at least eight hours per week for fifteen weeks, or a total of 120 hours over the semester.
• Students are required to meet with the internship coordinator several times during the semester to discuss their progress and any challenges they may be facing.
• Students must also participate in email discussions with the coordinator and other interns.
• The program culminates in a 10-20 page paper that describes the student's experiences and includes a sample of the work produced during the internship.

Internship Experience

• The internship experience is at the heart of the program, and everything else is designed to make that experience as meaningful as possible.
• The three key people involved in the internship experience are the intern, the on-site supervisor, and the internship coordinator.
• The on-site supervisor is a person in a position of responsibility at the historical agency who has agreed to supervise the intern.
• The internship coordinator is a faculty member in the Department of History who assists students in locating appropriate agencies for an internship experience and provides support throughout the semester.

Assessment and Evaluation

• The grade for the program is determined by the on-site supervisor in consultation with the internship coordinator (75%) and by the internship coordinator based on the required papers and discussions (25%).
• Students who have taken the program once need not repeat the paper and should register for three units.
• Students may receive no more than seven units of credit in History 680 or History 880.

Placement and Work Agreement

• Students are responsible for finding their own internship placement, with the support of the internship coordinator.
• The internship coordinator will suggest one or more agencies as possible sites for placement and provide the name and telephone number of the on-site supervisor.
• Students should visit and interview at more than one agency to find the best fit for their career objectives.
• Once a student accepts an assignment, they should immediately notify the internship coordinator.
• The student and the on-site supervisor should work out an agreement covering work objectives, educational objectives, provision for learning about the overall operation of the agency, provision for regular supervision, and work schedule.

Required Reports and Paper

• Every few weeks, all interns will be required to file a brief report about the progress of their internship.
• Each intern will write a 10-15 page paper, word-processed and double-spaced, based on their experiences, analysis of the work situation, and research.
• The paper should include a description of the agency, a summary and description of the types of work performed, an assessment of the conditions of the internship, and a description of the skills and competencies gained.

Resume Preparation

• Early in the semester, each intern should attend a workshop on resume preparation at the Career Center.
• In developing a resume, students should start by forming a working file, including all papers, projects, volunteer experiences, jobs, skills, and education.
• The resume should be brief, clear, neat, and honest, and should present only information supporting the statement of career objectives.