Internships | Women's & Gender Studies
  1. Home
  2. Student Resources
  3. Internships
  4. Internships

Internships

Completing an internship offers valuable on-the-ground experiences that enable the student to glean an insider's perspective of a non-profit organization to help decide if pursuing a career in this profession is the right choice for you. Students must complete at least 12 hours of graduate WGST coursework before enrolling in an internship and must work in close consultation with the WGST Program Director.

The Non-Thesis Track Internship Option is a 30 hour degree: 27 hours of coursework, 3 hours of WGST 5850 (Internship Hours), and written comprehensive examinations (taken during the student's last long semester of enrollment).

After meeting with the WGST Program Director, Dr. Megan Morrissey, to determine expectations regarding the completion of an internship, the student assumes responsibility for securing an internship position that will augment their professional goals aligned with the master's degree in Women's and Gender Studies. When the student has secured a position, they should prepare an internship proposal and submit it to the WGST Program Director along with contact information for the organizational supervisor of the internship. Once the WGST Program Director approves the internship, the student enrolls in WGST 5850 under the section number of the WGST Program Director. The internship should be completed during the semester in which the student is enrolled. When the internship is completed, the Major Professor assigns a grade ("A," "B," "C," etc.).

Although internships are meant to be adaptive to the individual degree aspirations of each student, the baseline expectations for students pursuing the internship option are as follows:

  • You will be expected to work approximately 50 hours for each hour of credit earned; a student enrolled for three (3) semester credit hours should plan to work a minimum of 150 hours (10 hours per week in a regular semester) to complete the internship. Note: In coordination with the student's major professor, internship hours may be initiated and/or completed during the summer with registration for WGST 5850 occurring during the subsequent fall semester.
  • In addition to the successful completion of working hours, you will need to secure a written evaluation from your internship supervisor by the end of the semester (prior to the submission of final grades).
  • Each student, in consultation with the WGST Program Director, should write some sort of final reflection paper that is informed by scholarship in the area of the field the student is seeking to better develop. Students are encouraged to work in close consultation with the WGST Program Director to ensure that this paper meets minimum expectations for content, length, scholarship, etc.
  • Each student, in consultation with the WGST Program Director, should submit a detailed portfolio that demonstrates their progress in completing this internship experience. Students are encouraged to work in close consultation with the WGST Program Director to ensure that this portfolio meets minimum expectations for content.
  • Each student's on-site coordinator or supervisor will be asked for an evaluation of the student's performance during their internship. This form will be provided by the WGST Program Director.