Internships

Program Description

The Women’s and Gender Studies Internship Program (WMST 484) is an opportunity for undergraduate students to gain on-site experience. Students receive one to four hours of academic credit while learning and working in on- or off-campus placements. Students engage in the ongoing feminist effort to integrate research with social activism as they apply academic knowledge to their work experience and consider how practical experience informs or alters theory. Internship experiences may take place on- or off- campus, such as at the TAMU Women's Resource Center or a local battered women’s shelter. The Women's Resource Center director serves as the coordinator for all internship experiences. Possible internship sites include:

• AIDS Services of Brazos Valley
• Big Brothers Big Sisters of Southeast Texas
• Phoebe's Home
• Planned Parenthood
• Rape Crisis Center, Brazos Valley
• TAMU Women's Resource Center

Students may also earn credit for internships with regional and national agencies such as:

• Feminist Majority Foundation
• Legal Momentum: Advancing Women's Rights
• Women Make Movies
• Women Work! The National Network for Women’s Employment
• Rape Crisis Center, Brazos Valley
• TAMU Women's Resource Center

See the Internship Coordinator to discuss national and regional internship possibilities.

Internship Requirements

Internships must be planned and established prior to the beginning of the semester during which you will earn WMST 484 credit(s). You should begin planning at least two months before you hope to begin. However, the actual internship experience takes place during the semester when you are registered for the course.

Internships must be clearly differentiated from Independent Study projects. That is, internships are not usually research-based, although an agency may ask you to do research for them during your work there as part of your learning experience.

Internships must be new, agency-based, participatory learning experiences. That is, an existing job cannot be used as an internship.

An internship requires a written agreement between you and your supervisor in the agency about what your duties will be, how the agency expects to provide you with a positive and diverse learning experience, how the experience will relate to Women’s and Gender Studies, and how your performance will be evaluated. All this information must be recorded on your Internship Application form.

Women’s and Gender Studies Internships may not be concurrently used for additional credit under a different course number in a different department.

Also, please note that agencies may have their own requirements (training, prior experience, etc.) for interns. Be sure to contact the agency you are interested in working with well in advance should you need to fulfill any agency requirements.

Academic Requirements

Prerequisite: minimum of 6 hours Women’s and Gender Studies credit or permission of the Internship Coordinator.
Students will receive credits based on the number of hours they work:

• 4 hours of work per week = one credit hour
• 7 hours of work per week = two credit hours
• 10 hours of work per week = three credit hours
• 13 hours of work per week = four credit hours

Students will meet regularly (3-4 times) with the Women’s and Gender Studies Internship Coordinator and other students enrolled in WMST 484. These meetings are designed to provide a forum in which all of the internship students for a given semester may collectively discuss and present the academic issues relevant to their internship. The times and location of the meetings will be determined at the beginning of the semester. Students are responsible for completing the assigned readings for the Internship meetings. Students are required to keep a journal of their intern experience. The journal will be due in three installments (due dates will be determined at the beginning of each semester). Students will write a descriptive paper (5-7 pages) about their internship activities and experience. This paper is due on the Friday before finals week unless otherwise noted. A student’s course grade is based 50% on performance at the site, and 50% on academic work.

Internship Objectives

Upon completion of their internship, students should:

• Be able to explain how feminist theory informs practice, and vice versa
• Be able to analyze work places and policies as they relate to issues of gender, race, class, and sexuality;
• Have developed skills and strategies for communicating with supervisors and colleagues;
• Have developed skills and strategies for reflecting on individual responsibilities and ethics in a workplace situation;
• Have gained work experience from which to draw when making future career and/or educational choices.

Setting Up the Internship

It is the responsibility of the student to identify an agency and set up the internship. Most students select an internship from the many possibilities available from the Internship Coordinator. If they prefer, students may develop placements through their own contacts. In some cases, the Coordinator and student may be able to develop a new placement specifically for that student’s needs. When you select the agency, keep in mind your learning and career goals. You can also consult the book Internship Success: Real-World, Step-By-Step Advice on Getting the Most Out of Internships, by Marianne Ehrlich Green, available in the Women's Resource Center Library, for more advice regarding internships.

Once you have selected an agency (or several agencies) that interests you, you should do the following:

• Call the contact person and arrange to discuss internship possibilities with them. Bring a resume that details your skills, abilities, interests, and goals. (If you need help with your resume, you can contact the Career Center at 845.5139).
• You are also encouraged to “do your homework” and find out more about the agency before the meeting. This is a good practice for any job search.

When you meet with the contact person, find out about the kind of work they are offering, what the hours will be, and any special training they might offer. You need to know who your on-site mentor/supervisor will be, and make arrangements with her/him for regular meetings. You need to be sure that your mentor/supervisor receives the following forms, available from the Internship Coordinator:

• Student Contract
• Student Activity Release Form
• Agency / Program Contracts: The intern and the intern supervisor must complete both copies of the contracts and return to the center.
• Evaluation Form: Your supervisor must return this to the Internship Coordinator by the last day of finals in order for you to receive a grade.

Internship Coordinator

Merna Jacobsen: E-Mail: mernaj@tamu.edu