Students can receive course credit for internships only by enrolling in History 3991 before beginning the internship. Students should discuss their plans with the History Academic Advisor or the Faculty Internship Coordinator.

History (HIST) 3991 is described in the course catalog as follows: “HIST 3991. Internship – Internship in applied history.  No more than six credits will count toward the department’s major or minor requirements. May be repeated for credit up to a maximum of 12 credits.”

Most students elect to enroll in an internship for 1-3 credits (42 – 126 credit hours).

In order to earn credit, the student must perform what the faculty supervisor considers to be the equivalent amount of academic work. The parameters of this are determined in conversation with the faculty internship supervisor, the student, and the internship supervisor.

The academic expectations of History 3991 typically include a research paper on a topic closely related to the work required at the internship site, though not always.

Students do not have to be history majors to undertake an internship for course credit.

By CLAS policy, “No credit may be given, retroactively, for internship work undertaken without being properly enrolled in advance.”

In the fall and spring semesters, the Faculty Internship Coordinator supervises almost all of the internships that are credit-bearing. In the summer, because students are off-campus, we request a learning contract.

Approval Process for Summer Internships

Find an Internship

An internship can be considered for history credit only if it is related to the study of history. It is the student’s own responsibility to apply directly to institutions offering internships.

• • The contact information for a number of New England historical organizations that might offer internship opportunities may be found on the menu item above. This is not an exhaustive list.
  • Each student must have an assigned internship supervisor at the work site. The internship supervisor must agree (by signing the learning contract described below) to supervise the work and to participate in the evaluation of the student’s performance at the end of the internship. Interns may not be supervised by undergraduate students.

Find a Faculty Member to Supervise Your Academic Work

• Before beginning the internship, the student should ask an appropriate faculty member to serve as the instructor of record for “History 3991: Supervised Field Work.” The instructor of record must be a faculty member in the History Department, except by special permission of the Faculty Internship Coordinator.
• In conversation with your faculty supervisor, determine the amount of credit you will take on and what academic work you will produce as a result of the internship.

Prepare a Learning Contract

• The student and the faculty supervisor should prepare a learning contract that clearly and specifically outlines the academic expectations for the internship.
  • This is not the same as the job description for the internship, which is a matter to be handled by the internship supervisor.
• Each credit for internship work must entail at least forty-two (42) hours of work per semester or term, including the basic work expectations at the internship site, meetings with the instructor, and additional work on the academic component of the internship.
• For a three-credit course (126 hours), the academic component should include a substantial historical project, such as 15-20 pages of writing in which the student might reflect on the internship experience in light of previous coursework or do additional research, maintain a journal, mount a visual exhibit, or construct a webpage.
  • The required number of hours must be stated clearly in the contract.
• The internship supervisor must agree (by signing the learning contract) to assist the faculty instructor in the evaluation of the student’s performance at the end of the internship. The instructor will be responsible for assigning the grade, based largely on completed work submitted for the instructor’s review.

Obtain Departmental Approval

The student then should submit the learning contract to the Undergraduate Academic Advisor for approval.

Register for History 3991

• The student should complete the Student Enrollment Request Form on the Registrar’s site, making sure to include their faculty supervisor and the Undergraduate Academic Advisor.
  • In order to adequately cover the amount of time necessary to encompass the internship, most students select “Alt Summer I” for “Term.”
  • Any difficulties with this form should be directed to onestop@uconn.edu as soon as possible.