Internships

Employers recognize that history students have good writing skills and understand how to research and organize material.

The following local and national organizations sponsor internships for which majoring in history would be helpful:

• Gerald R. Ford Museum
• Joint Archives of Holland
• National Parks and Planning Service
• Lakeshore Museum Center, Muskegon
• Holland Historical Trust/Holland Museum
• State Department
• Major corporations such as Google (special research projects, market analysis, etc.)

The Boerigter Center for Calling and Career is an excellent resource for students considering an internship. Contact them before you receive an internship for ideas and assistance or after you have an internship to apply for credit.

History Department Requirements

The history department will also need the following:

• A written proposal, including (a) the name and address of the museum or other organization; (b) the name and contact information for the onsite internship supervisor at the venue; (c) a description of what you would be doing — i.e., your major project, your responsibilities, your hours per week, the anticipated final product of your internship — or whatever it is the organization expects you to produce. The proposal should be approved by the history department in the spring for a summer or fall internship and in the fall for a spring internship.
• You will need to communicate with your department supervisor once a week or so, by e-mail, about what you are doing and how it's going.
• A written evaluation, directed to your department supervisor, from your internship supervisor at the end of your internship.
• A four- to six-page essay, from you, evaluating the experience in terms of the ways you put your history education to use and the things you learned from your internship.
• If your final product is reproducible (i.e. a report or something that could be photocopied), the department would like a copy of it. We'd also like photos of you working on your project. You could arrange to have photos taken while you're at the organization, or the supervisor could take some when he or she shows up for the site visit.