Overview
The internship is a critically important experience in the training of a public historian. It provides an opportunity to apply skills and knowledge acquired in course work to an actual work setting, and to be evaluated by professional supervisory personnel. A successful and well-documented internship gives you a distinct advantage in the job market. The internship is defined by the Western Michigan University Career and Student Employment Services as a "specific career-related work experience, with direct supervision." It is distinct from what the Council recognizes as a work experience, volunteer experience, practicum, or other arrangement. Internships are regulated closely by the Department of History under Internship Supervisor, Dr. David Benac. The Department has internship arrangements with many museums, historical agencies, governmental units, and other organizations. 51¸£ÀûÉç public history students have enjoyed internships at the Gerald R. Ford Presidential Museum, the Fort Miami Heritage Society, 51¸£ÀûÉç Archives and Regional History Collection, Kellogg's Cereal City, USA, the Northern Indiana Center for History, Michigan Historical Center, the Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum, and many other institutions.
Dr. David Benac
Internship Supervisor
david.benac@wmich.edu
Requirements
In planning and carrying out your internship, please consider the following:
• Planning for the PUH internship should begin at least 6 months before you plan to register for internship credit. Contact the Internship Supervisor, Dr. David Benac, at @email to get started and for registration instructions.
• All internship arrangements must be approved in advance by the Internship Supervisor. Written acknowledgment and description of the internship from the intended field supervisor is required for registration for internship credits. The Department of History will register students for internship credit once all arrangements are approved and all required documentation is provided
• The person who supervises your internship in the field normally should have a ²Ñ²¹²õ³Ù±ð°ù’s degree or its equivalent. If this is not the case, special arrangement may be made for faculty evaluation of the internship experience.
• The Department of History does not accept internship experiences carried out before admission to the Public History program, or without prior consultation with the Internship Supervisor.
• The minimum PUH internship should result in approximately a half-time commitment during a Fall or Spring Semester, or a full-time commitment in a Summer I or Summer II Session. To ensure this level of contact and experience, the Department of History uses a widely accepted formula of granting one credit hour per forty clock hours involved in an internship. Three credit hours of internship will account for 120 clock hours of ·É´Ç°ù°ì.• Documentation is crucial to a successful internship experience. Interns are required to maintain journal records of their work hours, assignments, and other matters during the experience. This journal must be submitted to the faculty Internship Supervisor before credit is awarded. Interns should also provide a brief description of their internship and an appropriate photo of their experience for potential use in digital and print media by the Department of History.
• Your field supervisor will be asked to participate in an evaluation process which takes place at mid-semester and at the conclusion of the experience. Some agencies my use evaluation forms designed for this purpose.
• HIST 4950 is graded on a credit/no credit basis since supervisors usually are not members of the Undergraduate Faculty.
• The Department of History has designed its internship program to conform to guidelines established by the American Historical Association, the American Association of Museums, the National Council on Public History, and the Michigan Civil Service Work-Study Program. Your careful adherence to these provisions will enhance the value of your internship both to yourself and your host institution. The Department of History strongly recommends that students participating in internships acquire basic liability insurance coverage.