THE INTERNSHIP : AN OVERVIEW

All MAA candidates are required to complete an internship at an appropriate agency, organization, or institution. The internship is conducted under the supervision of the Faculty Advisor and a supervisor at the agency or institution. MAA students should begin forming the Internship Proposal Review Committee (IPRC) which will supervise and evaluate their internship experience as soon as possible. This committee comprises the Faculty Advisor (chair), a representative of the organization where the internship will take place, and a second member of the Graduate Faculty.

It is the student's responsibility to locate an internship, but the department offers support through a network of local, national and international opportunities. MAA students are expected to complete some tangible "product" appropriate to their internship. The exact nature of the post-internship project is determined in consultation with the Faculty Advisor. It may be a professional report or other performance (dictated by the nature and needs of the internship agency or institution), or a publishable article related to the internship experience. An evaluation form (see Appendix E, Form No. 12) must be completed and signed by the student’s Internship supervisor, and a copy placed in the student’s file.

THE INTERNSHIP REVIEW

MAA students are required to complete an oral Internship Proposal Review that is administered by the student’s IPRC. This review normally occurs during the second full semester in the program and prior to the student beginning an internship. It is based on a written proposal for the intended internship. Students are responsible for arranging a time and date for the review. Copies of the Internship Proposal and the Internship Review Committee Report must be filed with the Graduate Liaison upon completion of the review. The student will not be allowed to start the Internship until these two requirements have been met.

Specific deadlines for completion of the review will be determined by faculty. Exceptions to this procedure will be allowed only upon a written petition from the student and with the concurrence of the Graduate Director and the student’s Faculty Advisor. The petition must include an agreed upon date for the  review to occur.

Students who do not successfully complete the Internship Review will be allowed to attempt the Internship Review two (2) additional times. The date and time should be agreed upon by the student and the committee. If the student is unsuccessful after the third review, s/he will not be allowed to continue in the program. Should a student fail to appear for her / his review before the end of the established deadline (based upon an agreement between the student and the committee), that absence will normally be considered as having not successfully completed the review.

The department seminar room is usually available for these meetings. Students must check with the Graduate Coordinator in advance for availability.

Please make note of the following procedures related to the Internship Proposal Review Process:

1. The student's Faculty Advisor is normally the chair of the Internship Proposal Review Committee (IPRC).
2. As soon as an internship is secured, the student should discuss the composition of the IRPC with the Faculty Advisor. In addition to the chair, the committee is required to have at least two other members, at least one of which should be another faculty member from the department. Sometimes three other members are allowed, if the advisor thinks it is necessary. The third or fourth member may be from outside the department, and frequently students select their internship supervisor as this third or fourth person. Sometimes this member is a faculty member from another department or institution, or someone with expertise in the area of the student's proposed internship.
3. Once the student and the Faculty Advisor have agreed on the other members of the IRPC, the student should contact these persons and establish their willingness to serve in this capacity.
4. The student should share his or her Internship proposal with the Faculty Advisor for discussion and feedback as soon as a draft is completed.
5. Because committee members have busy schedules, the student should deliver the final proposal to committee members at least seven (7) days prior to the review date to assure that all committee members have the time to read it carefully and provide feedback if necessary.
6. On the day of the review the student should bring a copy of the Internship Proposal Review Form (See Appendix E, Form 3) to the review. This form can be found in this handbook or on the department website on the Graduate Forms page.
7. The review process begins with the student giving a general introduction of everyone present. Then the committee chair asks the student to leave the room for a few minutes while committee members review the process and discuss any significant issues or concerns about the proposal that they feel should be clarified before the student may proceed. Next, the student returns to the room and is asked to provide a brief summary (10-15 minutes) of the Internship, followed by questions and constructive comments from the committee. Following this discussion, the student is again asked to leave the room while the committee evaluates the proposed Internship, including any suggestions for modifications or additional work, and agrees on whether the student is ready to begin the Internship. After the committee's deliberations, the student is called back in and told the outcome, including further refinements to the proposal, if necessary.

Note : Students who have passed their Internship Review must file a form with the Graduate Liaison (see Appendix E, Form 3), which contains pertinent information about the internship and the composition of the student's Committee. The department also requires students to provide a copy of the Internship Proposal for archival purposes. You will not be permitted to begin your Internship until these documents have been received.

THE INTERNSHIP / POST-INTERNSHIP

Internship (ANTH 789)

Upon successful completion of the core course sequence, submission of an Internship Proposal and the Internship Review, each MAA student is expected to complete the Internship with an appropriate agency or institution. The work is conducted under the supervision of the student's Faculty Advisor and an agency or institutional supervisor, who should be in contact with each other at least once during the conduct of the Internship and also at its conclusion, prior to assigning a grade. Internships are normally awarded six (6) semester hours of academic credit, unless preliminary research has been done under ANTH 788. The total combined credit for ANTH 788 and ANTH 789 is 6 credits

Faculty Summer Responsibilities during the Internship

Faculty and students should remain in contact during the course of the Internship. They should meet before the beginning of the Internship to discuss their expectations and to discuss the best means of maintaining contact (meetings, phone, email, etc.). If faculty are not available during the summer, another anthropology faculty member of the student’s Internship Proposal Review Committee should serve as acting Faculty Advisor for the period of the Internship. Students are also encouraged to seek the counsel of other members of their Committee during the course of the Internship.

If feasible, Faculty Advisors are encouraged to visit the work site at least once during the course of the Internship.

Advising is a critical aspect of the MAA program, and it is particularly important during the Internship experience. Faculty and students have equal responsibility for assuring that regular advising is maintained.

Post-Internship (ANTH 712)

There is no thesis requirement for the MAA. Students must, however, enroll in a post-internship course, which is completed as an independent study with the Faculty Advisor. It is expected that a tangible product will result from the post-internship. Most typically, this will be either a professional report or other performance directed to the needs and uses of the agency or institution at which the Internship was undertaken, or a publishable article based on the internship experience. In evaluating the work of the post-internship, the Faculty Advisor will normally solicit the comments of the student's agency or institutional supervisor.

A file of successful proposals and post-internship projects can be found in Appendix C, or on the department web site.