MA-Internships

Women's and Gender Studies Internships
Women's and Gender Studies

Internship in the Community

The WGS program supports the integration of academic experiences with meaningful work in the world. An internship in the community is a good way for students to apply the knowledge and skills learned through WGS to potential job settings and to gain experience in those fields. Internships are open to any WGS student who has completed WGS 402 and count as a 3-credit elective.

Students who complete a WGS Internship:

Experience first-hand knowledge of the inner workings of an organization

Gain practical experience in a WGS-related field of interest

Practice integrating academic knowledge with out-of-the-classroom experiences

Develop their skills in researching, writing, and organizing

Enrich their lives and the lives of others through community service

For guidelines and requirements for completing an Internship in the Community, please contact the WGS Program Director. You can download an application here.

Internship in Teaching

Although the WGS Program is not currently able to support teaching assistantships, we are pleased to offer an annual internship in the teaching of WGS. This teaching internship is a competitive award that counts as three elective credits, provides a tuition waiver for the cost of the course, and enables the intern to work closely in a training relationship with a member of the WGS core faculty.

For students who wish to teach WGS courses in the future, an Internship in Teaching acquaints them with relevant pedagogical scholarship and provides practical experience in planning and hands-on experience in teaching a WGS class. In this 3-credit course, the intern works with a member of the WGS core faculty in an undergraduate Women and Gender Studies course and participates in a range of activities specific to course preparation and instruction. These could include reviewing readings, planning class activities, creating assignments, assessing written work, leading discussion, and guiding small-group work.

Students who complete a WGS Internship in Teaching:

Become familiar with feminist educational theories and practices

Practice integrating academic knowledge with teaching

Gain practical experience in teaching a WGS course

Understand how to create an effective syllabus and assignments

Develop skills in evaluating and assessing student success

The WGS program is currently able to award one or two teaching internships annually. Most often, the intern will be assigned to WGS 210 Introduction to WGS. Since there are a limited number of internships available, the selection process is a competitive one. In order to apply, students must:

Be enrolled and in good standing in the WGS master’s program

Have completed at least 18 semester hours of credit in the WGS program, including WGS 402 and WGS 404

Not be enrolled in another internship during the same semester of the teaching internship

Understand and be willing to undertake the specific time commitments a teaching internship requires, including the need to meet prior to and during the semester with the faculty member, and be available at “crunch times” during and at the end of the semester (especially for grading sessions)

Submit a complete teaching internship application by the deadline

One component of the WGS Internship in Teaching Application asks the candidate to identify their pedagogical style and which theorists have impacted their methodology. If you would like to further develop your thoughts on pedagogy for the application and/or during your internship, please see the Feminist Pedagogy Resource List available here.

All applications will be reviewed by a committee of WGS core faculty members. Committee decisions will be made in time for all applicants to plan their next semester’s schedule. For more information, please contact the WGS Program Director. You can download an application here.