Internships – History

Internships help you explore career possibilities, gain hands-on experience that you can put on your resume, and develop professional skills that complement your classroom learning. An internship can also help you see the realities of a particular job so that you can determine if that career path is right for you before you graduate!

We encourage eligible students to do internships for credit by enrolling in History 289 (freshmen and sophomores) or History 489 (juniors and seniors). It is, however, the student’s responsibility to secure an internship with an agency or organization; the Department does not place students in internships. Students should also arrange to have a supervisor oversee their work at the agency or organization.

Before securing placement in an agency or organization, interested students should begin by verifying whether or not they meet L&S requirements to enroll in an internship for credit. The prerequisites are:

History 289 — lower-division course in History; 2.50 GPA.
History 489 — junior standing; satisfaction of GER English Composition competency; 300-level or above course in History; 2.50 GPA.

The steps for enrolling in History 289 or 489 are:

Ask the Chair of the Undergraduate Affairs Committee to confirm eligibility to enroll in History 289 or 489.
Download the Verification of Internship Form — doc, pdf, which must be completed and signed by the student and the agency or organization supervisor.
Submit the completed and signed Verification of Internship form to the Chair of History Undergraduate Affairs Committee.
You will be assigned an academic mentor from among the UWM history faculty.
Meet with your faculty academic mentor to discuss the internship program, goals, assignment, and form of assessment.
Complete and sign the Internship Contract Form — doc, pdf with your faculty academic mentor and ADD/DROP form as appropriate.
Submit the completed and signed Internship Contract and ADD/DROP forms to the History Office.
Important Note: Students must enroll in History 289 or 489 by the end of the second week of the semester in which the internship will take place.

Examples of Internship Sites