Internships

Internships are temporary positions with public or private organizations in which interns receive employment experience and mentoring in exchange for part-time or full-time work. Many government agencies, corporations, and non-profit organizations offer internships to qualified individuals. Most interns are not paid, though a few receive small salaries or reimbursement for living expenses. Most internships are offered during the summer, though some are available at other times. An internship can be an excellent way for a student to obtain professional work experience and make useful contacts in a given field, increasing his or her chance of obtaining desirable employment after graduation. Some interns are even offered full-time positions after graduation by the organizations hosting them.

The International Studies Program allows LSU students to earn course credit for suitable internationally oriented internships. By enrolling in INTL 3099, students can earn up to three credit-hours that count as elective hours for the International Studies major or minor, though they do not count toward requirements for a primary or secondary concentration. INTL 3099 can be taken twice, for a total of up to six credit-hours. It is available during the fall, spring, and summer semesters. Students enrolled in INTL 3099 must complete the requirements explained below and will receive a letter grade for their work. Work carried out for INTL 3099 cannot be used to fulfill the requirements for any other course.

To enroll in INTL 3099, you must complete the following steps:

  1. Identify one or more internship opportunities that interest you, have an international focus, offer meaningful work experience, require you to work at least 120 hours, and are available at a suitable time and location. A list of potential international internship opportunities is given below. A few of these opportunities are located in Baton Rouge or New Orleans, but most would require you to live abroad or in a major city like Washington while completing the internship – usually at your own expense. If you are uncertain whether a particular internship is sufficiently international and meaningful, contact the head of the internship program, Dr. Challen Nicklen. Note that Dr. Nicklen will not help you find or apply for internships; you must do this yourself.
  2. Apply for one or more suitable internships. Some of the summer internship opportunities listed below have application deadlines of November 1 or earlier, so you must begin this process early. Most desirable internships are quite competitive, so you may want to apply for more than one.
  3. Once you have been accepted for a suitable internship, develop a set of reading and writing assignments you will complete in conjunction with the internship, coordinating this with Dr. Nicklen. Normally you must (a) choose and read four books related to your internship; (b) write a five-page paper on each book summarizing its main themes and explaining how it has helped you carry out your internship; and (c) keep a detailed daily journal of your internship work, explaining what activities you have been involved in and how these activities have increased your understanding of international affairs. You must choose the four books yourself, subject to approval by Dr. Nicklen.

After completing these steps, you can enroll in INTL 3099 during the semester in which you are carrying out the internship. You must complete all reading and writing assignments during that semester, communicating regularly with Dr. Nicklen by email. You must work at for least 120 hours in the internship. Dr. Nicklen will grade you on the basis of (a) the thoughtfulness and quality of your papers and journal; (b) how effectively you have used the internship to learn about international affairs, as reflected in your written work; and (c) a satisfactory written evaluation of your performance in the internship from your supervisor.

Below you will find the course description and a list of URLs to help you find internship opportunities.

INTL 3099 / INTERNSHIP COURSE

General Requirements

There are three general requirements for the internship:

  1. Satisfactory completion of work at an approved position. Approximately 10 hours of work each week is expected for a minimum of 120 hours over the course of the semester. An evaluation form is sent to your supervisor at the end of the semester to gauge your performance.
  2. Reading and writing assignments. Well in advance of your departure, you must agree with the International Studies Internship Advisor on a suitable sets of books related to your internship that you will be asked to read, then write reports on. Four books are assigned and students are expected to provide a 3-4 page written summary and analysis of each book and its relevance to the organization where they are working.
  3. Journal of activities. A daily or weekly report of your work activities must be submitted along with the number of hours worked for each entry.


*NOTE: The internship work may not be applied to any other internship program. In other words, you cannot use the internship hours toward another academic program of study.

Steps in the Process

  1. Find an internship position related to international matters. You must do all the work for this yourself. To get started you can consult our list of URLs (see below). But please note, Dr. Nicklen is not available to arrange internships for you. That’s your responsibility.
  2. Obtain approval from the International Studies Internship Advisor for the internship and register for the course. (Contact Dr. Nicklen). Credit will not be given for work completed prior to obtaining department approval.
  3. Complete all the duties assigned by the internship supervisor in the office where you have the internship and hand in all academic components (book reviews and journal) on time to the International Studies Internship Advisor.

If you have questions, or when you are ready to obtain departmental approval for an internship, contact Dr. Nicklen by email at intlstud@lsu.edu. 

International Internship Opportunities

The organizations listed below may offer internships suitable for INTL 3099. Many other organizations not on this list offer suitable internships as well. If you know of an organization you would especially like to work for, contact it and ask whether you can arrange an internship. Note that many internships with US government agencies require US citizenship and a security clearance. Several services listed below can help you arrange an internship, usually for a fee. 

See also:

Services That Help Arrange Scholarships

Some Local Opportunities in Baton Rouge 

Opportunities in New Orleans


US Government

Note: Many federal internships require US citizenship and the ability to receive a security clearance.

The United Nations and Related International Organizations

International Business and Banking

Nonprofit Organizations

International Communications

 

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