Information for Sponsoring Agencies and Companies
The College of Arts and Science recognizes that important learning opportunities exist outside traditional classrooms. Internships take the city and its workplaces as the classroom, but insist that meaningful credit-bearing learning requires serious and sustained skill development with proper mentorship. Most internship opportunities are completed in the junior or senior year, and provide an opportunity for students to conduct field work in various workplaces. Of course, internships are also a valuable opportunity for students to explore potential careers as well.
Traditionally, internships are semester-long placements with agencies in the public or not-for-profit area, but many are also in the for-profit sector. Interns volunteer for no fewer than 8 but no more than 15 hours per week. Organizations designate on-site supervisors to coordinate students’ daily tasks, foster learning, and promote professional development. Supervisors’ final evaluations help determine the fieldwork grade.
Internships vary but should involve substantial areas of responsibility and specific projects, appropriate to students’ backgrounds and skills. Additionally, they should foster an understanding of issues related to the student’s stated goals for the internship. Students should not replace staff or function as clerical workers and we ask that routine office and clerical work comprise no more than 25% of the internship. We do not accept placements that are primarily clerical (data entry, answering the phone, photo-copying, running errands, etc.). We work with companies and agencies to insure that organizational needs and our academic standards are met.
Credit-bearing internships are, however, reflective experiences and during the internship, students attend a seminar where they compare their practical experience with theory and policy in related fields, and develop research questions about their worksite. Students keep field journals and write papers that explore various aspects of their agency and related issues. Students receive 4 credits for successfully completing the program: 2 credits for the internship fieldwork and 2 credits for the seminar. The course is open to open to sophomores, juniors and seniors and admission is by application only.
If you have questions or need further information please contact:
Office of Preprofessional Advising
NYU College of Arts and Science
212-998-8160
preprof.assistant@nyu.edu
or
Laurel George, Ph.D.
Professor, CAS Internship Seminar and Fieldwork
Office of Pre-professional Advising
NYU College of Arts and Science
lbg2@nyu.edu