Internships and Applied Learning
As part of the department's commitment to helping students apply their learning to real-world applications, all students will be expected to complete an Applied Learning experience beginning in the fall of 2018. Internships are a great way for student to apply their knowledge and skills in a real-world setting. In addition, an internship will enrich classroom learning, providing students with a meaningful work experiences to develop useful career-building skills. The Department of History strongly encourages students to complete an internship prior to graduation.
Public History and the Digital Humanities
The growing field of public history, which includes careers in archives, museums, historic preservation, and other historical institutions, provides excellent internship opportunities. New digital tools--on-line museums, social media, podcasts, data mining, gaming, documentaries--have opened up an array of possible internship and career opportunities for students in history.
For more information on internships, contact Prof. Kinkela or the Career Development Office.
Museum Studies Minor
For students with a strong interest in a public history career, the Museum Studies minor provides an interdisciplinary introduction to the field of museum work and prepares students for graduate work in museum studies and for professional careers in history, art, anthropological, or science/natural history museums. The minor in combination with an education major will help prepare students to enter the rapidly growing field of Museum Education. Moreover, the minor provides opportunities for service learning through internships, and provides benefits to understaffed local cultural institutions. For more information on the minor, contact Prof. Nancy Hagedorn Museum Studies coordinator.
STUDENT EXPERIENCES
Students have recently held internships at a variety of local and regional institutions, including the McClurg Museum in Westfield, the Steel Plant Museum in Buffalo, Chautauqua Institution Archives, Reed Library Archives, the Fenton History Center in Jamestown, the Dunkirk Lighthouse, and the Seneca Museum in Salamanca. There are numerous opportunities for internships at these and other institutions, such as the Robert H. Jackson Center in Jamestown, the Buffalo & Erie County History Museum,and the Dunkirk History Museum.