Internship in Women and Gender Studies

The Women and Gender Studies internship encourages both scholarship and community involvement by working in local, national and international communities with a concurrent analysis of that experience. The internship affords unique opportunities far beyond the walls of the classroom. Students work with organizations such as the local rape crisis center, domestic violence service organizations, international human rights organizations, legal advocacy organizations, teen pregnancy programs, groups lobbying on behalf of women and gender issues, women’s health care agencies, and even local businesses (view potential internship sites).

Typically, students work ten hours each week for a letter grade. During the semester students are required to maintain weekly time sheets, produce monthly reports, create a portfolio, and write a summary essay based on their internship experience, putting their work into a larger historical and sociological perspective.

For further information contact Women and Gender Studies at 303-492-8923.

WGST Internship Information

  • Making a positive contribution to an organization helping women or LGBTQ individuals.
  • Developing first-hand knowledge of the inner workings of an organization.
  • Developing practical skills.
  • Clarifying career goals.
  • Using initiative and creativity in problem solving.
  • Developing an ethic of community service.
  • Understanding the social construction of gender and its consequences.
  • Observing and working with professional women role models.
  • All internships must have prior approval. No retroactive credit is available for internships already started or completed.
  • The student must have completed a minimum of 30 credit hours, including 6 credit hours in women and gender studies courses before placement begins.
  • The student must have a minimum cumulative GPA of 2.0.
  • All internships must provide work experience clearly related to your academic goals and prior course work. Internships for credit must include an academic emphasis beyond the work experience. Discuss this with your faculty sponsor.
  • Internships may be taken for 3 hours of academic credit. The course may be taken up to 6 credits overall (2 semesters total).
  • Each intern must work a minimum of 48 hours for each hour of academic credit. For 3 credit hours the intern is required to spend 144 hours at the internship site.
  • The student will pay tuition for the internship according to the number of credit hours they are seeking. See tuition rates from the Bursar’s Office website.
  • All WGST internship requirements can also be found here: Internship Requirements
  • Obtain a faculty sponsor (not an adjunct or graduate student) that will assist you in completing the application and will assign a grade at the end of the semester. You will be graded on the evaluation criteria that are detailed below. In addition, the faculty sponsor may require additional work not listed below.
  • Identify an internship opportunity. It is essential that you begin searching for an internship prior to the semester that you plan to do the internship. Be sure to take into consideration your interests and career plans, enthusiasm for the organization’s mission, ability to commit to a schedule, and access to transportation.
  • Contact the agency and acquire any materials that may be needed, take preliminary training, or fill out any forms that the agency requires. Remember that several of our internships require weeks of intensive training. Most agencies have a designated internship supervisor. It is recommended that you visit the site and speak directly to the internship supervisor. You are responsible for making arrangements for the hours that you will work and understanding their expectations as well as the requirements for earning academic credit in Women and Gender Studies.
  • Complete the WGST Credit Internship Application form. Please read this form carefully and follow the directions. This form requires input from the faculty sponsor and multiple signatures. Only after all approving signatures have been obtained and you have a copy of the approved contract, will you be able to secure permission to add credits. To receive credit, all internships must have PRIOR approval.
  • Once the above steps are completed, turn in everything to the Women and Gender Studies office in the Hazel Gates Woodruff Cottage to complete your registration. The department staff will then register you for the appropriate number of hours under course number WGST 3930.
  • Internship duties are to be negotiated with the employer and student intern.
  • Employer will identify one primary supervisor of the student intern.
  • At the end of the semester, the site supervisor fills out and returns an evaluation form to your faculty supervisor.
  • Your final grade will be based on a mix of 70% from the evaluation by your internship supervisor and 30% on the materials that you will turn in to the faculty sponsor. To earn a grade, student interns are evaluated on the following criteria:
    • Worksite supervisor evaluation of the student’s performance (form available on the WGST website).
    • Intern Evaluation of the worksite (form available on the WGST website).
    • Monthly Activities Reports, to include:
      • Weekly activities and a summary of the learning experience.
      • Accumulation of hours worked during the month that is signed off by the worksite supervisor.
      • Any other information that the intern thinks is relevant for the faculty sponsor to evaluate what contributions the intern is making to the worksite.
      • Materials that the intern developed or programs that the intern helped to organize.
    • Internship Portfolio: Each student shall collect flyers, information, handouts, and all written materials from the worksite and create an Internship Portfolio. The Internship Portfolio will be organized with topic headings in a notebook (see below for order). Top-loading sleeves may be recommended for some (not all) Portfolios. Students are encouraged to take photos (if appropriate) of experiences and include them in the Internship Portfolio (check with your worksite supervisor before taking any photos.) The Internship Portfolio shall include the following:
      • Cover and/or title page: Your name and internship experience
      • Executive summary: 1 to 2 page typewritten summary of internship
      • Monthly reports
      • Student’s goals and objectives with internship experience
      • All material about worksite programs that you have participated in. Include materials and photos documenting your internship experience (special projects, publications, newspaper articles, special training, presentations given, etc.)
    • Summary Essay: Each intern must submit a summary report/essay in which he/she comments on the items listed below. These papers should be five to eight pages (standard margins, double-spaced) and should be included in your portfolio. The summary essay should include:
      • Duties - Briefly describe the nature of the duties you were assigned throughout the semester. How did they change as the semester progressed?
      • Supervision - Comment on your relationship with your worksite supervisor(s). Did the supervisor make his/her expectations clear? Were his/her instructions adequate? Did you receive adequate feedback regarding the quality of your work? (Did he/she tell you when you made an error and did you end up with a better idea of how to avoid that type of error in the future?)
      • Preparation - Were you adequately prepared to take on this sort of internship? What course or courses do you think should be required and/or recommended for a student to take prior to assuming this internship?
      • Personal Development - What important things did you learn about yourself through this internship experience? (Your answer should relate to personal aspects like getting along with people as well as to career choices.)
      • Women and Gender Studies Knowledge - What did you learn about women and gender studies? To what extent did this internship experience supplement or contradict your classroom experience?

Internship Forms

Credit Internship Application for Internships in Women and Gender Studies
Student Internship Site Evaluation (to be completed by the student)
Internship Supervisor Evaluation Form (to be completed by the site supervisor)

Internship Links

Internship Requirements (specific to Women and Gender Studies)
Potential Internship Sites
CU in D.C.