(Q): When should I undertake the internship? Should I wait until my senior year?
(A): You may undertake the internship at any point in your studies. Part of the rationale for the IE Pre-Graduate School Internship is to get students thinking about graduate school well in advance of their senior year. What is discovered during the internship, for example, might influence subsequent course decisions. The appropriate time to undertake the internship depends on the discipline (your proposed field of graduate study), your intellectual maturity and academic readiness, and the wishes of your potential faculty supervisor. If you know the discipline in which you wish to do the internship and know faculty in that program, you should seek their advice.

(Q): How do I get started
(A): The best answer to that question is first to ascertain in what discipline you would like to do graduate study. In many—though not all—cases the chosen field could be the same as your undergraduate major. Understand, however, that graduate degrees do not necessarily correspond to academic departments and that many graduate degree programs seek students from a variety of related disciplines. There are even some graduate programs that do not have an undergraduate major and vice versa. A complete list of UT graduate degree programs may be found on-line. Each program has a web page describing the degree and the various areas of concentration. Once you have located a graduate program, it is best to talk with faculty and graduate students in that discipline. If you do not know faculty or graduate students, you might contact the program’s Graduate Coordinator. S/he will be able to assist you and make recommendations about faculty and graduate students to contact. A list of all Graduate Coordinators is available.

(Q): How will I receive academic credit for the internship
(A): Interns may receive credit for the internship via enrollment in CMS 164M, 264M or 364M depending on the internship activities specified in the contract and the number of hours spent by the intern undertaking those activities. The number of hours enrolled in, therefore, should be discussed by the intern with his/her mentor and supervisor in putting together the internship contract. Alternatively, course credit can be given through the host department (the program in which one wishes to undertake graduate study or in which the faculty supervisor resides). Almost every department that offers undergraduate classes has in its inventory a conference course, independent study, research class or internship that might be used. The key is first finding a faculty supervisor and deciding the activities in which you wish to engage (examples of which are listed on IE Pre-Graduate School Internship web page and in student testimonials); that will inform the decision about which class should be taken. Professor Cherwitz is willing to discuss this decision with your faculty supervisor.

(Q): Is the internship offered every semester
(A): In principle, the answer is yes; it could be done in any semester, including summer. The key is finding a faculty supervisor (and perhaps a graduate student “mentor”) in the host department. Most departments offer an undergraduate conference course, independent study or research class every semester; in addition, CMS 164M, 264M or 364M are available every semester.

(Q): Why should I also work with a graduate student “mentor”
(A): In order to decide whether you should pursue a graduate degree (and in what discipline) it is important to know something about the culture of graduate study and the climate of the program for students. Veteran graduate students can tell you a lot about what it is like to be a graduate student; they know first-hand the pluses and minuses of graduate study. In addition, by “shadowing” a graduate student, you will discover the range of their activities and work assignments; you will learn, for example, what it means to be a teaching or research assistant and what it means to engage in creative or scholarly projects—all of which are essential parts of graduate study and make it different than what you do as an undergraduate. Along with your faculty supervisor, a graduate student “mentor” can help answer questions and open the door for you to the program’s activities and events; s/he will allow you to see what it is like on a daily basis to be a graduate student and the array of things graduate students do and about which they think. This exposure also will enable you to obtain a glimpse of students at the beginning, middle, and end of their graduate student tenure.

(Q): Beyond working in my proposed degree program, what is the advantage of undertaking this internship
(A): The biggest advantage is that you will share your internship experiences with students in dozens of other fields. Often one learns more about themselves and the potential value of graduate education through the experiences of others. Moreover, the experiences of other interns may prompt you to ask questions of your faculty supervisor and graduate student mentor or gather information that initially had not occurred to you. In the IE Program we have learned that some of the most important things are learned when people from different disciplines and backgrounds get together to share experiences. In fact, students often comment that many discussions regarding career choice, ethical commitments, and one’s passions cannot or do not naturally occur within their department; sometimes there is a need for a “safe space” in which to engage in these conversations. Finally, the IE Pre-Graduate School Internship will allow you to interact individually and as a group with a former Associate Dean of Graduate Studies who has knowledge of how graduate education works (in a variety of disciplines and institutions)—from the time one makes application to graduate school to their choice of career and job placement. He will be able to help you locate resources both at UT and elsewhere to assist in determining whether graduate school is right for you; he also can assist you in navigating the red-tape associated with applying to graduate school and devising the best strategies for putting together a strong application.

If you have other questions, please contact Professor Cherwitz at 471-1939 or spaj737@uts.cc.utexas.edu or Johanna Hartelius at jhartelius@mail.utexas.edu

For problems or comments about page contact Richard Cherwitz