Undergraduate Program
Undergraduate Internships
The course allows a student to conduct fieldwork as an unpaid intern for an agency, organization, or business in the Austin area in exchange for three to six hours of upper-division Anthropology credit. The student is expected to work under the daily supervision of a representative of the organization for 10-20 hours per week in the long session. Work hours will vary depending upon the student's course registration. ANT 376P requires 10 hours each week on-site, ANT 676P requires 20 hours each week. The internship experience should be related to the academic anthropological interests of the student. This course has no regular class meetings.
Objective
To provide the student with the opportunity to observe and directly participate in anthropological work in an applied setting. Such firsthand experience is intended to supplement the student's academic study of anthropology.
Supervision
An anthropology faculty supervisor is required for all internships. A faculty supervisor is designated for internships already established with the Department of Anthropology. When individual students solicit their own internships, they are responsible for securing their own faculty supervisor. In all cases, the student must complete the Internship Agreement & Registration Form in coordination with the faculty supervisor prior to registering for the course. Additionally, the student will have a field supervisor who is responsible for evaluating his/her performance at the internship. At the end of the semester, the student is responsible for ensuring that the on-site supervisor returns a On-site Supervisor Evaluation Form, before a final grade can be assigned.
Internship Placement
Students are encouraged to seek out internships that complement their specific academic or career interests in anthropology, as well as secure their own faculty supervisors. Internships that are arranged through the Department of Anthropology will require an application, and will be awarded on the basis of merit and relevant experience. All internships must be approved by the Academic Advisor in the Department of Anthropology.
Course Requirements
The Faculty Supervisor can specify the academic requirements, as well as how an individual student's work will be evaluated for the internship course. The following are examples of past requirements for the course, but the Faculty Supervisor can specify different or additional academic requirements. Course requirements for each individual student will be outlined on the Internship Agreement & Registration Form prior to the student's registration in the course.
- Maintenance of a weekly journal describing the student's work experiences and reflections.
- At least two meetings during the semester with either the Faculty Supervisor or the Academic Advisor, depending upon the nature of the internship.
- Submission of a final paper which includes a thoughtful discussion of the internship experience from an anthropological perspective. Students are expected to incorporate theory and/or previous literature pertaining to the topic of investigation. Students are advised not to take this course if they are not prepared to complete a serious paper of this sort.
- Submission of the On-site Supervisor Evaluation Form to the Academic Advisor at least one week prior to the last class day of the semester.
Evaluations
The grade for this course is determined by the faculty supervisor and will reflect the extent to which the student successfully completes the course requirements. The faculty supervisor from the Department of Anthropology will assign the student's grade for this internship, and this grade may not necessarily coincide with the recommendation of the field supervisor.