International Affairs Internships

The International Affairs internship is a unique opportunity for students to integrate and apply classroom knowledge to a real-life work experience outside the university. Develop cross-cultural understanding of your region of concentration, apply IA concepts and ideas learned in the classroom, and acquire work experience for future employment and graduate education.

You must contact the internship coordinator, Dr. Miner and fill out the internship forms below to ensure you will be registered for the 9 credit hour course. He will assist in finding potential internships within the United States and abroad. Please see him during office hours or email if you have questions and for assistance through the registration process.

Coordinator Information

The Department of Political Science & International Affairs handles registration if the internship takes place inside the US. The Center for Global Engagement handles registration if the internship takes place abroad.

All students seeking an internship must fill out the agreement form.

Agreement Form

Those seeking internships outside of the US must also fill out the approval form as well.

Approval Form

Internship can be domestic or international in its location; the requirements are 320 hours of work, of which 60 percent of the student’s contact hours are with people from their region of concentration.

Students are encouraged to seek internship ideas from any of their academic advisors, including the Center for Global Engagement and Career Services. 

Internship Learning Objectives:

  1. Theoretical Application: Clear, complete and coherent application of relevant terms and theories. Exactly tailored to the internship experience at hand.
  2. Organization and Writing: Well-structured; each section has a clear and unique purpose. Ordering of sections is logical. All information occurs at the correct place. Level of detail is appropriate throughout.
  3. Discussion of Value of Internship Experience: Student identifies all possible aspects of the internship and indicates which specific aspects had the most impact. Student is able to clearly articulate the added value of the experience to his or her personal growth, education, and global society as a whole.
  4. Self-Reflection: Student is able to analyze objectively any event or situation in which he or she was involved and that relates to the internship learning outcome. Student is able to derive improvements for a future situation and to formulate a plan for improved functioning in a new situation.

Assignments

Assignments are due by the last class day of the semester.

  1. Supervisor’s evaluation of the student’s performance during the internship. (200 pts; 50% of course grade).
  2. Students must write a term paper that is 12-15 full pages of text (double-spaced, 1-inch or smaller margins, 12-point or smaller Times New Roman font). An abstract and title page are required, and all citations must use APA formatting. (120 pts; 30% of course grade).
    1. Required reading for all interns: Meyer, Erin (2014) The Culture Map: Breaking through the invisible boundaries of global business 
    2. Your term paper must deal with the politics, history, and/or culture of your region of specialization. It can be tied specifically to something you have been exposed to during your internship or a related subject that is of interest to you and within your region of concentration. Participate in the D2L discussion “research paper topic” thread to suggest paper topics to me, discuss, and get one approved.
    3. Research papers must have at least 12 sources: 6 peer reviewed and 6 others such as news articles.
    4. Papers must incorporate concepts and theories from one or more of your IA courses, including but not limited to core classes like IR Theory, IPE, comparative government, and can include regional concentration courses or any other concepts and theories you have been exposed to during the course of your degree.
    5. A suggested readings list and link to the library’s IA resource page will be available on D2L to get you started. This list is compiled by UNG faculty familiar with your region and will be funneled through Dr. Miner and listed on the D2L course page. It is a suggested readings list only; the gathering of resources and evidence is up to the student.
  3. Students must compose weekly journal entries and submit them to a D2L discussion thread detailing work assignments, experiences and personal reflections on the connections between their internship and the courses they’ve taken in the IA major. (60 pts; 15% of course grade).
    1. Daily journal entries are not required, but students should detail in several paragraphs, on a weekly basis, their experiences and the connections with their IA degree, previous study abroad and future career plans. More details in your journey is always better.
    2. Students must also keep track of their work hours.
    3. The work log should be submitted at the end of the internship. There is no assigned format for the work log – use a word doc/excel or other, your choice.
  4. Students must complete an internship experience survey (20 pts; 5% of course grade)

Internship Spotlights

Cameron Haynes

Nurture Africa in Dublin, Ireland