The International Studies Department offers two courses that offers International Studies majors or minors the opportunity to develop particular interests in an area of the discipline not covered by Departmental or other University course offerings. These courses are:
INTL 4306 Internship in Internationals Studies, and
INTL 4307 International Studies Program International Distinction
Basic requirements include both sophomore standing and appropriate introductory and advanced course preparations. Permission to enroll in these courses requires the approval of a faculty sponsor who agrees to direct the course and the approval of the director of the program.
Internship in International Studies
INTL 4306
This course offers students the opportunity to combine practical experience in International Studies and academics. This course offers the opportunity to gain academic credit for the internship experience. The course is normally intended for students who have arranged an internship in a foreign country. In certain cases, credit may be given for an internship in the United States if the work is clearly related to International Studies. Those cases will be exceptions and must be approved by the Director of International Studies. Those decisions will be made on a case by case basis. Students must have at least sophomore standing and appropriate introductory and advance course preparation.
Students interested in INTL 4306 will follow this process:
- Enroll in the Dedman College Internship Program, which designs and sustains credit-bearing internship experiences that demonstrate and reinforce the skills acquired by student.
- Attend the required Dedman College internship orientation and take advantage of the workshop on resume writing and interview skills.
- Secure interviews and internship placement
- Find a faculty member in the International and Area Studies program who will act as the student's advisor for the internship and file a "learning contact" with the faculty member and with the Internship program. Each student intern has the responsibility to arrange the internship work experience, persuade a faculty member to act as sponsor, develop and submit an internship plan, and fulfill the basic requirements of the course.
An Internship Plan developed in consultation with a faculty sponsor must include:
- A description of the practical work to be (or already) undertaken. This should be accompanied by a letter from the internship organization outlining the student's work responsibilities and the duration of the internship.
- A description of the academic work to be undertaken, including at least a preliminary bibliography.
- A completed statement of intent form "Internship in International Studies 4306."
The student should submit the internship plan and have completed all arrangements prior to the day of registration. Should the student have completed the practical work of an internship prior to registration (as in some cases for summer internships), the student must have a letter from the organization where she/he interned describing the student's functions and responsibilities during the internship. If the faculty sponsor determines this to be satisfactory, the student will be allowed to register in a subsequent semester.
The student's academic work in the course should result in a substantial term paper. Most importantly, the paper should demonstrate the student's critical ability to relate the practical experience of the internship to the scholarly work in the bibliography. This course may not be used for Departmental distribution requirements unless specifically approved by the director of the program. An oral presentation will be required at the end of the semester.
No student may remain in the course beyond the last date for withdrawing (WP) if she/he is not fulfilling the work requirements as established by the faculty sponsor.
International Studies Program Departmental Distinction
INTL 4307
The International Studies program offers selected undergraduate majors an opportunity to undertake a special program of study and research as a candidate for award of the B.A. degree with Departmental Distinction.