An internship is a short-term arrangement (usually a semester or a summer) that greatly benefits both the intern and the organization offering the internship. The organization gets much-needed, inexpensive (or free) help; the intern gets practical experience and an opportunity to make the connection between theory and the real world. If you're studying theories of social stratification in your sociology class, for example, doing an internship at Dutchess Outreach (which runs a soup kitchen and a food pantry) is invaluable.
Academic Internships
During the academic year, there are many internship opportunities both at Vassar and beyond. Vassar internships are usually academic internships that compensate the intern with academic credit (but there are also paid internships). Most academic departments and programs have at least one academic intern, usually a junior or senior majoring in the department. Many faculty members (especially in the sciences and social sciences but also in the humanities) hire interns who work closely with them on their research. This can involve anything and everything from tracking down sources in the library to running subjects in a psychology experiment. About 300 students a year do academic internships.
Field Work
Outside internships are coordinated through the Field Work Office, which places about 500 students each year in community organizations, nonprofits, government agencies, human services organizations, and businesses. Most of these placements are in the Poughkeepsie area, but the office also places students in New York City (particularly students interested in publishing, the fashion industry, or entertainment) and Albany (particularly students interested in government and public policy). To get an idea of the types of placements, visit the Field Work website.
Every field work student is supervised by a faculty member who evaluates the intellectual merit of the proposed field work, determines the amount of credit to be given, and decides upon the academic requirements for the awarding of credit. Such requirements range from keeping a journal to meeting regularly with the faculty member to writing a final paper.
Summer Internships Both the Field Work Office and the Career Development Office offer multiple resources to help students secure summer internships. Two new programs offered by Career Development — the Wall Street Immersion Program and the Los Angeles Immersion Program — facilitate internships in the financial services sector and the television and film industries. Field Work's Community Fellows Program places 20 students in Poughkeepsie-area human service agencies that promote social justice, ranging from the Children's Media Project, an intensive program in media activism for youth at risk, to Grace Smith House, a shelter for battered women and their children.
