We’re proud of our department’s internship program, which places several students each semester in businesses and organizations in the Tuscaloosa-Birmingham area and beyond.
Through internship opportunities, American studies students have been granted acceptance into law school and other graduate programs, received offers of full-time positions at the organizations that hosted them, and received invaluable experience for whatever academic or occupational endeavors they have chosen to pursue.
Credit
Undergraduate and graduate students can earn 3 hours of credit (AMS 400/500) by working for an organization that has been approved by the department chair, Dr. Edward Tang.
Requirements
Before starting an internship, you must deliver to Dr. Tang a letter from the on-site supervisor agreeing to supervise you and listing the tasks you are expected to handle.
In addition to working 10 hours per week with the organization, you’ll also
- maintain a journal of your work life
- write a 3-5 page paper reflecting on what you learned from the experience
- receive a letter of evaluation from the organization’s supervisor upon completion of the internship
Approved nonprofits
The list of nonprofit organizations that students may apply to includes the Bryant Museum, CHOM, Birmingham Civil Rights Institute, and many other locations across the state provided by the public history consortium in Montgomery. You may also suggest another organization for approval.
In the past, students have received approval to work for Birmingham 360 covering soccer’s reception in America, examined the cultural implications of disability at a physical therapy rehab center, and worked for the Nashville Chamber of Commerce, the Contemporary Arts Center in New Orleans, the District Attorney’s Drug Diversion Program in Tuscaloosa, and a living history museum in Birmingham. All of these organizations are willing to host future students.
Learn more
For more information, contact the Department of American Studies at (205) 348-5940.