Career & Internship Support
Students may pursue an internship to fulfill the Research and Practicum requirement for the International Studies major. These are wonderful opportunities to kick start a career or gain invaluable experience to complement your degree plan.
There are many internships that are applicable to International Studies and we strongly recommend that if you would like to pursue one that you start looking for one in your sophomore year. In order for an internship to count for International Studies students must obtain approval for the internship prior to the semester they will undertake it. Students must also enroll in the course INST 493 in order to gain credit for the internship toward their degree plan. There are academic requirements beyond completing the internship in order to apply it to the major as well. Internships already completed without prior admission to the course will not be accepted toward the major.
To take INST 493, the first step is to discern what area or issue of international studies interest you, what semester you would like to do an internship, and how far you can travel to the internship site. For example, could you get to Washington, D.C? After that, start searching! You should also consult major organizations, research institutions, NGOs, and country embassies in Washington D.C. It is up to you to find out what that particular institution requires and when application materials are due.
When you have an idea of some places that you would like to apply, contact Dr. Gorana Draguljic, the International Studies Internship Coordinator, to discuss enrolling in INST 493.
INST 493 is offered in the spring, summer, and fall semesters. You must be able to travel to and from your internship site on your own and the institution must offer a minimum of 120 hours of work to qualify. It is not recommended that students pursue an internship on the Towson University campus as this should be an opportunity to gain experience in another institutional setting. You must have a minimum GPA of 3.0 in order to do an internship. A maximum of 6 credits may be earned through INST 493 for the INST major.
Below is a list of possible internship sites. This list is not exhaustive and students are encouraged to seek other sites and institutions to submit for internship approval as long as their is an international focus.