Honours in History – Public history internship option

As part of the Honours program in Public History, students are required to do an internship working on projects that deal with the presentation of history to the larger public. Among the types of internships that may be available, students will have an opportunity to:

• Construct exhibitions that present the past to the public in art and history museums.
• Serve as guides and interpreters at living history museums.
• Convert images and artifacts from the past into digital presentations at web design companies.
• Ensure the accuracy of period details and historical analysis at film and television production companies.
• Investigate the historical context that determines public policy decisions at government and nonprofit organizations.
• Edit and publish historical journals and magazines.
• Design and implement oral history projects.
• Preserve and catalogue historical documents at libraries and archives.

Internships may be paid or unpaid and host organizations may be in the public, non-profit or private sectors. Typically, the organizations are local, but students are permitted to find placements elsewhere in Canada or internationally. Concordia History students have found internships at organizations such as:

• Backstory history podcast, Charlottesville, Virginia 
• Canadian War Museum, Ottawa
• Centre d’histoire de Montréal
• Centre for Oral History and Digital Storytelling
• Centre for Ethnographic Research and Exhibition in the Aftermath of Violence
• Continui-t, historical research firm 
• Dorval Museum of Local History and Heritage
• Glasnevin Cemetery and Museum, Ireland 
• Interactive Museum of Jewish Montreal
• Jewish Public Library Archives
• Order of Sons of Italy/Casa d’Italia
• Parc Extension Historical Society
• Projet VIHsibilité
• Quebec Anglophone Heritage Network
• St. Luke’s Parish
• Wapikoni Mobile

Before embarking on the internship, the student should meet with the internship coordinator in the History Department at least two months before the semester of the internship. You will be able to sign up for the internship course, HIST 486, once you have met with the coordinator.  Be aware that the application deadline for summer internships is often in the winter; the earlier you apply for these internships, the better your chance will be of finding a quality posting. The coordinator will assist you in finding a host organization for the internship.

Once you have found an internship, the host organization will determine the duties involved in consultation with the student and the internship coordinator. The organization will then draw up a contract specifying these duties and forward it to the internship coordinator for approval. The contract should include a list of the activities and skills required for the internship, and must be signed by both parties. A sample contract is available. 

The student should meet with the internship coordinator two times during the course of the semester to discuss the progress of the internship. When possible, the coordinator will also conduct a site visit to the host organization.

The internship must consist of a minimum of 100 hours, but normally does not exceed 130 hours, preferably during the academic semester in which the student is enrolled in the internship course. However, it is possible that this number of hours (or the number of hours required by the organization in excess of 100) may not be completed by the end of the semester. Such instances should normally come at the request of the host organization, but in cases where there is a compelling and serious reason such as illness, the student may request an extension of up to one semester in which to complete the internship.

Student interns must complete a 20-25 page paper, or equivalent work, assessing the internship experience. The paper should present a description and analysis of the student’s duties and responsibilities during the internship, and should evaluate both the positive and negative aspects of the work experience. Students should also reflect on how their internships have deepened or changed their understanding of public history, and are encouraged to draw on materials from past coursework and current research in assessing the internship. A portion of the paper may take the form of a work sample, such as a web site, museum script, field report or documentary. The paper should be turned in to the internship coordinator no later than the last day of the final examination period of the semester of enrolment. During the internship, each student should keep a daily log of activities.

The host organization’s internship supervisor will receive an evaluation form from the department, which will serve as one element in determining the student’s grade for the course. The final grade will be determined by the internship coordinator, taking into account the assessment paper and the host organization’s evaluation of the student. A feedback form for the internship is available.