Rusmir Musić
Assistant Director of Experiential Programs
Hiatt Career Center
rusmir@brandeis.edu
781.736.3618

Jessica Paquin
Academic Internships Administrator
Office of the Dean of Arts and Sciences
paquin@brandeis.edu
781.736.2156

Academic Internships

Women and Gender Studies

Overview

A Women's and Gender Studies Internship is intended to provide you with hands-on experience in settings focused on the concerns of women or girls or on issues of gender or sexuality. Your internship responsibilities should help you to develop a deeper understanding of the ways in which gender and sexuality inform both institutional structures and individual experiences. The most useful internships are those in which students are given the opportunity to participate actively in the work of the organization by developing or contributing to a specific program or project.

Internship possibilities are as diverse as women's and gender studies itself. Options might include, but are not limited to, organizations addressing issues concerning health care, the law, education, religion, globalization, immigration, eating disorders, poverty, racism, violence against women, and sexuality. For a Women's and Gender Studies internship to be approved, it must be demonstrated that the work you undertake will entail some specifically gender-or sexuality-related focus. You are encouraged to seek out an internship with an organization that you believe in and are committed to supporting with your energy and time.

There are several ways to pursue an academic internship:

The Women's and Gender Studies program offers a seminar and internship course, WMGS 89A: Prevention of Violence Against Women and Children. Students who wish to pursue an internship in this area are encouraged to enroll (See course description below).

For academic internships related to other topics, students identify an internship site of interest and a faculty mentor and enroll in WMGS 92b Independent Internship & Analysis. If you are interested in pursuing an unpaid summer internship, you may be eligible to apply for the Women's and Gender Studies Rapaporte Summer Internship Grant. Ideal internships will offer you some of the following opportunities:

To learn about the overall organizational structure and mission, and to understand the ways in which gender and/or sexuality inform its work
To attend organizational meetings and events
To observe, "shadow", or interview knowledgeable persons within the organization
To examine organizational decision-making processes, resource and funding issues, policy and program development, and implementation of services and projects within the organization
To work closely with a direct supervisor who will guide and mentor you
To assess how your coursework applies to the gender- or sexuality-related field that you are working in
To analyze the organization in such a way that you are prompted to ask critical questions about gender- or sexuality-related work
To identify issues of concern within your organization and the broader social, political, or cultural dynamics of gender and/or sexuality that it operates within

WMGS 89A: Prevention of Violence Against Women and Children

Students participate in a two-hour seminar and intern eight hours a week at a community setting. Seminar meetings, readings, presentations by people working in the field and student projects explore cultural and interpersonal facets of violence from a feminist perspective. Topics include theories, causes and prevention of rape, battering, child abuse and animal abuse. Internships provide practical experience in local organizations such as rape crisis centers, battered women's shelters, and violence intervention and prevention programs.

Internship selection and placement is the first and key assignment of the course. Students work directly with the instructor of the course to establish an internship site.

Steps to gain credit for an Academic Internship

Identify an Internship Site
Once you have found potential sites you are interested in, send them a copy of the Women's and Gender Studies Introduction Letter to explain the internship program.
Find an Internship Faculty Advisor (Instructor)
Your Advisor will approve your internship site, sign the Internship Approval Form, and meet with you at least 4 times during the semester. If you enrolling in WMGS 89a, the seminar professor will be the Faculty Advisor.
To enroll in WMGS 92b
Complete the Internship Approval Form and submit a copy to Katie Dalton in the Women's and Gender Studies Program (MS 082/Rabb 105).She will approve your internship site. Once approved by WGS, bring the form to the Registrar's Office (Kutz 124), and make copies for the instructor and your records. Please click here for the Internship Approval Form.

Ways to find an Internship

Contact the WGS Program Administrator, Katie Dalton at daltonka@brandeis.edu to inquire about internship postings.
Contact organizations related to your area of interest. See list below for organizations related to women and/or gender in Massachusetts.
Begin Networking. Start a list with names of friends, relatives, classmates, present and former co-workers, neighbors, faculty members, members of any club(s) in which you participate, and anyone else you can think of who might have an interest in or connection to gender related issues. Ask everyone on your list to suggest the names of people who are employed in the organization(s) or field(s) you are investigating, and ask for permission to use her/his name in contacting these people.
Talk to your professors. Your professors are a great resource in your network chain, especially if you have been an active participant in their classes. You can also look at the list of Women's and Gender Studies core and affiliate faculty to see if there are professors that you may not have met yet who have background experience in your area of interest. Drop in during their office hours and ask them about their field, and, if they are unable to directly help you, be sure to ask if they might have colleagues that they can refer you to in your field of interest.
Search JAMIN - (Jobs Advice Mentors Internships Networking). Click on the "Internships" icon on the left side of the screen.
Use internet search engines and job posting sites, to search by field, topic, and/or location for internships that fits your interests and needs.
Utilize the Hiatt Career Center.
Set up informational interviews. You will solidify many of your network contacts through informational interviewing. Informational interviews give you solid data on where jobs are, whether they appeal to you, and what employers expect. Read more at Hiatt Career Center Networking Guide.

Requirements

Students pursuing an internship for semester credit must spend 8 hours per week, over the course of 10-13 weeks, engaged in significant work within a setting that can provide a focus on women, gender, and/or sexuality.
At the placement, the student must work with a supervisor or mentor. At Brandeis, the student must enroll in an internship course (WMGS 92b) with a faculty member who will guide the intellectual component of the internship, read the student's written work, and award a course grade. Students must meet with the Academic Internship Advisor at least 4 times during the semester.
Students are expected to keep and submit weekly journals, read from a list of relevant scholarship, and produce a final analytical paper of 15-20 pages in length.
WMGS 89a requirements include attendance and participation in a weekly seminar class; performance at the fieldwork placement - 96 hours total; completion of an analytical term paper; and journal entries integrating field work with readings and seminar discussions.

Past Internship Sites:

The Second Step, Newton
The Second Step, a private non-profit agency, seeks to break the cycle of domestic violence, one family at a time. We provide services to women and their children that enable them to remain free from abusive relationships and lead productive lives. Our mission is to provide transitional housing and support services to women and their children who have successfully taken the first step away from domestic violence.

Jewish Domestic Violence Coalition, housed at Jewish Family & Child Services, Waltham
Jewish Family & Children’s Service cares for individuals and families by providing exceptional human service and health care programs, guided by Jewish traditions of social responsibility, compassion, and respect for all members of the community.

The Family Center Inc. of Greater Boston
Since 1982, the Family Center has helped families grow strong and empowered them to form vibrant communities. As a not-for-profit human service and community outreach agency, we provide therapeutic and family support services to families in Somerville and the Greater Boston Area, as well as training and consultation to schools and social service agencies in New England and New York.

Mass. Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children, Boston
MSPCC is a private, nonprofit society with a legacy of strengthening families and preventing child abuse through essential child welfare and mental health treatment and effective public advocacy. Incorporated in 1878, MSPCC serves children and families across Massachusetts with an unmatched range of services designed to respond to the individual needs of infants, children, adolescents and their families.

Planned Parenthoold League of Massachusetts
The largest freestanding reproductive health care provider in the state. For nearly 80 years, Planned Parenthood League of Massachusetts (PPLM) has protected and promoted reproductive health and freedom of choice through clinical services, education and advocacy.

Rosie's Place
Rosie’s Place, a sanctuary for poor and homeless women, offers both emergency and long-term assistance to women who have nowhere else to turn. Established in 1974, Rosie’s Place is committed to welcoming each guest with respect and unconditional love. Rosie’s Place accepts no government funds, and relies instead on committed volunteers and private supporters to accomplish its effective and innovative work.

Action for Boston Community Development (ABCD)
ABCD reaffirms its lifelong mission to promote self-help for low-income people and neighborhoods. ABCD implements this mandate through a decentralized, neighborhood-based structure and a process that provides innovative, practical, and timely programs and services which emphasize education and skilled job-training at all levels and develop problem-solving skills for people and neighborhoods. ABCD programs provide opportunities for tens of thousands of individuals and families each year to improve their lives and contribute to their communities, thus offering a significant return on investment for our city, state and nation.

Internships at Brandeis