Internships

Internships are great opportunities for undergraduate students to gain hands-on experience in history-related fields (Graduate student Internships here). They allow interns to sample career options, earn valuable experience, and develop employment and professional networking opportunities. The most common kinds of internships undertaken by History majors are with area institutions concerned with history, especially museums, historic sites, archives, historic preservation agencies, and libraries. Internship options are not limited, however, except that they must involve a historical topic or skills.

The typical internship will have the student working, either independently or as a team, on a particular, defined, project. The nature of the project and the student’s responsibilities are worked out between the internship candidate and the host institution and approved by the faculty advisor before the internship commences and is defined in an internship contract. As well as completing the work on the project, and arranging for the submission of the institution’s assessment of their work, the student will prepare a final report of between 5 and 7 pages which describes the institution at which the work was conducted, the activities of the project, and their own assessment of the work.

For info on getting HIST credit for an internship contact Dr. Amanda Pipkin (apipkin@charlotte.edu) or Dr. David Johnson (dajohns1@charlotte.edu)

Local Museums and Sites which offer internships or long-term Volunteer positions:

• Atkins Library Special Collections – https://hireaniner.charlotte.edu/
• Bentonville Battlefield State Historic Site – https://historicsites.nc.gov/all-sites/bentonville-battlefield
• Carolinas Aviation Museum – https://www.carolinasaviation.org/volunteer/
• Charlotte Museum of History – http://charlottemuseum.org/education/internvolunteer/
• City of Belmont – https://www.belmont.gov/departments/parks-and-recreation/donate-volunteer/volunteer
• Cowpens National Battlefield – https://www.nps.gov/cowp/getinvolved/volunteer.htm
• Earl Scruggs Center – http://earlscruggscenter.org/get-involved/volunteer/
• Elizabeth Lawrence House and Gardens (Wing Haven) – https://winghavengardens.org/
• Gaston County Museum – http://www.gastoncountymuseum.org/
• Harvey B. Gantt Center – https://www.ganttcenter.org/
• James K. Polk NC Historic Site – https://www.jameskpolk.net/volunteer.html
• Kings Mountain Historical Museum – https://www.kingsmountainmuseum.org/volunteer-internship-opportunities
• Kings Mountain National Military Park – https://www.nps.gov/kimo/getinvolved/volunteer.htm
• Korner’s Folly – https://www.kornersfolly.org/preserve/volunteer/
• Levine Museum of the New South – https://www.museumofthenewsouth.org/volunteer
• Mathews Heritage Museum – http://www.matthewsheritagemuseum.org/index.html
• Mecklenburg Historic Association – https://www.mecdec.org
• Mint Museum – https://mintmuseum.org/internships/
• NASCAR Hall of Fame – http://www.nascarhall.com/about/internship-program
• Old Salem – http://www.oldsalem.org/support/volunteer-at-old-salem/
• Reed Gold Mine – https://historicsites.nc.gov/all-sites/reed-gold-mine
• Sisters of Mercy Heritage Center, Belmont – https://www.sistersofmercy.org/about-us/mercy-heritage-center/get-involved-at-mercy-heritage-center/
• Stanly County Museum – http://stanlycountymuseum.com/

Non-Local Places that Students have interned at

• Fredericksburg National Military Park (Virginia)
• US Holocaust Memorial Museum, DC
• Smithsonian Museum of American History
• Smithsonian Museum of Africa-American History and Culture, DC
• US Army Heritage Education Center (Carlisle, PA)
• Grand Canyon National Park, AZ
• Buffalo Gap Historic Village, TX
• Historic Germantown, Philadelphia

Eligibility requirements:

1. Students must be of junior or senior standing.
2. Students must be a History major or minor
3. Students must have a 2.25 overall grade point average and a 3.0 in their History course work.
4. Students are responsible for completing all required paperwork.
5. Students may only count 3 hours of internship towards the requirements for the major—i.e. the equivalent of one course. Up to 3 additional hours may be taken for general academic credit.

Academic Credit:

It is assumed that they will spend approximately 120 hours working on the project and for this students will receive 3 hours of pass/fail academic credit that may be applied towards the history major. To receive academic credit students must arrange for their faculty advisor to receive a report on their activities from their supervisor at the host institution, and they must also turn in their own report.