猎奇重口

old wooden wagon seen along a path at Fort Missoula

History

Public History Internships

Historians work in traditional academic settings, but even more of them work in public venues. We encourage interested undergraduate and graduate students to seek out internships in the broad field of public history. The goal of an internship is to provide students with professional, hands-on experience making the past relevant and accessible to the wider public. A Public History Internship will help prepare students for a dynamic career in the twenty-first-century workforce. Students will gain professional contacts and foster relationships that will aid in finding employment after graduation. 

Recently, our students have worked in a variety of public history settings: museums and historical societies; libraries and archives; digital humanities projects; historical interpretive sites; national and state parks; government agencies; local, regional, and tribal heritage associations; and historic preservation firms and agencies. Most students find internships in the Missoula area during the academic term. Winter break and summers have enabled some students to pursue more distant opportunities. 

Students may earn academic credit for their internship work by enrolling in HSTR 398 (for undergraduates) or HSTR 598 (for graduate students) with the approval of the Director of the Public History Program. 

Contact

Professor Leif Fredrickson, Director of the Public History Program

How to Do a Public History Internship

Or, how to earn academic credit and/or hard cash while gaining valuable experience!

1. Identify a place where you would like to intern.

The first step is to look for potential internships and, once identified, discuss the details of the internship with the organization and the Director of the Public History program. 
 
There are several ways to look for internships. At the bottom of this page is a list of organizations that students have frequently interned with, along with links to job board listings. This is a good place to start, but you can also explore organizations not on that list that you would be interested in working with. And you can always discuss ideas and get help from the Director of the Public History Program. 
 
Once you identify a potential internship, you will want to discuss some of the details of the internship with the organization, including the amount and type of work, the work schedule, and pay. You are also encouraged to talk to the Director of the Public History Program about your potential internship if you have any questions about the suitability or details of the internship. In addition, the History Department has some funds available to pay students for internships that are not otherwise paid. 

Keep in mind that according to university policy, credit is assigned at the rate of 45 work hours per credit hour. In other words, if you want to sign up for 3 credits during a 15-week semester, you need to plan to work about 9 hours each week. 

Important note: you may count only 6 internship credits toward graduation. 

It is possible to take internships for either Credit/No Credit or for a Traditional Letter Grade, but most students choose the first option. 

For summer and/or winter break internships, you may officially register for a fall or spring semester if this is less expensive for you. 

2. Complete an Experiential Learning Agreement

Once you’ve identified a potential internship and discussed the details of it with the organization, you will need to complete an Experiential Learning Agreement (ELA). Once the ELA is completed and approved by the Director of the Public History Program, you will be able to register for your internship.  

To complete the ELA, go to the Experiential Learning and Career Success (ELCS) page. Under Quick Links, you will see link “Submit a Learning Agreement.” Click on that and follow the steps to complete your ELA. In your ELA, you will need to identify your internship organization and supervisor, the type of work you will be doing, the hours you will work, and the credit load you will be taking. Please note that the "Supervisor" refers to an individual at the organization who will coordinate your internship, while the "Faculty Advisor" refers to the Director of the Public History Program. The ELA site and process is overseen by the ELCS program. Please contact them if you are having trouble using their site or filling out the ELA. ELCS email is: elcs@umontana.edu. 

3. Sign up for HSTR 398 (undergraduate students) or 598 (graduate students)

HSTR 398 and 598 are variable credit courses that require a course override. The Director of the Public History Program will complete your electronic override once your ELA is complete and approved. The override automatically signs you up for one credit. 

If you are taking more than one credit, you will need to go into Cyberbear and choose the “Schedule Options” tab to change the number of credits. The Director cannot make this change in credits for you, so you must do this yourself. The credits in Cyberbear must match what you put down for credits in your ELA. 

4. Complete the Internship Evaluation

Four weeks before the end of the semester, you will receive an e-mail from the UM Internship/Handshake system requesting that you and your supervisor complete an evaluation of the internship. This evaluation must be completed two weeks before the end of the semester, unless otherwise agreed upon with the Director. 

5. Complete the Final Report

The final requirement for internship credit is completion of a 4-6 page reflection report. Your paper should address the following questions:

  • What were your responsibilities at your internship this semester? What skills or knowledge did you acquire or put to use?
  • How did this internship contribute to your career goals? Please be specific.
  • What surprised you the most about your internship experience?
  • What was the most challenging aspect of your internship experience?
  • What was the most rewarding aspect of your internship experience?

This report must be completed and emailed to the Director and the internship supervisor two weeks before the end of the semester, unless otherwise agreed upon with the Director.

Optional - Contribute Materials to Publicize Your Internship

The History Department likes to highlight the public history work our students do! You are welcome to share photos and updates at any time during or after your internship. And we would welcome photos, images, videos, and other materials that you would be willing to share with us so that we can publicize the work you did as part of your internship. If you are up for sharing these materials, please fill out this form and email it and your materials to the Director of the Public History Program.

Internship Opportunities

There are many opportunities for public history internships in Missoula and western 猎奇重口. We encourage students to take the initiative to reach out to organizations and see what internships are available. Below is a list of some of the organizations that students have worked with along with contact information. But students need not confine themselves to this list. Any museum, historic site, archive and other history-related institution could have an internship for you – it’s worth reaching out to see, even if they don’t advertise an internship. Students could also potentially do an internship with any organization that needs the help of a historian, such as a business that wants to document its history. Students can also explore job boards (some listed below), which can offer possibilities for local internships, internships outside of Missoula, and internships that can be done remotely. Finally, students can always contact the director for help in finding internships and sign up for the semi-regular email list of internships/job opportunities. 

Student interns can work in collections and exhibits, education and interpretation, and development. 

Student interns can work giving and developing historical tours, as well as working on other parts of Missoula’s downtown heritage. 

Student interns can work in collections, exhibits, and interpretation. 

 

Student interns can work in collections, exhibits, and interpretation. 

Student interns can work in archives and exhibits. 

Student interns can work in collections, exhibits, and interpretation. 

 

Student interns can work in interpretation and preservation. 

 

Students can work in preservation, education, and interpretation.  

 

Student interns can work in collections, exhibits, and interpretation. 

 

Student interns can work in education and interpretation. 

 

Student interns can work in education, interpretation, and preservation. 

 

Student interns can work in interpretation and preservation. 

 

Student interns can work in education, interpretation, and preservation.

 

Student interns can work in interpretation and preservation. 

  • Kate Hampton (Community Preservation Coordinator) - khampton@mt.gov    

 

Students can work in archives, interpretation, collections, and exhibits. 

 

Students can work in preservation and interpretation.  

Job and Internship Listings

  •  
  •  
  •  
  •  
  •  
  •  
  •  
  •  
  •  
  •