Return to Internship Information page | Return to Dr. Curtis's home page
________________________________________________________________________
INTERNSHIP IN POLITICAL SCIENCE
Information Sheet for Intern Supervisors
The political Science Department at Bradley University would like to thank you for offering an internship for our students. Internships are an increasingly important part of the learning experience for Bradley students. Internships allow students to gain real world experience, make networking contacts for the future, make wise career choices, and enhances the breadth and depth of their education. Your willingness to assist developing young scholars by supervising them in an internship is essential to this process. I'm Dr. Craig Curtis, Professor of Political Science, and I serve as Internship Coordinator for our program. For your contribution to our program I thank you.
Your job is relatively easy. All I ask is that you do three things. First, and most important, you have to supervise the student. I want our interns to experience "real life" in the "real world." I ask that you assign them challenging tasks and tap the great potential inherent in their youthful enthusiasm. Our interns are expected to complete approximately 70 contact hours in your organization for each hour of academic credit they receive for Political Science 480. Second, I ask that you provide, for our records, a brief communication with me which confirms that the student is working on an internship in your organization and which sets out, in general terms, the types of tasks which you plan to assign the student. This can be accomplished via e-mail. Third, I ask that you evaluate the intern. You can use our basic evaluation form, if you choose, or use any format with which you feel comfortable. Please fill one out about halfway through the internship and the other at the end of the intern's time with you. You can send these to me via e-mail if you wish, or you can use snail mail and send them to the address at the bottom of the form.
The student has a bit more work to do than you. The student must work the required number of hours for you and do so to your satisfaction. In addition, the student is required to keep a journal while they are working for you. They must make entries in this journal at least at weekly intervals, although they may make entries at any time that they wish. Lastly, the student will be required to complete a brief academic project to be negotiated with me. The purpose of this assignment is to provide a nexus between the real world and academia for the intern. I prefer that the student initiate the discussion and that the project be their idea, although I always have plenty of suggestions. The typical project involves writing a 3 to 5 page paper, although I am quite open to alternatives.
If you require anything at all from my office or have any questions, all you
need do is ask. I will gladly cooperate in any way that I can. You can reach me
by phone at (309) 677-2492, by electronic mail at rcc@fsmail.bradley.edu, or through the
regular mail at Dr. Craig Curtis, Internship Coordinator, Department of
Political Science,