Information for Internship Sponsors

NYU's graduate program in International Education was begun in 1983 as a means of preparing graduate students for a world that was becoming both increasingly interdependent and, at the same time, more assertive in its expression of various cultural traditions. All masters and doctoral students in the program take core courses designed to acquaint them with modernization theory, cross-cultural perspectives of socialization, various educational patterns, and the implications of increased global interdependence. With the program's strong foundation in the social sciences, students are expected to carry out high-level research of historical, anthropological, and sociological issues. Besides providing a strong academic base, the program trains students in an area of professional specialization: cross-cultural communication, global education in the schools, or international education development.

The program recognizes the need to link theory and practice, and, consequently, each student is required to participate in a semester-long internship with an agency, office, or project involved in an aspect related to international education. The purpose of the internship is to acquaint the student with current practices in the field, to assist the student in the profession.

Students are expected to work an average of ten hours per week over a term of 14 weeks. Placements usually coincide with NYU's fall, spring, and summer semesters, although some students are able to adjust their schedules to meet specific agency needs. Students should secure a placement at least one to two months prior to the beginning of the semester of the internship. Students are asked to submit a resume to the International Education Program oftice and to discuss their interests and preferences with the internship coordinator there. Files are available for the students' use, with information about prospective sites, typical duties, and, when possible, names of students who have worked with the office in previous terms. Students are also referred to NYU's Office of Career Services as a source of additional information about possible placements and for help on preparing for the internship search.

If a student is unceratin about a possible site, the internship coordinator will call the office to solicit interest on the agency's part. The student's resume can be faxed at that time, or, if preferred, the agency may request that the student make direct contact either through telephone or mail. If a match looks promising, the student is invited in for an information/placement interview. At that time, mutual interest is confirmed, hours and duties are discussed, and the student and agency agree on a possible starting date.

Academic credit is given to the student for the internship experience. In order to receive credit, the student is required to keep a journal, reflecting on the experiences he/she has during the semester. In addition, the student is asked to meet with his/her supervisor to arrange a research project which would be useful to the organization's mission. During the course of the internship, the student will conduct the research and submit a final report to the supervisor. A copy shall aiso be filed in the International Education Program.

NYU expects its interns to conduct themselves in a professional manner. Their involvement in the internship should contribute positively not only to their own professional development but to the realization of the cooperating agencies' goals. Students are expected to become familiar with the policies, routines, schedules, goals, and expectations of their respective internship sites; they should maintain regular and prompt attendance, as agreed upon with the supervisor; they should comport themselves professionally.

The International Education Program office at NYU welcomes questions, comments, and suggestions about the internship program from actual and prospective participants. Please feel free to contact the program chair or the internship coordinator Carly Einstein at cse3@nyu.edu Tel:(212) 992-9408 .