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. You may also contact the Director of the Public History Program to discuss internships that they know of. If you are a Public History Certificate candidate, you will get occasional emails from the director about internships. Finally, you can search job boards for potential internships.

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 9 hours each week.

Note that you may count only 6 credits of internship 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, sign up for Handshake (click "Handshake Login"). Once signed up, you will be able to complete the ELA on the same site. 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 UM Internship site is overseen by the office of Career Planning, not the UM History Department. If you need help with this site, please contact Cheryl Minnick in the office of Career Planning.

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.

5. 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.

Local Internship Opportunities

Historical Museum at Fort Missoula

The Historical Museum at Fort Missoula was established in 1975 to collect, preserve, and interpret the history of Missoula County and western Montana for the education, recreation, and cultural enrichment of visitors and area residents. The HMTFM Internship Program involves graduate student interns in collections and exhibits as well as public education. Contact Ted Hughes, Curator of Collections, for more information.

Unseen Missoula ~ Heritage Tours

The Downtown Missoula Partnership began offering historical guided walking tours of downtown Missoula to the public in 2018. University of Montana History students have served as interns and worked as content creators and tour guides. For more information, contact Kalina Wickham, Program Director, at (406) 543-4238.

Maureen and Mike Mansfield Library Archives and Special Collections

The Archives and Special Collections at the University of Montana's Mansfield Library documents the regional history of Montana and the Rocky Mountain West through its unique and valuable manuscript and print holdings. Graduate student interns work in collections and exhibits, oral histories, and digital archives. Contact Donna McCrea, Head of Archives and Special Collections, for more information.

Rocky Mountain Museum of Military History

The RMMMH offers intern positions throughout the year, and graduate students have opportunities to work with collections and exhibits, participate in administering the American Association for State and Local History's STEPS internal museum evaluation, and learn to use the Past Perfect museum inventory program. Contact Tate Jones, Executive Director of the RMMMH, for more information.

Other Internship Possibilities

In addition to the internships listed above, opportunities abound at various local, state, and regional institutions. We encourage our students to explore the full range of options and to inquire about possibilities at these and other organizations:

• Missoula Historic Preservation Commission
• Montana History Foundation
• Montana Historical Society
• Montana Innocence Project
• Montana Memory Project
• Montana State Historic Preservation Office (SHPO)
• Western Cultural, Inc.