Internships in Sociology and Anthropology

Internships are intended to provide practical learning experience in applying sociological/anthropological knowledge and skills in different work environments.  The department internship coordinators:

Dr. Patricia Masters, Sociology, pmasters@gmu.edu

Dr. Alexander Benitez, Anthropology, abenitez@gmu.edu

There are a variety of ways to obtain an internship:

• You may visit George Mason's Career Services Center located on the third floor of Student Union Building I.  The Center has a wide array of resources ranging from a Library of publications on internship possibilities to an online database listing both internships and employment opportunities.  You must register with the Career Center in order to gain access to the PatriotJobWeb (PJW) where internships and job listings are available.  And you can use this resource to search for part-time jobs and full-time openings---after graduation.)  Registration takes just a few minutes:
• Students and alumni can drop by the office to register or download a brief form from the website and fax it in.  You will receive an email instantly, providing the password and URL. 
• There are usually about 1400 positions of all types for all majors.  PJW also gives access to over a dozen subscriptions such as International Careers Employment Weekly, Current Jobs for Liberal Arts, Internships On-Line, Environmental Career Opportunity News, etc., under the search term “Bulletins.” About 30-40 new positions each day and remove them after 30 days so the list of jobs and internships is not “static” at all.

• Through contacts you have made as an employee or volunteer, you may have learned about internship opportunities. (Note that you may have an internship connected to a paid job.) If you find an internship on your own, you are required to get it approved by the Department of Sociology and Anthropology and/or the Career Services Center. Through this process the University can ensure that the sponsoring organization understands the nature of internships and their linkage to your academic work. For example, GMU requires that 50% of more of the student’s internship tasks are career related and helpful to the student in building academic knowledge.

• After you have preliminary discussions with a possible internship contact, you should make an appointment to see the Department's Internship Coordinator, who will provide you with the necessary forms to take to your prospective sponsor and discuss learning objectives and requirements.

• Finally, the Internship Coordinator maintains a roster of ongoing internship opportunities for Anthropology and Sociology students. These are limited in number, though the Department is making a concerted effort to develop contacts that will be helpful to students. Internship opportunities are also posted in the Department's main office.

• For further information, contact your discipline’s internship coordinator.

Useful Links:

Social Science Internship Opportunities

Smithsonian Institution

EarthRights International

Idealist.org: Action Without Borders

Search here for dozens of internships in the DC area.

National Park Service Cultural Resources Diversity Program

“The Cultural Resources Diversity Program is located within Cultural Resources of the National Park Service. The Program develops and administers the Cultural Resources Diversity Internship Program, publishes the newsletter Heritage Matters, participates in conferences and consults on diversity topics, conducts research projects on cultural diversity issues, and develops curriculum materials on cultural resources/historic preservation for colleges and universities, targeting minority schools.”

Student Conservation Association

The Student Conservation Association offers paid internships across the U.S. At their main site, you can search for positions by discipline, location, and your availability.