Internship Agreement
HIST 698 Internship in Public History
University of Massachusetts Boston
M.A. in History, Public History Track
Date___________________
OVERVIEW
History MA students in the Public History Track at the University of Massachusetts
(UMB) Department of History must undertake an internship of at least 120 hours with a
historical organization or museum, under professional supervision. This requirement
expands educational opportunities for Public History students, offering them practical
experience that that they cannot achieve in the classroom. To register for Hist 698,
students must meet minimum qualifications established by the Track, and have the
permission of the Internship Coordinator. Students who are on academic probation may
not register for their internship until they have raised their overall GPA to 3.0 or higher.
AGREEMENT
In order to clarify and ensure the student’s fulfillment of the requirements for HIST 698,
“Internship in Public History,” and to establish and maintain a good understanding and
sound relationship with the historical organization/institution at which the internship will
be fulfilled, the Graduate Internship Coordinator for the History Department, UMass
Boston (hereinafter “the Internship Coordinator”) and
__________________________(hereinafter “the student”) enrolling in HIST 698 for the
______________ semester, have discussed and are in complete agreement regarding the
following terms for the internship:
1. The Internship Proposal has been completed and is acceptable to the student and
the Internship Coordinator.
2. The internship will be fulfilled at _____________________________ _______
(hereinafter “the host institution”) within the beginning and end dates of the
__________________ semester, unless alternate dates are arranged and mutually
assented to in writing.
3. The student intends to fulfill all requirements of HIST 698 and of the internship in
the pursuit of academic excellence and professional development, and will do so as
a representative of the History Department of UMass Boston.
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4. Prior to the date of this agreement, and after contact made by the Internship
Coordinator, the student will have met in person with the potential supervisor at
the internship site and, as a result, and by this agreement submits that the student
fully understands the nature of the supervision, the assigned tasks and
responsibilities constituting the internship, the work environment, normal hours for
fulfilling the internship, and other conditions for the internship on site. Work
duties and schedules will be negotiated directly between the student and the host
institution. It is understood that the student must work at least 120 hours to earn
three credits in Hist 698.
5. The specific duties and expectations of the internship are described in detail in the
Internship Proposal.
6. Student’s responsibilities:
 Submit Internship Proposal prior to the internship start date and get required
signatures of approval (Internship Coordinator and Site Supervisor).
 Meet any requirements of the sponsoring institution, including the site’s own
application forms and interviews.
 Complete a minimum of 120 hours at the host site
 Stay in regular contact with the Internship Coordinator throughout the internship,
via phone or email. The student will make appointments to meet with the
Internship Coordinator—via phone or in person--at least once during the term of
the internship.
 Participate in a conference call or on-site meeting (to be determined by Internship
Coordinator) with Internship Coordinator and site supervisor approximately half
way through the internship period.
 Write one blog post, with appropriate visuals and/or media, about your internship
project. This may focus on content related to your project, or methodological
issues. Please submit this post to the Internship Coordinator, as well as your site
supervisor. After review, your work will be posted on the
www.archivespublichistory.org website.
 Upon completion of the internship (120 hours minimum) the student will submit
to the Internship Coordinator the final product(s)/deliverables defined by the
internship proposal. The student will also write a final analytical report about
the internship experience. These are due no later than noon (12:00 pm) on the
first day of the examination period of the semester in which the internship is
undertaken.
Expectations for the internship essay are addressed in a separate document (Hist
698 Final Internship Report Guidelines). Students are advised to keep a daily
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journal documenting their internship experience, recording the work performed,
reflections on your experiences, and how those experiences relate to the theory
and practice of public history. This will be useful in writing your Final Internship
Report, which will be submitted to the Internship Coordinator (do not submit your
journal). Students will not receive a grade for the internship (HIST 698) until
they have submitted this report.
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The student understands that the final grade for HIST 698 will be determined by
the successful completion of all requirements of the course, including the
Internship Coordinator’s assessment of the quality of the completed work; a blog
posting; the intern’s final report; and assessments of the student’s performance
and accomplishments by the internship site supervisor. The Internship
Coordinator awards the final grade.
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The student neither expects, nor will request, remuneration or reimbursement for
the work undertaken in fulfillment of the requirements of the internship, and
recognizes that the internship is based on, and is expected to extend, the goodwill
and beneficial relationship existing between the institution and the History
Department of the University of Massachusetts Boston.
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Students will conduct themselves in a professional manner; treat supervisors,
colleagues, and the public with respect; and treat the internship as if it were a job
experience.

It is the student’s responsibility to request and obtain in writing any modifications
of this agreement if deemed necessary to the fulfillment of the internship.
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It is the student’s responsibility to bring, in writing, to the attention of the
Internship Coordinator any hindrance to the fulfillment of the internship that may
occur during the period of the internship. The Internship Coordinator as soon as
possible will review, consider, investigate, and attempt to resolve such matters in
good faith, engaging with all concerned parties.
Site Supervisor’s responsibilities:
 The host institution will provide one supervisor for the student. Interns report to
only one site supervisor.
 The host institution will provide the student with information, instruction,
guidance and training as needed, to perform the work as proposed. The host
institution will provide the intern with appropriate work space.
 The site supervisor will mentor the student as a beginning professional, giving
information and advice on professional development and opportunities.
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The site supervisor will complete a brief evaluation after 60 hours of the
internship are completed; they will discuss their evaluation with the intern prior to
the mid-term site visit or phone conference
The site supervisor will participate in a conference call or on-site meeting with the
Internship Coordinator and student approximately half way through the internship
period.
If the host institution wishes to terminate an internship for performance-related
reasons, the intern’s site supervisor will consult with the Internship Coordinator
prior to termination to determine if there have been meaningful efforts to help the
student improve their performance.
At the conclusion of the internship period, the site supervisor will complete a final
evaluation of the intern. This evaluation will contribute to the student’s final
grade for the internship. The host institution acknowledges that this written
evaluation will be placed in the student’s UMB file and that UMB may refer to its
contents in letters of recommendation to prospective employers or educational
institutions.
UMB does not require the host institution to compensate the student monetarily
for the internship, although they certainly encourage such practice. Any such
compensation will be negotiated directly between the student and the host
institution.
UMB History Department Internship Coordinator’s responsibilities:
 At the beginning of the internship planning process, the Internship Coordinator
will advise the student on completion of university requirements and deadlines
with respect to the internship.
 Meet and communicate with intern and site supervisor as necessary to facilitate an
effective internship experience and offer assistance with any issues that may arise
 Participate in at least one mid-internship conference with the intern and site
supervisor, via telephone or on site
 Act as liaison between the intern, host institution and site supervisor, and UMB
History Department, and monitor the ongoing relationship between the host
institution and the student.
 The Internship Coordinator assigns a final grade for Hist 698, based on, among
other things, the student’s final internship report, blog post, and the site
supervisor’s written evaluation.
 The Internship Coordinator reserves the right to terminate an internship in
development, or in progress, outright, for cause, at his/her discretion. The
internship may be terminated if the student, host institution, or the Internship
Coordinator believe that the student is not making satisfactory progress and/or the
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host institution is not meeting its obligations to the student as outlined in this
document.
A. In the event of a termination, if circumstances permit, and at his/her
discretion, the Internship Coordinator may arrange an alternative
internship.
B. Termination without arrangement for an alternative internship will result in
an appropriate course grade, and in accord with the grading guidelines of
the University of Massachusetts-Boston.
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Signatures
I understand the specific responsibilities, expectations, and professional and educational
goals to be pursued and accomplished in this internship; these are described in detail in
the attached Internship Proposal. I agree to fulfill the stated responsibilities.
Student: _________________________________________ Date: __________
Site Supervisor: ___________________________________ Date: __________
Internship Coordinator: _____________________________ Date: __________
Copies: Student; Site Supervisor; Internship Coordinator
Please return signed form to:
Jane Becker
Internship Coordinator
History Dept., McCormack Hall 4/633
University of Massachusetts, Boston
100 Morrissey Blvd.
Boston, MA 02125
FAX: 617/287-6899
Questions? Call or e-mail Jane Becker at (617) 287-6885 or jane.becker@umb.edu
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