An internship is a great way to check out different job possibilities, get work experience, and learn professional skills. We recommend our International Studies majors to do an internship at some point during their studies.
Students majoring or minoring in International Studies do all kinds of internships in different areas like nonprofit organizations, private businesses, and government agencies.
Students have the chance to do internships in their own country or in other countries, either in person or from a distance.
If the internship is connected to International Studies, it can count as credit for an academic course if it meets certain requirements. Students will work with International Studies faculty to complete the paperwork for the credit and plan how the internship will work along with their supervisor at the organization where they are interning.
If academic credit is not an option, you can still have the internship listed on your transcript by participating in the Certificate Internship Program with Career Center.
You can use various methods to find an internship, like exploring career choices, reaching out to alumni, and getting help from the Career Center to search for organizations and databases that often have internship openings.
Osgood Center for International Studiesis a not-for-profit group that gives students, from high school to college and beyond, the chance to learn about foreign policy through short programs. These programs are designed to make you think, involve hands-on experiences, and focus on finding solutions. You get to meet and talk with important people in foreign policy and international affairs, including experts from the U.S. State Department, U.S. Defense Department, National Security Council at the White House, U.S. Congress, and top think tanks.
The School of Languages, Cultures and World Affairs along with the International Studies Program have teamed up with the Osgood Center to provide access to these programs for a select number of our students to attend these programs:
TheJohannesburg Holocaust & Genocide Centre (JHGC) provides chances for students to do internships if they're interested in learning about the Holocaust, genocide, and human rights. Here are a few examples of the projects interns have worked on in the past:
Collaborate with the JHGC education team to make online history projects and educational programs for students, teachers, and community members.
Collaborate with the JHGC archive team to sort and translate historical stuff that people have given to the JHGC archive.
Collaborate with the JHGC fundraising team to help with raising money.
Collaborate with the event and project management teams to help with different online events.
Lutheran Services Carolinas is a faith-based health and human services organization that supports refugees arriving to North and South Carolina as part of the US State Department’s Reception and Placement Program. Currently, LSC is providing services to 100 Afghan refugees in the Charleston area and is expected to receive an additional 150 refugees potentially from Afghanistan, Syria, Congo, and/or Ukraine in the coming months.
LSC supports refugees when they come to the United States. They help with things like getting here, finding a place to live, getting a job, going to the doctor, going to school, and overall, they help refugees get used to their new community.
LSC is teaming up with the College of Charleston's International Studies Program to provide internships for students interested in topics like people moving to different countries, talking between different cultures, and helping communities. Here are a few examples of the things interns would do:
Work closely with an LSC case manager help refugees (like families, kids, and individuals) who have come to live in Charleston.
Assist with the planning, strategy, and office-related tasks at LSC’s Charleston office.
Get involved in activities to reach out to the community and educate the public. This is to help people in Charleston better understand different cultures and become more skilled in dealing with people from other countries who have moved here. It's all about issues related to people moving internationally.
Read a mix of different sources about international migration issues and make a guide for LSC volunteers and staff.
Help LSC with workshops that teach refugees and volunteers.