Internships/Field Study
Internships
An internship is defined as a job or volunteer position in an organization in one's field of study, with papers or projects that document learning. Internships provide valuable workplace skills that make one more employable after graduation.
Field Study
Field study is defined as independent research away from an academic setting, not necessarily in connection with an organization or job. The student may gather data or conduct interviews, for example. Both types of experience can add a valuable "real world" perspective on theoretical issues in a Plan of Concentration.
Like all education at Marlboro, emphasis is on the independent, self-designed aspect of the internship or field of study. In most cases, students leave campus for a semester in order to have a significant amount of time for learning in the field. (In some cases, a local internship may be incorporated into a Marlboro course with faculty approval.) Students are expected to find their own placements with advice from the Associate Director of World Studies, the Director of Career Development and faculty sponsors. The College maintains files of internship possibilities, reference materials, and copies of past internship proposals outside the World Studies Program (WSP) office (2nd floor of the Admissions Building). Resources are also available from the Career Development Office (1st floor of Mather). Two courses offered every semester, Finding an Internship and Designing Fieldwork, are open to all students and can help with the internship search and design process.
Because of the level of independence and self-motivation required, this option is recommended only for students on Plan. Arrangements for identifying a work site and getting faculty approval for independent research take a great deal of time—up to one year in some cases—so students should plan early if they are interested in doing off-campus research.
Internships and field study may be designed for any length of time and up to two semesters' worth of credit. Students who want academic credit for their internships or fieldwork must submit a written proposal to the faculty sponsor(s), who will evaluate the work and award credit. Instructions for registering and obtaining credit are available in the Registrar's Office.
Most students undertake internships while enrolled at Marlboro on Absentia #1 status. (See In Absentia under Change of Status).