Information for Agencies Requesting an Intern
The Department of Social and
Cultural Analysis (SCA) explores the range of relationships between
human collectivities, on the one hand, and institutions and structures
of power, on the other, taking into account how these are affected by
such modern global developments as intensified urbanization, increased
transnational exchange, and proliferating diasporic populations.
In order to approach these
complex matters most effectively, SCA combines research methods from
the social sciences and the humanities, examining such varied phenomena
as consumer culture, industrial activity, mass media representations,
artistic productions, subcultural practices, and aspects of everyday
life in their economic, material, political, and historical contexts.
The Department frequently focuses its analyses through attention to
the city in general and New York in particular, situating these amid
the conditions and processes affecting the entire globe.
There are seven SCA majors:
Africana Studies; American Studies; Asian/Pacific/American Studies;
Gender and Sexuality Studies; Latino Studies; Metropolitan Studies;
and Social and Cultural Analysis.
We require majors to complete
semester long internships their junior or senior year. The goal
is for students to apply theory to practice as they work with agencies
concerned with issues relevant to their majors.
Internships vary but should
involve substantial areas of responsibility and specific projects, appropriate
to students’ backgrounds and skills. Interns should not replace
staff or function as clerical workers. Office and clerical work
should comprise no more than 25% of interns’ time. Credit cannot
be granted for internships that are primarily clerical (filing, data
entry, answering the phone, photo-copying, etc.). Interested
organizations designate on-site supervisors to coordinate students’
daily tasks, foster learning, and promote professional development.
Interns contribute 8 - 15
hours per week without pay to the sponsoring agency and receive
4 or 8 credits for successfully completing the program. They also attend
a seminar where they compare their practical experience with theory
and policy. Internships begin the first week of the semester (early
September or late January). Schedules are arranged according to
agencies’ and interns’ needs. Interns must secure placements
BEFORE the semester begins, usually by the end of the prior semester
– early May for fall placements, mid-December for spring placements.
SCA tries to carefully match
the interests and skills of the students with the needs of participating
organizations. For this reason, not every organization will receive
an intern every semester. However, we do keep agency information on
file for future semesters. If you have questions, need information,
or would like to apply to host interns, please contact:
Betts Brown, Director of Internships
Department of Social and Cultural Analysis
Phone: 212-998-8092
E-mail: betts.brown@nyu.edu
