Paul Peck Humanities Institute Internships
Discover!
These internships are designed to place interns in professional environments with
scholars and practitioners at world-class research sites located in our region. The
Library of Congress is our most frequent placement site with other opportunities available
at institutions and museums in the DMV area.
Internship Activities
Samples of the types of activities in which an intern may participate and contribute
are: assisting with new or on-going research programs in one of a wide range of topic
areas; performing collection analysis and organization; designing and preparing new
exhibits; abstracting and archiving academic materials; planning new educational programs
and assisting and guiding museum patrons with their museum visits. Final placement
of students is carried out by internship coordinators at the placement sites in conjunction
with the PPHI Honors Internship coordinator.
Discover Benefits, Application and Application Deadlines!
For more information or to schedule an appointment contact Dr. Michelle Moran | Email
Interest Form
- PPHI Internship Application Directions (PDF,
) - Application Form (PDF, )
- Faculty Recommendation Form (PDF, )
- Recommendation Guidance (PDF, )
- Guidance for Essay Writing (PDF, )
- Resume Format and Sample (PDF, )
- Why apply for PPHI internship March 2020 (PDF, )
Eligibility for the Internship
Students studying in every discipline at MC are eligible to apply for this wonderful opportunity. Preference will be given to students with a well-rounded academic and community-service background. Students who apply must:
- be currently enrolled at MC;
- have completed 15 credit hours of coursework at MC;
- be at least 16 years of age at the time the internship commences;
- have earned a 3.4 overall GPA;
- be matriculated for a degree;
- have completed ENGL102, with a grade of B or better prior to commencement of internship.
- citizens, green card holders, and international students welcome to apply.
Please note:These institutions typically require candidates to undergo a security background investigation and fingerprinting before they are placed into an internship.
Apply
The application materials provide very detailed advice on how to apply. Read everything carefully; heed the advice given.
A Complete Application Package Will Include:
- The internship application form (PDF, )
- An up-to-date academic resume
- An application essay (500 – 1000 words)
- Two (2) letters of recommendation from the applicant's academic teaching faculty
- Two (2) recommendation forms completed by the faculty recommenders
- Applicant’s official transcript
Application deadlines: Please contact the Internship Coordinator with ample time prior to submitting your application materials.
- Deadline for fall 2024 internship applications: June 10, 2024
- Deadline for spring 2025 applications: October 7, 2024
- Deadline for summer 2025 applications: March 3, 2025
- Deadline for fall 2025 applications: June 9, 2025
To apply for an internship, students should download the PPHI Internship Application Materials to their computer, fill out the required forms, and then submit their application materials in electronic format (PDF files) to PPHI Internship Coordinator:
Dr. Michelle Moran
michelle.moran@montgomerycollege.edu
HU 267
Montgomery College
51 Mannakee Street
Rockville, MD 20850
Click here to explore further tools and resources for writing a robust application essay:
- Purdue Online Writing Labnew window
- Transfer Scholarship Essay Presentation (PDF, )
Each prospective student intern's application materials will be reviewed by the Paul Peck Humanities Institute's Humanities Internship Advisory Committee. The process is competitive, and only the strongest applications are sent on to the internship coordinators at the Smithsonian Institution (SI)new window, Library of Congress (LOC)new window and Holocaust Museum (USHMM)new window. Those coordinators will attempt to make matches between researchers'/curators' needs for the student interns and the skills, abilities, and back grounds of the current internship applicants.
Accepted applicants are not guaranteed internship placement. Placements ultimately depend upon the availability of suitable internships. If placed, students will be contacted directly by the appropriate research institution and will be asked to interview with the researcher/curator and to complete intake process (which typically involves a background check and fingerprinting).
The internship requires a commitment of 240 hours of service to the institution where
the student is placed. Internships are available in the fall, spring, and summer semesters.
Internships span one academic semester and involve an onsite commitment of no more
than 16 hours per week (during fall and spring) and 20 hours per week during the summer.
Schedules are agreed upon between the research institution and the intern prior to
the start of work.
Students are required to enroll in a three-credit honors course, HP275PA/PB/PH, which
corresponds to the internship placement (LOC, SI or USHMM). Normal tuition rates for
this course apply. Scholarships of $1,250 may be available to program interns as funding
is available and are intended to help with tuition and/or transport costs related
to commuting to the internship site.
MC Honors (HP275PA/PB/PH) Coursework
Students will write a minimum of 35 pages for this course. Assigned work includes,
for example: academic journals that reflect on daily experiences while interning,
an annotated bibliography and a research paper. Interns meet with their MC faculty
mentor (teacher) five times during fall and spring semester internships or three times
for summer placements. At these meetings, they will discuss the progress of the internship
and their academic assignments. The class times are arranged at the beginning of the
schedule and consideration of interns' work, interning, course, and home schedules
are taken into consideration. Students also meet for three Intern Seminars, one for
internship orientation, once on a social basis to exchange ideas and experiences with
other PPHI interns and once to present internship experiences and research with other
PPHI interns.
You will be evaluated by your mentor at the SI, LOC, or USHMM. This evaluation will be considered alongside your written coursework and participation to determine your final grade for the semester.