Research Internship (GSR 718)

Each student in the program must complete an internship. Typically, students pursue an internship in the summer between Year 1 and Year 2 in the program; however, this may be different depending on the needs and goals of the student, or other extenuating circumstances.

The site of the internship is up to the student to establish, and may be at a non-profit organization, a for-profit company or at an academic institution as part of a large research project. The process of identifying and obtaining approval for an internship is the responsibility of the student should be initiated at least one semester before the internship begins. Beginning the internship also requires successful completion of all the courses in Year 1.

 The work on the internship should involve doing research, digital media technologies, or both.

First Steps: Once you have successfully completed all the courses in Year 1 (or, are close), you should do two things: 1) find a faculty member who will serve as your internship supervisor; and, 2) set up a preliminary meeting with the Program Director.

At this early stage, students should also schedule an Exploratory Meeting with the Program Director to discuss placement options. When meeting with the Program Director for this purpose, students should send a current resume and complete the Internship Assessment Form.

Students are responsible for finding their placements, but the internship advisor and the Program Director can be resources to help clarify the internship goals and requirements, and recommend organizations, companies or academic institutions as potential sites.

GSR 718 ("Research Internship") is the course designated for the internship, and can be taken during the fall or spring semester.

Credits Earned
Students who have successfully completed the internship will receive 6 credits toward the MSSR degree. Grades are given on a CREDIT/NO CREDIT basis.

The Proposal: Once you have decided to pursue an internship opportunity, check with your internship advisor to ensure that it meets our criteria. Once you are offered the position, you must write up a proposal, usually about 2-3 pages, including the following information:

• The learning objectives the student seeks to accomplish
• A brief description of the student's role and responsibilities
• A brief description of any special project to be completed
• The method by which the intern's supervisor will monitor and evaluate the student's work
• Contact information for the intern supervisor and the academic internship  advisor
• Performance targets
• The time commitment (hours per week, total number of weeks)
• The anticipated internship start and completion dates
• Rate of compensation (if any)
• Signature line for supervisor and advisor

The Internship Proposal must be approved by the Program Director before students can begin the internship or register for GSR 718. This usually means working out the details with your area internship advisor, and then submitting a copy of your proposal, signed by both your placement supervisor and your internship advisor, to the Director for permission to register for GSR 718.

Time commitment
Internships should be conducted on a full-time basis for one semester (14 weeks) or a part-time basis for two semesters (28 weeks).

Research and Training
Internships must involve research, digital media technologies, or both. Students need to be involved in data mining or collection, data analysis or coding data. The internship site must be prepared to provide oversight and training, as needed. This training may include specific software tools, coding techniques, or help with analytics.

Performance Evaluation
A student's performance in the internship will be evaluated based upon:

• The total number of hours worked
• An evaluation from the student's internship supervisor and, if applicable, faculty supervisor
• The submission of a Research Internship Report

Internship Report Guidelines
At the end of an internship, each student is required to submit a Report in addition to any other materials specified by their internship advisor(s). The Report is intended to provide a systematic and concise evaluation of the internship from the intern's point of view and should include a discussion of at least the following items:

• Discussion of the agency/institution within which the internship took place including:
  • Lines of reporting (who is responsible to whom and for what)
  • Decision making processes insofar as the student's assignments were concerned
  • Description of work/services carried out/provided by agency/institution
• The learning objectives the student outlined at the outset of the internship and how well those were achieved
• A description of the student's role and responsibilities including job title, if any
• A description of any special project that was completed
• The method by which the intern's supervisor monitored and evaluated the student's work
• The internship start and completion dates
• The time commitment (hours per week, total hours)
• Rate of compensation (if any)
• Extent to which prior research training at Hunter proved sufficient with respect to the internship. Students are encouraged to identify the courses offered in the Graduate Social Research Program which proved most helpful for the internship
• Working relation between intern and agency supervisor
• Problems the intern might have encountered in the internship, including the extent and quality of supervision
• Extent to which the internship is thought to be helpful for future work with respect to (a) knowledge acquired, (b) contacts established, (c) work experience gained.
• Suggestions regarding the internship process and/or setting for the Internship Coordinator.