Conflict Analysis and Resolution: CONF 370 - Internship in Field Experience
The primary goal of the Conflict Analysis and Resolution CONF 370 Internship for Credit program at Mason Korea is to help prepare students for the real world and their future career after graduation. Students benefit greatly when they have the opportunity to apply academic theories and knowledge learned in the classroom to actual situations that arise in the work environment.
All Internships, including internships for credit, affords the opportunity to gain valuable real-world experience, network with potential employers and provides additional talking points for your resume and for the job interviews. Internships are an important pathways to future employment and help prepare students for their future including graduate studies. Students should consider organizations and institutions that they may want to work for after graduation, or that provide additional knowledge and experience they may need. Internships for credit also have work and academic components and may take many forms including paid or unpaid internship.
there are three primary ways to find an internship in the following order (attempted these in the sequential order).
- A student goes out on his/her own and finds an internship, which fits CAR and their career goals, and then informs the Program Coordinator who will evaluate it for an internship for credit. An internship, which works for CAR means a place you can use your CAR academic skills in a general sense. This can be an internship at a company, NGO, social organization or even a government agency, to name a few. Should you be unable to find an internship on your own, work with the CDC.
- A student works with CDC to find an internship, which may fit with CAR. Again, if the student believes an internship is the right fit for CONF, he/she informs the Program Coordinator who will evaluate it for credit. If the above two methods fail, speak with the Program Coordinator.
- If you a student fails to find an internship for credit on his/her own or after working with CDC, the Program Coordinator will try to help find an internship for credit. However, there is no guarantee that the Program Coordinator will be able to find the student an internship.
Common Misunderstandings:
The Program Coordinator, CDC, Academic Affairs or Mason Korea is not required to find you an internship for credit. You have the primary responsibility to find one as a rising scholar! However, we will do all we can to assist in the process. Also, an internship for credit is very different than a parttime job at school or at another location. Additionally, a PACSC Asia Student Research Fellow gives you vital skills you can then use to get an internship for credit or job at graduation. However, the two are different, but both very important for your resume and future (including trying to find an internship for credit). The bottom line in this process is to be proactive (or proventive as we say in the CAR field), and try to find an internship as early as possible before the semester begins.
Whatever the form, an internship for credit must have the following components in order to be approved:
- Hands-on experience that gives the student practical, out of the classroom experience with conflict resolution, peace-building, non-profit, government, community engagement, or similar initiatives within the CAR field.
- Personal reflection by the student about the experience they are gaining and how this experience relates to academic theory, their classroom experience, and the career for which they are preparing.
- One solid work objective for each credit approved for the internship (approved by the Program Coordinator).
- A planned assessment and accountability agreed upon by the student and the Program Coordinator prior to the start of the internship. Assessment will track progress toward meeting the stated learning objectives set forth by the student in the internship plan.
- Secure an internship that you believe is relevant to your chosen field of study as outlined above.
- Contact the Program Coordinator to see if your internship may count as a for credit and get guidance for the online application process. When contacting the Program Coordinator, provide the following information:
- Student Name
- Student G#
- GPA
- Total number of earned CAR credits (up to the start of the semester).
- Your contact information (Email and Phone).
- Name and location of the internship (website if they have one).
- Timeframe of the internship including propose number of hours per week/month (Keep in mind that for three credits, you must work 150 hours).
- Proposed work (what will you do there).
- Proposed objectives (Program Coordinator will help you refine these for your application).
- Proposed number of credits based on objectives and hours to be worked (normally three credits)
- Internship for credit location manager and contact information.
- Once the Program Coordinator approves the internship for credit, fill out the online application (link available below) and submit the required documents PRIOR to the start of the internship. (The Program Coordinator or Academic Affairs can help you fill out the application).
- Provide a copy of the online forms to the Program Coordinator.
- Once your application is approved, you will be given an override by the Program Coordinator to register for the for-credit internship course.
- Complete the registration by register for the course on the Patriot Web.
- You will have a syllabus and assignments on Blackboard (not just at the internship location), which must be completed in order for you to pass this internship for credit. If you fail to complete all the work assigned on time (including the required meetings with the Program Coordinator), you risk failing the internship for credit course.
General Questions
- For CAR Undergraduate major and minor students, internships for credit may be approved when a student has earned at least 30 credits and completed at least 9 credits of conflict coursework.
- CAR undergraduate students must have at least a 2.0 GPA and no outstanding incompletes in order to be approved for an internship.
- An internship may be completed at the student’s current workplace ONLY if a student is completing different work under a different supervisor and the work has been approved by the Program Coordinator.
- Credit will not be given for past internships.
For further discussion about eligibility, please contact the Program Coordinator.
- You may register for an internship during the Fall or Spring semesters.
- For an internship to be considered for credit, the Internship Proposal Application and Site Supervisor Agreement must be submitted by the application deadline. No exceptions will be made for late submissions.
- To receive credit for internships, students must also complete several graded assignments during their internships, which will be included in the syllabus given on Blackboard.
- Students may earn one to six credit hours in a semester, based on the learning objectives, hours of work and approval of the Program Coordinator.
- The Carter School requires a minimum of 45 hours of internship work per credit hour earned (3 credits = 135 hours; 6 credit = 270 hours).
Apply through an online application system with the required documents before the deadline. The priority deadline is two weeks before the start of the academic semester.
- The purpose of an internship is to gain new experience. Students should identify specific academic goals related to CAR that they hope to accomplish through an internship for credit.
- You must have student learning outcomes (SLOs) that you expect to accomplish through the internship experience. These learning objectives should be tied to your professional and career goals and CAR. The number of objectives you write should equal the number of credit hours you plan to earn through the internship (One SLO for each credit hour).
- SLOs, assessment methods, and all assignments will be approved by the Program Coordinator before the internship begins.
This course is a variable credit course, which means students can choose the number of credits within the approved range. You must only register for the number of credits you are approved for by your instructor. Please look at the demo and adjust your credits during registration process.
- Check your email for notification that your internship for credit has been approved and the course override has been completed.
- Register for the course after you receive the override notification from the Program Coordinator.
- Check the Blackboard course page before the start of the classes for the syllabus, course schedule, meeting times and assignments.
For any other questions, please contact Dr. Roland Wilson at rwilso13@gmu.edu.
Application Link
Prior to applying for CONF 370, students must consult with the Program Coordinator. Students cannot register until they receive approval.
Please click HERE to apply for CONF 370 Internship in Field Experience.
Required Documents
- Online Application
- Experiential Learning Agreement*
- Site Supervisor Agreement (this must be complete by your Site Supervisor)
- This form can also be found at the online application link.
Questions?
Please contact the Program Coordinator at rwilso13@gmu.edu or the Office of Academic Affairs at mkaa@gmu.edu or 032-626-5060 for any questions about the application process. Students should start this process as early as possible.
