The Application Process

The UMKC HistoryMakers internship program allows students to earn up to three credit hours per semester while gaining valuable professional experience in public and private institutions engaged in the work of history. Interns will work 120 hours over the course of a semester or a summer on a schedule approved by their Internship Supervisor. This course can count towards the major. Students must apply to join the HistoryMaker internship program in order to receive permission from the Faculty Director to register. Here is the application process:

Step 1: Fill Out a UMKC-HistoryMaker-Application
Download and fill out this application. Return the completed form to the History Department office and ask them to pass the form on to the internship director. The HistoryMaker director will then reach out to you to facilitate your introduction to a potential Internship Supervisors.

Step 2: Decide What You Want to Learn and Where You Want to Learn it
You can learn about potential internships in two ways. First is the list of institutions that are currently accepting applications from potential interns can be found on the Open Internships page. These are institutions who have sent us calls for internships. But the History Department has also identified a number of partnering institutions who have agreed to take on UMKC history students if they have a need. You can find these institutions on our list of Partnering Institutions. If you are interested in interning at one of these institutions, contact the institution directly by phone or email to inquire about possible internships. In a courteous, professional email, you should introduce yourself, explain the kinds of skills you are hoping to learn, and ask if the institution has any projects you can contribute to. We also strongly recommend that you schedule a time to visit the institution to see where you might work and get a sense of the travel involved.

Please note you are not limited to only working with on of the department’s partnering institutions. You can reach out to and work with any institution so long as the internship project has a historical component to it.

Step 3: Apply for the Internship
Write a one page cover letter addressed to the potential internship location describing how your previous coursework has prepared to undertake an internship, and how the internship will advance your educational and professional goals. Also create a one page resume or curriculum vita outlining 

  • Your name and contact information
  • Your major, minor, current academic status, and expected graduation date
  • Cumulative and Major GPA
  • List of relevant coursework and work experience

Email both of these documents to the Sandra Enriquez (enriquezs@umkc.edu). Be sure to note the institution to which you are applying in your email.

Step 4: Fill Out an UMKC Intern Contract
Once you have successfully arranged an internship, work with both your Internship Supervisor as well as  Faculty Director Prof. Sandra Enríquez to fill out an Internship Contract. Your Internship Supervisor should assign you a text and lay out your duties, goals, and responsibilities for the internship. Your Faculty Director may assign an additional text for you to read, and will list the internship’s educational objectives. It is important that this document be as clear as possible.

Step 5: Register for the Internship
Bring a copy of the Internship Contract with your signature to the History Department in 203 Cockefair Hall, at which point the department will grant you permission to register for the internship. Undergraduates will register for HIST392 Public History Internship, and graduate students will register for HIST5592 Public History Internship.

Step 6: Meet with the Faculty Director for the HistoryMaker Blog
Once you have registered for the internship, arrange to meet with Prof. Enríquez to set up an account on the HistoryMaker blog so you can blog about your work throughout the semester or summer.

Step 7: Make Some History!
Get to work on your internship, adhering to the schedule you and the Internship Supervisor agreed to in the Internship Contract. Blog about your work after every ten hours on the job; this means you will blog twelve times throughout the semester. At the end of the semester, turn in your final reflection paper to receive your final grade.

Application Forms

Questions

For any questions, contact the director of the HistoryMaker internship program, email enriquezs@umkc.edu.