American Studies Internships and Activities

Internship Opportunities

Internships are not required for American studies majors but are encouraged and supported. The department allows students to identify potential internship sites of interest or will work with them to place them in relevant internships.

Past internship sites for American studies majors include:

  • George Eastman Museum
  • Landmark Society of Western New York
  • Rochester Museum and Science Center
  • Corporation Council of Washington, D.C.
  • Non-profit organization in Washington, D.C. advocating United Nations reform
  • The Washington Center's Business and Information Technology Program
  • City of Rochester Urban Affairs Internship
  • Monroe County Republican Party
  • Webster Police Department

Study Abroad 

American studies majors have done study abroad programs in Australia, England, Ireland, Italy, and the Netherlands. For some students, this has opened doors to opportunities they could have never imagined--including going to work for a member of the British Parliament. 

Faculty in the department are always willing to work with students interested in studying abroad, recognizing that such an opportunity can often be more valuable for our majors than a semester on campus.

Student Research Activities

In 2015, the program initiated the American Studies Undergraduate Research Conference. This conference affords you the opportunity to present research during themed sessions before your peers and American studies faculty from the upstate New York region, covering topics such as race, gender, identity, and representations of American culture.

The conference encourages the exchange of ideas within the field, thereby giving you a platform through which to share with and learn from the broader community of American studies researchers. It also provides the opportunity for you to gain feedback on papers that are works in progress. Conference participation is afforded during your junior and senior years.

The Center for Career and Academic Planning recommends Handshake as the starting spot for current internship postings. Find additional career preparation and development resources in CCAP's Career Toolkit.