An internship sequence is an optional, but highly recommended, part of the Communication of Science and Technology interdisciplinary major for several reasons. Most importantly, internships augment the classroom education by giving students the opportunity to learn by experience and to put into practice those principles that have been presented in the classroom. Secondarily, internships alert students to the range of careers that are possible, for which the communication of science is an essential skill. For those who enter the work force directly, the internships provide on-the-job experience that can be an invaluable asset in finding a job following graduation.

The internship sequence has both on-campus and off-campus components, which are highly recommended for all students working on the interdisciplinary major.

The on-campus program involves spending an afternoon a week for one semester during the junior year in a research laboratory.  The internship director, Shirley Hercules, has assembled an impressive list of top faculty members working in a number of different fields who have agreed to serve as mentors for interns.

In the laboratory, the students have an opportunity to experience the research process first-hand. They also gain an understanding of what drives scientists and engineers involved in research. During the second semester, the students spend an equivalent time in the Office of Science and Research Communications, where they have an opportunity to digest their laboratory experiences and to write about them under the supervision of a professional science writer. Depending on the individual student's interest and ability, interns are also given additional writing projects.

You can read about the experiences of a number of these interns in the "Students @ Work" section of Exploration, Vanderbilt's online research magazine.

The second, or off-campus, phase of the internship has a more national character. It occurs during the summer between the junior and senior years and involves some aspect of science communication. The Discovery Channel, the Smithsonian Institution, NASA, CNN and a number of other organizations have agreed to consider internship applications from Vanderbilt students. Dr. Hercules has developed personal relationships with internship directors at these organizations that assure applications from our students are given serious consideration.

Students earn one credit hour for each semester of the on-campus internship and one credit hour for the summer internship.

Students will be offered the option of spending one semester of their senior year in a second full-time internship off-campus. They will receive 15 credit hours for this internship, six of which may be applied to the credit requirements for their major.