Summer Internship for PhD Students
Boston College Summer Internship for PhD Students
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The Institute for the Liberal Arts, working with the Office of the Provost, offers a summer internship program for Boston College PhD students in the humanities and qualitative social sciences. The program is also co-sponsored by the Morrissey College of Arts and Sciences.听 Given the current shortage of full-time academic teaching positions, these internships are designed to let PhD students explore possible non-professorial careers, learn more about how to make a transition to an 鈥淎lt-Ac鈥 career path, and provide work experience that will facilitate such a transition.
Internships take place in June and July.听 Students who participate will be expected to work 35 hours per week in the internship and in addition to attend a weekly group meeting to reflect on the experience and to learn about practical steps for pursuing non-teaching careers.听 Participants will have to complete two informational interviews with people in a relevant field and write a short report at the end of the internship.听 Interns will be paid a stipend of $4,000.
Openings for each summer are usually announced in January or February with applications due the second week of March.
Application Process & Deadline
Applications can be submitted online at:
Applications are due on: March 11, 2024
All applicants must have the approval of a dissertation director, main advisor, or graduate program director.
PhD students at any stage of their degree program can apply for up to two internships and should indicate which is their first choice.听Providing a second choice is optional.听We are offering eight different internships (seven at AV研究所, one external) and some of these positions will accept more than one intern, for a total of up to twelve internships.
Questions: Contact Mary Crane (mary.crane.1@bc.edu)
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Burns Library, Boston College
American Catholicism Collections听
Host Department: John J. Burns Library
NB: Designed for two graduate students to work collaboratively
John J. Burns Library for rare books, special collections, and archives at Boston College acquired, over several decades, significant collections of books, periodicals, pamphlets, ephemera, and artifacts that document American Catholic thought, life, and religious practice, with a particular focus on the period between the First and Second Vatican Councils.
The interns听will assist library staff with the reappraisal of Catholic Americana collections in order to calibrate future acquisitions, prioritize and prepare backlogged acquisitions for cataloging, and inform transfer and deaccession decisions. The interns听will receive training in aspects of library collection analysis and management related to project goals and will have opportunities to learn about additional aspects of special collections library operations. Given the collection-specific focus of this placement, students pursuing degrees in theology or history will likely be the most prepared to undertake this internship and benefit from it.
Because many of the tasks associated with this project will involve working with physical collections, this internship will require onsite work in Burns Library during its normal operating hours, Monday through Friday, 9am-5pm, though some tasks, such as consulting online catalogs and conducting web-based research, may be performed remotely and outside these hours. The start and end dates are also negotiable, with the understanding that the program requirements must be fulfilled between the end of the spring semester and beginning of the fall term, and that the appointees听will be expected to participate fully in the internship group meetings, which will be scheduled in June and July.
Contacts: Christian Dupont, Associate University Librarian for Collections and Burns Librarian (christian.dupont@bc.edu) and Seth Meehan, Associate Director for Academic Programs and Special Projects (seth.meehan@bc.edu).
The Digital Scholarship (DS) internship provides graduate students the opportunity to learn cutting-edge digital scholarship methods and skills from DS Group members. Interns will gain a better understanding of DS and digital humanities concepts, a greater mastery of relevant technical skills, and a wider range of project development and management strategies.
The internship has three tracks for applicants to choose from: 1) Developing a DS project, 2) Contributing to existing DS projects, and 3) Developing DS-based lessons. When applying, specify the track you are interested in. Please see the听听for more details.听
Participants will meet regularly with DS Group members for project check-ins and support. Students can work remotely when the project allows it. Please note that some work, depending on the technology and support needed, will require more in-person collaboration.
Do not hesitate to reach out to the DS Group if you have any questions about the tracks or application process.
Contact听digitalscholarship@bc.edu
The Digital Scholarship (DS) internship is conducted by AV研究所 Libraries Digital Scholarship Group (DSG) and provides PhD students the opportunity to learn cutting edge digital scholarship methods and skills. At its conclusion, participants will have gained a better understanding of DS and digital humanities concepts, a greater mastery of relevant technical skills, and a wider range of project development and management strategies. During the internship, students will have access to hardware, software, shared workspace in the Digital Studio (O鈥橬eill Library), and DSG collaborators.听听
Support Available
- The DSG can provide expertise in and support with projects that involve:
- 3D modeling and immersive visualization听
- Coding and scripting
- Data acquisition, data management, data visualization, and metadata
- Digital archives, editions, collections, and exhibits
- GIS/mapping
- Project management
- Text analysis
- Network analysis
- Text encoding
- User interface (UI), user experience (UX) design, and web development
- DS curriculum design and teaching practices
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Application Process
In your applications, please specify which track you are interested in. Regardless of the track you choose, explain the types of skills you want to learn (e.g., mapping/GIS, text encoding, web development) and how you see those skills benefiting your research and/or teaching.听
1.) Developing a DS project
Students in this track build their own DS projects from scratch or further build out an existing project. Those starting new projects will be able to take the first steps to make the project a reality, which might include data procurement, cleaning, or organizing; analysis and visualization; and publishing a project to the web.
Projects might be created for ongoing research, portfolio pieces, and/or learning DS methods and skills. You may spin off an existing DSG project and use its components (e.g., the data) in a way that speaks to your own interests. Contact us if you would like to learn more about this last option.
Requirements: Students possess some technical skills and an aptitude for learning new technologies.听 They also have 1) an idea of a digital project they would like to bring to life, 2) an existing digital project they would like to expand significantly, or 3) an interest in growing an ongoing DSG project.
2.) Contributing to existing DS projects
Students in this track want to learn DS and DH skills in a project-based, hands-on environment but don鈥檛 have specific projects of their own that they want to develop. They will work on one or more existing DSG projects alongside members of the DS Group, contributing to parts of the projects that align with skills that are of interest. Contributions could include:
- Content creation, especially via text encoding and 3D scanning/modeling听
- Visualizing data, especially spatial data
- Web design and development
We are happy to provide more information about existing DSG projects, should you have any questions. We will also list projects here when we are closer to the application deadline as we will have a better idea then of what will be in the pipeline over summer.
Requirements: There are no requirements other than having an ability to and enthusiasm for learning new technical skills.
3.) Developing DS-based lessons 听
Students in this track focus on bringing DS into the classroom by developing DS-based lessons and accompanying teaching materials. For example, participants could create lessons on how to make interactive maps, close-read through text markup, and create basic data visualizations. We expect and welcome lessons to have a particular disciplinary focus.
Requirements: Students have a foundational understanding of digital scholarship concepts and possess some technical skills they would like to improve and share with students.听
Academic Advising Center, Boston College
/academic-advising-center.html
Academic Advising
Host Department: Morrissey College, AAC
The Academic Advising Center (AAC) collaborates with the Provost's Office, First Year Experience, and colleagues in other undergraduate schools to welcome the incoming undergraduate class of the Morrissey College of Arts and Sciences (MCAS). The intern will work closely with the AAC administration in organizing, training, and executing summer academic orientation, advising, and registration. Members of the Class of 2027 will attend one of seven advising weeks during the months of June, July, and August. The intern will co-lead faculty training workshops, serve as a point person for faculty who take on summer advising responsibilities, and take on a batch of first-year advisees. The intern will work on editing and updating the summer advising web pages and may be assigned other exploratory projects throughout the summer.
Contact: Joseph Desciak, Associate Dean for First-Year Students (desciak@bc.edu), and Rebecca Schmitz, Associate Director of the Academic Advising Center (rebecca.schmitz@bc.edu)
Schiller Institute, Boston College
/schiller
The Schiller Institute for Integrated Science and Society
The Schiller Institute for Integrated Science and Society is seeking a PhD-level summer intern, to contribute to data collection/analysis and operations.听
The Institute is in a growth stage, operating similar to a startup company. As a result, there will also be many opportunities for the intern to contribute to the day-to-day operations and strategic planning of the Institute. In this role, the intern will operate similar to an in-house consultant, providing input on a range of strategic, planning and organizational activities. For example, the intern may be asked to review the reported outcomes of the Institute鈥檚 internal grant program, assessing the return on investment and visualizing trajectory of each project.听 As another example, the Institute is planning to host at least one on-campus conference during the summer, so the intern would likely assist with multiple projects related to the conference(s).
The Institute is also engaged in various institutional research projects and the intern will have the opportunity to contribute to these under the mentorship of the Institute鈥檚 Executive Director.
If the intern expresses interest in working on aspects of the Institute鈥檚 work not included above, we are open to considering other projects.
Student Affairs, Boston College
/studentaffairs
Student Affairs
The Division of Student Affairs is home to 15 affiliated departments that provide a rich array of co-curricular programs and services that promote student learning, health and wellness, leadership development, and community engagement. The division's 160鈥搈ember staff works with faculty, administrators, and alumni to support the personal, professional, social, and spiritual growth of the University鈥檚 undergraduate and graduate students. Under the leadership of the Vice President of Student Affairs, the Division is poised to launch a new strategic plan.
The Student Affairs internship will provide opportunities to explore different aspects of student affairs administration, including the ability to work cross functionally in areas including student engagement, integrated learning and student success.
The Student Affairs intern will report to the Senior Adviser to the Vice President of Student Affairs and work closely with the associate vice presidents of student engagement and integrated learning. This is a unique opportunity to gain exposure to senior leaders within the Division and gain a better understanding of different career paths within student affairs.
Possible projects may include:
- Assisting with initiatives and projects related to the launch of the new Student Affairs strategic plan, which may include data analysis, benchmarking, goal mapping, and training development.
- Assisting with the creation of a Student Affairs staff leadership development program, including pathways to promotion, a staff retreat, monthly professional development sessions and a LinkedIn Learning professional development curriculum.
- Supporting the development of integrated learning programs, including a new living learning community through Residential Life and a proposal for the Provost to enhance the Fourth Year (Senior) Experience.
Desired skill sets/Qualifications:
Strong communication and interpersonal skills; strong motivational and organizational skills; ability to work independently and effectively on multiple tasks and be detail oriented; initiative, and flexibility; willingness to work as part of a team; commitment to issues of diversity, equity and inclusion; technological competence, especially with Microsoft Office, Campaign Monitor and Canva helpful; interest in learning about current issues in Student Affairs Student Affairs Internship.
Contact: Mary Crane (mary.crane@bc.edu)
Congregational Library and Archives
The Congregational Library and Archives (CLA) is a special collections research center focusing on the history and impact of congregationalism in America from the 17th听century to present day. The CLA holds about 225,000 items, both print and manuscript, on Congregational Christian history and related topics. Currently the organization is engaged in various projects with a sustained focus to improve intellectual control over under-described and uncatalogued resources. 听
The summer 2024 internship will provide an opportunity to gain experience in a special collections or religious library, learning about behind-the-scenes library functions, collection management and organization, and cataloguing/metadata principles. This project facilitates the cataloging of material related to the history of individual churches. Under the supervision of the Librarian, the intern will identify and collate uncatalogued resources, organize and prepare material for cataloguing, create metadata, and process newly catalogued material for access. The CLA requests the intern create content at the end of their tenure about their experience for the benefit of members and the public (format negotiable). 听听
Desired qualifications: strong organizational skills; attention to detail; ability to work independently and as part of a team; technological competence; interest in librarianship.听
The work will be performed on-site (at 14 Beacon St., Suite 200, Boston) for 35 hours per week. Dates and working hours are negotiable with the understanding that the program requirements will be completed within eight weeks this summer during the CLA鈥檚 operating hours of 8am-5pm.听听
Job Purpose
The AV研究所 Summer Library intern will manage a project to increase intellectual control and access of uncatalogued local church history publications. Under the supervision of the Librarian, the intern will identify and collate uncatalogued resources, organize and prepare material for cataloguing, create metadata, and process newly catalogued material for access. It is also expected that the Library Intern will conduct an outreach effort about their experience. This is a 2-month, full-time (35 hours per week) position with a $4,000 stipend funded by Boston College. Candidates will be Boston College PhD candidates exploring careers outside of academia.
Job Duties and Responsibilities
- Collate and Organize backlog local church history materials (4 weeks)
- Identify relevant materials from multiple locations (incoming collections room, lobby desk, uncatalogued range, within 17.11s range) and condense in one location for processing
- The focus of the project is local church history material (17.11.1s) but if other church history material is located (17.11s generally), they can be gathered for potential processing as well (dependent on the amount of material and time)
- Arrange material by 1) town 2) church 3) ephemera
- Ephemera collections are catalogued differently, so they should be separated for a more streamlined workflow
- Catalog materials for access (2 weeks)
- Add items to existing church history records
- Time permitting: Create new church history records and add items for those that do not already have a record
- Time permitting: Learn basics of copy cataloguing (principles: FRBR, RDA, MARC; how to identify records; how to navigate WorldShare Record Manager; how to import new records; how to edit new records in the ILS; how to classify items and create call numbers; how to create a copy record; how to physically process new materials) and catalog new items that don鈥檛 require original cataloguing
- Conduct a space analysis of 17.11s at the letter-level (1 day)
- The necessity of this step is dependent on the amount of new material added to the collection during the project
- Participate in outreach (1 week)
- Create content (e.g. blog, newsletter post, brown bag lunch) about experiences working at the CLA
Education and Experience
- PhD candidate at Boston College, preferably in a related field
Knowledge, Skills, & Abilities
- 听Professional curiosity of library theory, concepts, and methods
- Strong organizational skills
- 听Attention to detail
- 听Ability to work independently and as part of a team
- Technological competence, particularly with Microsoft products and datasets
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Preferred Qualifications
Education and Experience
- Experience working in a library setting
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Knowledge, Skills, & Abilities
- Experience creating standardized metadata
- Familiarity with proper handling of historical material
- Familiarity with working with an integrated library system (ILS)
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Working Conditions
- Work must be completed on-site
- Work requires frequent exposure to dust and red rot (degraded leather)
- Moderate physical activities, including ascending/descending stairs, moving average-weight boxes (up to 50 pounds), standing and walking
- Work is normally performed in a typical interior/office work environment