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Top 10 internships in ASU's College of Liberal Arts and Sciences


ASU/NASA Space Grant Consortium
December 04, 2014

College of Liberal Arts and Sciences students at Arizona State University learn to thrive with top internships at some of the most interesting companies and organizations in the country.

From exonerating innocent people on death row to solving secret problems for the National Security Agency, these students gain experience to last a lifetime.

The following are the top 10 most interesting internships that will catapult liberal arts and sciences students into successful careers post graduation.

Helios Scholars at TGen

The Translational Genomics Research Institute (TGen) North eight-week internship program allows undergraduates to conduct biomedical research in Flagstaff and in the Phoenix area. Students study genetic regulation, diabetes and cancer in plasma cells and may work in different areas of biology, bioinformatics or mathematics. This includes attending seminars, practicing scientific writing and boosting professionalism through social media. At the conclusion of the program, interns present their research and reflect on experiences.

Alexis Abboud, an ASU biology doctoral student, who completed Helios Scholars in 2013, conducted research related to science and legal regulations. She studied and organized scientific articles and consent forms to find how regulation affects research and to better understand genetic information.

“I think the Helios Scholars was one of the more beneficial experiences of my undergraduate [career],” Abboud said, “It was a hands-on experience more similar to an actual career than most students get to undertake, and it gave me a clearer direction professionally.”

Paid/unpaid: paid, students must have their own housing arrangement
Time of year: summer
Ideal for students in: microbiology and biology majors, School of Life Sciences
More info

Arizona Game and Fish Department

This program gives undergraduates experience with wildlife and biology. Students may perform activities in wildlife research and management, public outreach and education. Tasks can include habitat measurement restoration, data collection, baiting, trapping and banding. Several internships are available for students interested in this program.

Paid/unpaid: paid
Time of year: summer
Ideal for students in: biology, School of Life Sciences
More info

Teach English in South Korea (TESK) Program

Undergraduates can earn internship credit by traveling to South Korea to help teach young children English and about the American culture. ASU undergraduates also team up with Korean university students and create an academic curriculum to help improve English language skills. Students who complete this program said this experience had a major impact on their personal and professional lives and hope to go back or teach English abroad.

“For many potential employers I’ve spoken to, this internship on a resume immediately puts the students ahead of the competition,” said Ruby Macksoud, internship coordinator for the ASU Department of English.

Paid/unpaid: unpaid, but this program is funded by the Korean government, which pays for food, airfare and housing.
Time of year: summer
Ideal for students in: Department of English
More info

Arizona Justice Project

An innocent man who spent 38 years in prison was finally released thanks to the help of ASU interns and their work with the Arizona Justice Project. Students who enter this program work on cases like this and help staffers find records and reports, compile narratives and speak with mentors or attorneys. Students help those thought to be innocent and gain valuable experience within the legal system.

“It was such an eye-opening experience working with the cases so intimately, and I developed a passion for criminal law, an area that I was previously only slightly interested in,” said Ryan Blum, who completed the Arizona Justice Project internship.

Paid/unpaid: Because the Arizona Justice Project is a volunteer-based, non-profit organization and funding is scarce, this internship is unpaid.
Time of year: Ssummer
Ideal for students in: justice studies and criminal law majors, School of Social Transformation
More info

Sundance Film Festival

Students are immersed into the Sundance Film Festival and work 25 hours at the festival as ushers. They function much like employees and help manage crowds, take tickets and assist patrons. This is a great opportunity to gain essential experience in the field, and it gives an opportunity to network with others.

Paid/unpaid: unpaid, students also need to make traveling and sleeping arrangements
Time of year: five days in January
Ideal for students in: film and media studies, Department of English
More info

Harper Collins

This internship in New York allows participants to experience publishing with one of the biggest publishing houses in the United States. Those who complete this program read manuscripts for market potential, create content for blogs and social media, sit in on meetings, shadow editors, read submissions and write reports and synopses.

“This internship had a big impact on me, even just living in New York alone for six weeks, and I was able to get a look into publishing,” said Monica Peterson, an ASU English major who completed the internship in summer 2013.

Paid/unpaid: paid
Time of year: summer
Ideal for students in: English majors, Department of English
More info

Cardon Children’s Medical Center

Interns in this program shadow Child Life specialists, who help children and families in challenging circumstances, in a hospital setting and may complete various duties. This includes spending time with children or speaking with families in need. This hands-on internship has a great impact on students as they get a look at the lives of others in need and help where needed.

Paid/unpaid: unpaid
Time of year: fall or spring semester
Ideal for students in: child development and psychology, T. Denny School of Social and Family Dynamics
More info

The PEN (Penitentiary) Project

This experience teams students with inmates at the New Mexico Penitentiary. Inmates who write fiction, nonfiction, poetry or prose send their work to students, who critically read and edit them. Students use skills they have learned in the classroom in a real world setting by providing feedback and evaluating two to three submissions weekly. This opportunity raises awareness and gives students a look at social issues of incarceration and prison education and helps those in lesser educational circumstances.

Paid/unpaid: unpaid, but this program requires no expense students
Time of year: fall or spring semester
Ideal for students in: English majors, Department of English
More info

ASU/NASA Space Grant Consortium

This hands-on program allows undergraduates to participate in group-engineering projects, such as robotics, small satellites or work with faculty on their research projects. Undergraduates work in a variety of science, technology, engineering and mathematics fields within the Space Grant program. Students are required to participate in various outreach activities around the university and within the community to promote STEM and to help underrepresented communities. They present the results of their research in a poster session and at the Arizona Space Grant Undergraduate Research Symposium. Space Grant interns gain research experience, build relationships and take on leadership roles.

“For some, this program is life-changing,” said Thomas Sharp, the consortium’s director. “We want people to fall in love with their studies, not just get a degree.”

Paid/unpaid: unpaid
Time of year: full academic year
Ideal for students in: science majors, School of Earth and Space Exploration
More info

The Capital Scholars Program

This program emphasizes public policymaking and aims to help students develop leadership skills. Students are able to work with advocacy and research groups, nonprofit organizations, federal agencies, the media and Congress. Particularly, students interact with Congressional representatives and sit in on meetings, give feedback on proposals or projects and manage social media outlets.

Paid/unpaid: unpaid, but program fee includes tuition, housing and excursions. Students are housed in the vicinity of public transportation
Time of year: summer
Ideal for students in: political science, law and criminal justice, School of Politics and Global Studies
More info

Director’s Summer Program (mathematics)

This highly competitive intense 12-week program is aimed at the best mathematics undergraduates in the country. A research experience, participants will interact with other students and National Security Agency researchers to solve classified mission-critical problems. Students work in overlapping groups to solve problems presented in the beginning weeks of the program; they choose a problem as the focus of their research and write technical papers, which are internally published. They attend lectures, awards, tours and go on outings.

Paid/unpaid: paid
Time of year: summer, late May to mid-August
Ideal for students in: School of Mathematical and Statistical Sciences
More info

Written by Kayla Hernandez