Chapter 14: Internships for Interdisciplinary International Relations and International Studies Programs: Comparing Benefits and Challenges from West to East

This chapter sheds light on processes, challenges, and benefits of International Relations (IR) and International Studies (IS) internships through a comparison of two programs, one on the West Coast and the other on the East Coast of the US. After describing different program structures and resources needed to build IR/IS programs and support international students in the US and abroad, we explore creative ways to expand opportunities for IR/ IS students in local communities. We review practical challenges and offer a set of solutions to address them.

Keywords: internships, international internships, IR internships, IS internships, internship programs, experiential learning, professionalization