Applied Anthropology Internships: How to Create the Ideal Experience

Andy Bessler, Suzanne DeRosa, Anne Hagele, Eirian Humphreys, Vernelda Grant, Travis Levy, Arturo Márquez-Alameda, Marilee Miller, Heather Nawrocki, Jenean Merkel Perelstein, Gilbert M. Ramos Edited by Elena M. Rizzo and Karla D. Wagner

During the summer of 1998 thirteen applied anthropology graduate students took to the field to test the skills that they had learned in the first year of their Masters degree program at Northern Arizona University. The internships covered a variety of anthropology niches, including venues which had no previous experience with anthropologists. Here these interns recount their personal stories and compile a list of suggestions for designing applied anthropology internships. This article is intended to guide students through the process: finding the ideal internship, developing the internship plan, completing the internship in a professional manner and returning with valuable new skills and experiences.

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