Undergraduate Study at OSU Linguistics

Linguistics Internships

Interested in a Linguistics Internship? If so, now what?
There are two general types of internships: research internships and non-research internships. A research intern typically works with faculty and graduate students as a research assistant on an existing project in the Department of Linguistics. Research interns in our department have worked, for example, in Professor Speer's psycholinguistics lab, on Professor Beckman's child language acquisition project, with Professor Joseph on historical linguistics, and with Professor Hume on research into sounds systems. This type of internship is done for course credit. A non-research intern generally works at an organization or business off-campus. This type of internship can also be done for course credit, though some are paid positions. Follow the steps below to determine which internship is best suited for you and how to go about doing one.

• You may download a printer-friendly flyer of this Web page [PDF].
• Visit this link for a listing of current internship opportunities.

STEP 1
Think about what your interests are, what kinds of experiences you are looking for, and what you think would benefit you most in an internship. You may want to meet with the linguistics undergraduate advisor (currently Julie McGory, jmcgory@ling.ohio-state.edu) to discuss this. Some things to consider:

1. What are your plans for the future and how can an internship help? What types of experiences will enhance your graduate school application or your resume given your plans? For example, if you want to go to graduate school, research experience may be best. If you plan to travel abroad and teach English, experience in ESL classrooms would be beneficial. If you hope to work as an editor, experience in a publishing company would be useful.
2. What are your skills and abilities? Maybe you know several programming languages. Maybe you have had previous experience as a tutor. Maybe you really like working with people.
3. Are you willing to volunteer or do you need a paid internship? Do you need/want course credit?

STEP 2
If you are interested in a research internship, contact the linguistics undergraduate advisor who will work with you to set one up.

If you are interested in an internship outside of the Department of Linguistics, Contact OSU's Career Services at 292-7055 to find an internship. A counselor will help you evaluate what kind of position is right for you given your interests and abilities and what is available. Be sure to tell them you are majoring in linguistics.

STEP 3
If you would like to receive course credit, contact the linguistics undergraduate advisor for approval and to make the necessary arrangements. You may receive up to 5 hours of credit toward your linguistics major. Once you have completed your internship, you will be required to submit a report to the undergraduate advisor in order to receive credit.

STEP 4
For those receiving course credit, register for HUM 489 during the relevant quarter. If HUM 489 is not offered in the quarter you will be completing the internship, contact the linguistics undergraduate advisor immediately. (A linguistics course number will be available in the near future.)

STEP 5
Once you have been placed in an internship, be sure to keep the Linguistics Department and your Undergraduate Advisor informed of your progress (whether or not you will be receiving credit!). We would love to hear from you about how the internship is going.