I agree.  GW clearly has that 6 credits of internship are a required part
of the degree.  I am certainly NOT from a wealthy family and have had to
go into debt for my education, but I too accepted the fact that I'd have
to do unpaid internships to work in this field.  Not to mention that an
unpaid undergraduate internship is what got me interested in this field
to begin with.  Through my internships I have learned about what I enjoy
doing and what I don't enjoy doing -- facts I would never have gotten out
of coursework alone.  It's tough enough breaking into this field and we
need all the experience we can get, even if it's unpaid.  Most
internships are also very flexable and do NOT require full-time
dedication.  I was always able to maintain part-time employment, and I
know that GW does the best it can to arrange internships for people
working full-time as well.  Being paid would certainly be nice, but it is
the exception not the rule.  Right now I am in a paid internship at the
National Park Service through the National Center for Preservation
Education and would recommend this program for anyone who wants a high
profile internship, but can't afford to do it unpaid.  Yes, they are
competitive, but it's worth striving for.

Laura McMann
Museum Studies Program
George Washington Univ.
<[log in to unmask]>

On Tue, 9 Apr 1996, Sandra L. Harris wrote:

>
> I agree- while in the Museum Studies grad program at Arizona State I
> completed 2 unpaid semester long (20 hrs per week) internships one year,
> worked full time and took additional courses. I am certainly not
> superwoman, so I have a hard time understanding where the complaints come
> from about unpaid internships as the required courses they are in grad
> school. We all just accepted it when we read the program description!!
>