Internships

If you enrol in the Ancient, Medieval and Renaissance Studies programme because you want to pursue a career outside of academia, you can choose to do a research internship instead of staying abroad. Institutions that have welcomed our students as interns in the past include:

  • Huygens Instituut, The Hague
  • Thermenmuseum, Heerlen
  • Fryske Acadmy, Leeuwarden
  • RKD, The Hague
  • Rijksmuseum van Oudheden, Leiden
  • Koninklijke Bibliotheek, The Hague
  • Provincie Utrecht, Utrecht
  • Rijksdienst voor het Cultureel Erfgoed, Amersfoort
  • Utrecht University Library, Utrecht

In order for the internship to be included in the study programme, the organisation for which you will work has to commit to stimulating you to do intellectually independent research that is relevant to the organisation’s activities and/or policies. The form of the internship product(s) can vary from a copy of a text written for an exhibition catalogue to a policy report or an academic paper; it is best determined in consultation with both your external internship supervisor and the supervising lecturer.

At the end of the internship, you must write an internship report in English of ca. ten pages consisting of an overview of the organisation and your tasks, as well as a self-reflection and a description of the internship results. The internship report is the basis for the supervising lecturers' final assessment. For details of what you need to include in the report, please consult the Student Guide and the evaluation forms as described below. Please note: internships at the RMA Ancient, Medieval and Renaissance Studies are graded Pass/Fail. Assessment is conducted using a standard assessment form and its appendix:

Why do an internship?

Representing a perfect chance to put academic theory into working practice, an internship not only serves as a vital link between academic study and the labour market, it is also the perfect opportunity to better come to grips with your talents, skills and abilities and to explore the practical value of your university education. Internships offer many other advantages, including:

  • Invaluable practical experience. Gained, for instance, from taking part in an actual selection procedure or the daily operations of a company or organization.
  • Increased appeal of your CV. Previous working experience is a great way to draw the eye of prospective employers.
  • Better employment prospects. After graduation, many students work for their former internship provider.
  • New networking contacts. These will benefit you both during your studies and after graduation.

Forms of internship

A wide range of internships are possible. The most common of which are:

  • Work internship. The focus lies on gaining practical professional experience. For example a French student who is given the opportunity to complete several assignments for an embassy.
  • Research internship. The focus lies on actually conducting scientific research often at a scientific/research institute of a foreign university, for example, but also at a commercial enterprise or cultural institution or other type of institute. For example a history student who conducts a literature study about the Golden Age on behalf of a museum.

General HUM Step-by-step plan and forms - (Research) Master's internship

The steps below will help you prepare for your internship and show you the required documents per step. Please read these carefully together with the detailed HUM Internship manual – (Research) Master’s (pdf), which includes important information on finding an internship, internships abroad, writing the internship work plan, registering in Osiris, supervision, keeping a logbook and writing the final report and evaluation.

more information

If you want to know more, or if you have any questions about internships, contact your programme coordinator. If you have any questions about your enrolment in OSIRIS, please contact the Internship Office Humanities.