Spanish Program Internships
Including internships in undergraduate education is an excellent way to apply learning in real-world professional setting, thus enhancing practical skills. These experiences allow students to build valuable field connections and provide them with a deeper understanding of how professional environments operate. By participating in an internship, students will be better prepared to tackle workplace challenges.
Do an internship to complement your Spanish studies!
Internships at UMD are unmatched due to our proximity to embassies, government agencies, and institutions such as the World Bank or the Organization of American States, NGOs, local businesses, and community organizations. Our students have received Fulbright awards and taught in Spain through the Spanish Embassy’s NALCAP program.
Receive up to 3 credits towards your Spanish Major with your internship.
Where have students interned?
- Embassy of Mexico: Political Affairs Intern
- Prince George's County Public School: Administrative Assistant and Family Outreach Intern
- Chesapeake Conservatory: Bilingual Interpretative Outreach Assistant
Our student interns have also worked in the DMV with the National Park Service and the U.S. House of Representatives, District Court Judges, and medical and dental organizations.
The Department of Spanish and Portuguese (SPAP) offers majors the possibility of completing an internship for SPAP credits. In order to do so, interested students should follow these steps:
- Secure an internship that fits in with their career-related goals;
- Confirm supervision from a full-time faculty member (professional track or tenure/tenured track. A supervisor may not be a graduate assistant, an adjunct, or a non-teaching administrator);
- Obtain permission from the Undergraduate Advisor in consultation with the Director of Undergraduate Studies. In order to receive the necessary permissions to register for SPAN386, students should bring a copy of the completed and signed SLLC Internship Contract to the Undergraduate Office in JMZ 1104. The student’s faculty-sponsor should keep the original contract. Please review the next administrative steps for SPAN386 outlined below.
- Enroll in SPAN386. The number of credits earned will be set at the beginning of the internship. Each credit requires a specific time commitment from the student and is set by the University. Students may earn up to 3 credit hours towards their Spanish Major and more towards graduation. A syllabus/contract will be created by the Faculty Advisor to define the parameters of the internship and set student expectation.
Note: Spaces for internships are limited to a maximum of 10 per semester. A full-time faculty instructor cannot supervise more than two internships each semester.
Direct any questions regarding internships to:
Dr. Chris Lewis, Undergraduate Advisor: spap-advise@umd.edu
More information on internships at:
UMD Career Center
ARHU Career Preparation
ARHU Internship Courses
SPAN 386 – EXPERIENTIAL LEARNING EARNING CREDIT
Internship credit for Spanish 386 may be earned for unpaid internships in which the Spanish language and cultures play an important role. Please note that credit can only be awarded for the semester in which you are actually working at your site. Credit earned for Spanish 386 will be elective credit and will not count toward a Spanish major or minor.
You may earn a minimum of 3 OR a maximum of 6 credits for Spanish 386. The number of credits earned is based on the number of hours at the site as outlined below.
3 credits = 135 total hours 5 credits = 225 total hours
4 credits = 180 total hours 6 credits = 270 total hours
Student responsibilities
- You may find an unpaid internship on your own or the faculty advisor may help you find one.
- Once you have been offered a position, you must be sure to have a Site Supervisor.
- Fill out the Internship Learning Proposal completely.
- Once the form is complete and signed by you and the Site Supervisor, return the proposal to Dr. Chris Lewis, SPAP Advisor.
- When you return the completed proposal, you will receive the computer permission to register for the course and the correct section number.
- One week prior to the end of the semester, you must turn in a letter from your Site Supervisor on letterhead detailing what you did, how long you were there, and the Site Supervisor’s personal evaluation of your performance. In addition, you must also turn in a 2-3 page paper in Spanish explaining what you did and how it applied to your study of Spanish.
Featured Intern: Rachel DuLac
During the Spring 2021 semester, I interned with Kent Island Elementary School as an English Language Learner Assistant. In this role, I was responsible for translating ESOL student's assignments into Spanish and creating a directions page for the students’ families. Additionally, I translated announcements and emails from the school and acted as an interpreter during the Parent-Teacher Conferences. I grew up in the county where the internship took place and saw that there is a growing population of Spanish speaking families. Unfortunately, there has not been a growth of members within the school system that speak Spanish. I saw an opportunity to further develop my Spanish communication skills while helping to bridge the literacy gap between the ESOL and English-speaking students. The experience and skills I gained while interning will allow me to continue helping to eliminate the language barriers that are commonly found in many communities.