Summer research and internships are a fantastic way to:
- Conduct original research that feeds into your senior comprehensive thesis topic
- Develop fine-tuned research skills
- Build your CV for job and graduate school applications
- Gain experience and establish professional networks by working with art museums, historical archives, cultural institutions, and community organizations
Below are the various internship and research options available through the History Department. These include:
- Autry Museum Internship Program
- Andrew W. Mellon-Funded Summer Research Fellowships
- Billington Summer Research Fellowship in U.S. History
- Institute for the Study of Los Angeles (ISLA)
- Undergraduate Research Center Options
Autry Museum Internship Program
The History Department at Occidental College, with the support of an endowment from the Pacific Railroad Company, sponsors two nine-month paid internships at the Autry National Center for students seeking experience in public history, communications, exhibition design, and archives and libraries. The Autry National Center is an intercultural history center that explores the diverse experiences of the people of the American West. The Autry uses its extensive collections to provide year-round exhibitions, public programs, scholarly research, publications and educational services. At the heart of the Autry is the abiding belief that we can best shape the future by promoting a deeper understanding of the interwoven histories and diverse cultural tapestry of the American West.
As interns, students will strengthen academic and research skills while gaining valuable hands-on experience. They will be able to identify potential career pathways in public history and the arts that are often dependent on building professional networks. Interested students should demonstrate knowledge of, and interest in, history, fine arts (visual and/or performing arts), and cultural expression; excellent written and verbal skills; and the ability to work on projects with limited supervision. Students should also be prompt and reliable. Knowledge of specific computer programs and social media tools may be required for performance of duties.
All Occidental College students are invited to apply (must be juniors or seniors during the year of the internship). Internship opportunities and application deadlines will be announced in the middle of the spring semester.
Billington Summer Research Fellowship in U.S. History
The History Department funds the Billington Summer Research Fellowships in US History for undergraduates conducting faculty-mentored archival/primary source research in US History. This is a competitive fellowship and History majors who have completed their junior year will be given some preference in the process. American Studies students are also encouraged to apply for research projects using historical methods. All projects related to the history of the United States from its colonial era to the recent past are eligible. The Billington Summer Fellows will participate in the ten-week Summer Research Program offered by the URC from Tuesday, May 27, and ends on Friday, August 1, 2025. The annual all-day SRP conference is scheduled for Wednesday, July 30, 2025.
Billington Summer Fellows will receive a stipend of $6000 paid over ten weeks, subsidized on-campus housing and meal plan dependent on financial need, and the opportunity to apply for a small budget of consumable research expenses up to $400.
Applications are due on January 28, 2025, by 5:00 pm. Applications open on December 9th. Visit the SRP Fellowships for the link to the application form. Be sure to check the Billington Summer Research Fellowship box on the application form in addition to the URC SRP Fellowship.
Please direct any questions about the Billington Summer Research Fellowship to Michael Gasper, History Dept. Chair, at gasper@oxy.edu.
Billington Fellowship Guidelines
Institute for the Study of Los Angeles (ISLA)
The Institute for the Study of Los Angeles (ISLA) aims to collect, analyze, and share the diverse social and cultural history of the L.A. region, with a particular emphasis on the multicultural heritage of Northeast Los Angeles. In conjunction with the Undergraduate Research Center, the ISLA offers two student summer research fellowships. Two student internships are also available in library special collections and with a community partner organization. Through oral history projects and fieldwork across the disciplines, students will develop essential research skills with primary materials and, at the same time, develop their own relationships with community members.
Interested students may contact Prof. Jeremiah Axelrod, History Department, at axelrod@oxy.edu.
Undergraduate Research Center's Summer Research Program(SRP)
History majors are also eligible for the ten-week Occidental Summer Research Program offered by the Undergraduate Research Center (URC). Visit the URC website or contact urc@oxy.edu for more information.
Recent History Research Projects
Billington:
- Gregory Kleinman: Holocaust Survivors and their Transition into 1950s America
- Rosa Pleasant: Septima Clark: Radical Education and the Civil Rights Movement
- Jack Shofield: Cuba and the United States: Homonationalism and False Narratives
Other:
- Laura Chun: Amerasian Homecoming Act: A Look into the Cold War and America's Reaction to the Vietnam War
- Kil Chung: The 1862 Coolie Trade Act: Ending American’s Global Coolie Trade
- Belén Moreno: Labor, Identity, and Resistance in California's Agricultural Industry, 1900-1930
- Caroline Silverstein: The Rise of the Machine in Industrial Architecture