Internships

An internship in LGBTQ Studies offers students the opportunity to engage with and contribute to organizations who focus on LGBTQ issues, work, and advocacy outside of a classroom.

Any CU Boulder undergraduate student with a 2.0 GPA and 30 hours of credit may apply for LGBTQ Studies Internships. Preference will be given to students enrolled in the Undergraduate Certificate in LGBTQ Studies. Please note that you must be enrolled at CU Boulder the semester that the internship takes place.

Department-Sponsored Paid Internship Opportunity - Spring 2025

The internship application for spring 2025 opportunities has closed. Please see below for information regarding regular internship enrollment or be on the lookout next year for our paid internship program opportunities which will be advertised in Fall 2025.

Provided by the generous support of the Thomas R. Stephens Support Fund

This is a stipend-supported internship for Spring 2025. Â鶹ÒùÔº will also have the option to receive credit for the internship. Â鶹ÒùÔº will be expected to intern 10 hours per week throughout the semester. They will receive a $2400 stipend upon completing their hours, paid in monthly installments from January through April 2025. Â鶹ÒùÔº must apply for select stipend-supported internship opportunities.

Apply for Stipend-Supported Internships at the following sites:

The supports the development of education and advocacy events for youth and offer resources to school GSAs (Gender and Sexuality Alliance) through Boulder County Public Health. Interns will develop events and share resources to support positive identity development for youth and trusted adult relationships with LGBTQ+ community members. Interns will gain training in social justice youth development, anti-oppressive philosophy, and methods for facilitating conversations with young people, such as skills in community education and program development and operation.

Please review the full for more information

Join ’s LGBTQ+ Collection staff to support the collection and processing of items that have historical significance to the LGBTQ+ community. This internship will provide the student with hands-on experience with museum procedures, collections acquisition, artifact handling, database entry, and relationship building between underrepresented communities and state institutions. By the end of the internship, the intern will be comfortable with museum collections procedures, the operation of our archival database, and will have gained skills in donor relations.

Please review the full for more information

The Political, Organizing, and Policy internship offers a unique opportunity to gain hands-on experience in LGBTQ+ advocacy and policy work at One Colorado, a leading organization dedicated to advancing equality in Colorado. Interns will have the chance to contribute to various aspects of One Colorado’s programs, including policy research, community organizing, and advocacy.

Please review the full for more information

To earn academic credit, students will be registered for up to 3 credit hours of LGBT 3930. Â鶹ÒùÔº are charged tuition for the internship according to the number of credit hours enrolled. Â鶹ÒùÔº will indicate internship site interest on their application. The internship site will review student applications and assist in making final decisions regarding select internship site placements.

 

Interested in other internships? Follow the process below:

  1. Find an Internship Site  
    • The majority of your internship work should be related to the field of LGBTQ studies. However, the organization itself might not be LGBTQ-focused. For example, you might intern at a school to develop an initiative for LGBTQ teens or you might intern for a local congress member looking to outreach to LGBTQ constituents. You might intern at a theater company producing a play that engages with LGBTQ themes. If you need help finding an eligible internship, email LGBTQ@Colorado.EDU.
  2. Meet with site supervisor to establish weekly schedule and time commitment    
    •  We recommend sharing with your site supervisor the Internship Supervisor Evaluation Form, so your supervisor is clear on what is expected of them and of you by the end of the semester.
    • As a reminder, students are expected to work 10 hours per week at their internship site.
  3. Find a faculty sponsor from the LGBTQ Studies affiliate faculty    
    • Search for faculty whose research aligns with your internship interests and/or a faculty member whose class you’ve taken (contact LGBTQ@Colorado.EDU if you need guidance)
  4. Work with faculty sponsor to determine semester check points and final portfolio materials to be submitted for a grade    
    • Typically, students are required to maintain weekly time sheets, produce monthly reports, create a portfolio, and write a summary essay based on their internship experience that contextualizes their work in a larger historical and sociological perspective. 
  5. Complete Internship Application forms and submit to LGBTQ Studies â€‹ 
    • Fill out the  with the faculty sponsor and list assignments you will complete and the due dates and send to LGBTQ@Colorado.EDU 
    • LGBTQ Studies program coordinator will follow up with you to confirm your internship and and help register you for credits.

LGBTQ Internship FAQs

Any CU Boulder undergraduate student with a minimum cumulative GPA of 2.0 and 30 hours of credit may apply for LGBTQ Studies Internships. Preference will be given to students enrolled in the Undergraduate Certificate in LGBTQ Studies. Please note that you must be enrolled at CU Boulder the semester that the internship takes place.

LGBTQ Studies Offers three paid internships through the generous support of the Thomas R. Stephens Support Fund.

Â鶹ÒùÔº are responsible for finding an internship site that can offer a minimum of 40 hours for each hour of academic credit they register for (a 3-credit internship would require 120 hours of work, roughly ten hours/week over the semester). Please note, students can earn up to six credits for internships overall. 

The department-sponsored paid internship for Spring 2025, students will be expected to intern 10 hours per week throughout the semester. You will also have the option to recieve credit for the internship through LGBTQ Studies.

Yes! Â鶹ÒùÔº must find a faculty sponsor from the LGBTQ Studies faculty affiliate page. We recommend contacting faculty early in the planning process.

For department-sponsored paid internships the LGBTQ Studies Director, Dr. Emmanuel David, will be your Faculty Supervisor.

In agreement with the faculty sponsor, the student will determine the academic deliverables they will submit by the end of the semester for a grade. Typically, students are required to maintain weekly time sheets, produce monthly reports, create a portfolio, and write a summary essay based on their internship experience, putting their work into a larger historical and sociological perspective. The student’s final grade will be based on the evaluation by the internship supervisor and on the materials that the student will turn in to the faculty sponsor. Completion of materials the student submits to the faculty sponsor does not count toward the internship credit hours.