Internships
SASP offers a structured internship framework designed for both Major and Minor students. Internships can be undertaken either as part of credit-bearing units during the semester or independently over the term break.
To provide students with meaningful experiences, SASP has established strong partnerships with leading research institutes, museums, heritage centres, and industry organisations. Through these collaborations, students are assured access to internship opportunities during their undergraduate journey.
The Institute of South Asian Studies (ISAS) and the Indian Heritage Centre (IHC) regularly reserve internship placements specifically for SASP students, including Majors, Second Majors, and Minors, on a preferential basis. Additional internship avenues are available through partners such as the Ministry of Trade and Industry, the Singapore Indian Chamber of Commerce and Industry (SICCI), and affiliated organisations.
SN major students who would like their participation in internships to count towards meeting graduation requirements may enrol in courses managed by Department or the FASS (see FASS Internship website for more information about faculty managed internship course).
| Course | SN3550 South Asian Studies Internship | ISN3550 Extended Internship* |
| Units | 4 | 4 |
| Pre-requisites |
Students should have completed a minimum of 24 UTs in SN coded and SN recognised courses; and have declared South Asian Studies as their Major | |
| Preclusion | Any other XX3550 internship courses (Note: Students who change majors may not do a second internship in their new major) |
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| Advisory Pre-requisite | Restriction on Concurrent Enrollment:
*This restriction includes, but is not limited to:
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| Course Classification | Counted towards SN major requirements. | Can be counted towards Unrestricted Electives (UE) only |
| Internship Hours | Semester 1 or 2, Part-time: 12-16 weeks during regular semester, no more than 16 hours per week. A minimum of 120 hours of work. Special Term, Full-time: 8-12 weeks during special term, no more than 40 hours per week. A minimum of 120 hours of work. |
Semester 1 or 2, Full-time: 12-16 weeks during regular semester, no more than 40 hours per week. (Inclusive of internship hours for SN3550) A minimum of 240 hours of work. |
| Application Deadlines | Semester 1: 1st week of June Semester 2: 1st week of November Special Term: 1st week of March |
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| Course Windows | Semester 1: August to December (16 weeks) Semester 2: January to May (16 weeks) Special Term: May to July (12 weeks)All work for the course should be completed within the prescribed windows. The arrangement with the company or organisation may extend beyond the windows on a mutual arrangement between the student and the employer. Work done beyond the course window does not count towards the course. |
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*ISN3550 Extended Internship must be undertaken concurrently with SN3550 South Asian Studies Internship.
- Internship courses may not be used to delay honours.
- Students may pursue the internship course concurrently with other course only with approval from the company or organisation and the South Asian Studies Programme.
- Start/end date for internships may vary but all work for the courses should be completed within the course window (see above).
- Students will need a Workplace Supervisor (from the company or organisation) and Academic Advisor (from NUS).
- Students will submit written assignments to be reviewed by the Academic Advisor, and in some cases, by the Workplace Supervisor as well.
The final grade given by the Academic Advisor will be based on your written assignments and Workplace Supervisor feedback.
Applying for Internship Course
Secure an Internship
Students are encouraged to source for internships with organisations in the industries of their choice. The Department is also on the look out for internship opportunities for our students and will inform students via e-mail when there are opportunities available.
Other resources:
NUS TalentConnect
Employers' websites
CFG website
Submit an Application
Apply for internship course by submitting the SN Internship Proposal Form to the Department administrator for approval. The following information will be required:
- Details of host organisation, including address, contact number, email and contact person.
- Scope and description of duties
- Intended learning outcomes from the internship
- Planned work schedule
Once the internship is approved by the Department, please request the host organisation to issue an official acceptance letter with details of the agreed internship arrangements. A scanned copy of this letter must be submitted to the Department.
During the Internship
Guidelines for students
Please ensure you are clear about your work schedule and tasks early in the semester, after meeting and consulting with your host organisation. Please raise any doubts or concerns you have, and ask for clarification, as soon as possible.
The core tasks of your internship will be explained to you by your host organisation. In addition, you need to keep a written journal of your tasks and learning experiences, which you will use as the basis for your final report, which is to be submitted to the South Asian Studies Programme when you finish the internship.
Assignments
Journal
The journal should be completed during the period of your internship. Weekly record entries are recommended.
Report
At the end of the internship, each student must submit a final report (and the journal) to the South Asian Studies Programme. The report may be built upon your journal entries to draw some conclusions about what you have learnt as an intern, and how it does (or does not) relate to what have learnt in South Asian Studies but should not be copied verbatim from them.
You can be creative with the format of the report, but it should cover the basic elements of what you did and what you thought about it during your internship (you can draw from your journal), and what your reflections are in retrospect. You may – if you want – include other items that are related to the issues you are covering: pictures, news clippings, or other materials, which you can use to illustrate the points you wish to develop. The report should be no longer than 3,000 words.
Assessment
Evaluation is based on 100% Continuous Assessment. It consists of 40% (journal) and 60% (final report).
Your final report and journal for the internship will be assessed by your assigned supervisor with the following criteria in mind:
- Making sense of your internship experience. This means relating what you encountered to your knowledge of the country and to questions raised in the field of South Asian Studies. These could include one or more of the issues, debates or problems that you have been presented with in the course of your other modules. In general, this criterion relates to being able to put the particular experiences you had in the context of a bigger picture.
- Reflection. This related to your originality and creativity in thinking about your experiences and in drawing connections, both among the experiences of the internship and with some of the larger issues to which they relate.
- Analytical skills. This refers to your ability to develop a coherent argument or line of interpretation, to build your case in a logical manner and support it appropriately (and to acknowledge issues on which you are uncertain, or for which you do not have adequate evidence).
- Clarity and organisation. This means expressing yourself clearly, using language precisely and accurately, and organising your material so that it forms an ordered, structured report that is easy to read.
Enquiries
If you have meaningful opportunities for our students or have enquiries on the South Asian Studies internship programme, please contact Assoc Prof Rajesh Rai (sasrr@nus.edu.sg).