Beyond the Classroom: Why Internships are Important

What is education beyond the classroom? Imagine a student making a website, editing a magazine, teaching students in a school, doing research, looking at trends in policy and economics, running social media campaigns or working in an office. Some of the most valuable lessons in higher education come from experiences that challenge students to apply their knowledge in new and real-world situations. Internships are a place where learning and practice come together. Internships are really important for students of the humanities and social sciences. They help students connect classroom learning with real-world experiences. Internships provide students with opportunities to enhance their communication skills, adapt to diverse situations, build professional confidence, and understand the practical application of academic learning.

The School of Humanities, Social Sciences, and Liberal Arts recognises the value of experiential learning and therefore integrates internships into its curriculum. So, internships are part of the curriculum. Internships also help students build a portfolio of their work. A writer can collect articles and campaigns they worked on. A student who does research can show the reports, surveys, and analyses they conducted. Students who teach or work with the community can document their lesson plans, projects and experiences. These portfolios show how much students have grown and achieved, and they become very helpful when applying for jobs, scholarships or further study.

The National Education Policy (NEP) says that students should learn by doing and develop new skills. The policy recognises that meaningful education extends beyond classroom instruction and encourages students to engage with real-world contexts. Internships align with this idea because they help students develop critical thinking, creativity, communication, and problem-solving skills. These skills are what employers and universities are looking for today. The School of Humanities, Social Sciences, and Liberal Arts strongly emphasises the importance of internships for students pursuing humanities and social sciences programmes. Internships are a part of the learning experience. By doing internships, students of humanities and social sciences can gain experience and skills that will help them in their future careers.

Undergraduate and postgraduate students from the Department of English and Humanities, and the Department of Liberal Studies and Social Science have interned in educational organizations, publishing firms, media centers, research institutions, theatrical groups, NGOs, schools and corporate firms. They have worked as editors, content writers, graphic designers, social media coordinators, videographers, teachers, educators, HR interns, marketing associates, fundraising interns, relationship associates, e-learning developers and data science interns. Many others were involved in tasks relating to business communication, community engagement, institutional research work, etc.

This array of opportunities reveals an important aspect of the humanities education. Students who choose to study BA Honours English, Economics, Political Science, History, International Relations, Sociology, or MA English cultivate skills that extend far beyond disciplinary boundaries. Through their academic training, they develop research aptitude, critical thinking, communication skills, creativity, and cultural awareness. These are the very qualities that prepare them for a wide range of professional careers while also opening pathways to advanced research and academic pursuits.

Dr. Shivangi Chaturvedi
Assistant Professor
Department of English and Humanities
School of Humanities, Social Sciences and Liberal Arts