CTSS Internship Applications Due Dec. 1

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Now Accepting Applications for Student Interns

Application deadline is December 1, 2015.

UMass Lowell’s Center for Terrorism and Security Studies (CTSS) conducts scholarly research on all aspects of terrorism, political violence and issues of domestic and international security. The Center’s work is multidisciplinary, drawing on many perspectives, research methodologies, and analytic frameworks in order to better understand the causes and consequences of new and emerging security challenges.

CTSS is seeking highly motivated students for the academic semester Spring 2016. Successful candidates will work on one of two research projects aimed at understanding the activities engaged in by members of terrorist groups. Students may identify specific interests in their applications, but this will not ensure final placement as project needs are subject to change.

Positions are unpaid. Academic credit (3 credits) is available with approval from your academic adviser and upon completion of additional requirements (see below).
Application Procedures

Internships are part-time and open to all UMass Lowell undergraduates. Students may work remotely on project tasks, but all initial training and weekly/biweekly meetings will take place on the University of Massachusetts Lowell South Campus at the Center for Terrorism and Security Studies headquarters in the Health and Social Sciences building. Returning CTSS Interns are still required to apply according to the instructions set forth below.

The positions will run the duration of the Spring 2016 semester with a required commitment of 10 hours per week. Applications will be reviewed upon receipt, and the final round of selections will be made no later than December 15, 2015.

Applications that do not follow the exact instructions below will not be considered.For New applicants:

  1. E-mail a resume and cover letter as a single file, PDF document to Neil Shortland neil_shortland@uml.edu.
  2. The file must be titled “Your_Last_Name CTSS Application.pdf.”
  3. Resume should include both your cumulative and last-semester grade point averages.
  4. Resume should identify the School from which you are applying (e.g., School of Criminology and Justice Studies, etc.).
  5. Cover letter should be addressed to Mr. Neil Shortland, CTSS Program Manager.
  6. Cover letter must indicate whether the student intends to pursue the internship for credit.
  7. Letter of recommendation from an academic professional (Professor, Teacher, Principal, Counselor) emailed directly to neil_shortland@uml.edu

New applicants are also encouraged to identify in their cover letter which of the two CTSS projects they would prefer to be involved in.

For returning CTSS applicants:

  1. E-mail a resume and cover letter as a single file, PDF document to Neil Shortland neil_shortland@uml.edu.
  2. The file must be titled “Your_Last_Name CTSS Application.pdf”.
  3. Resume should include both your cumulative and last-semester grade point averages.
  4. Resume should identify the School from which you are applying (e.g., School of Criminology and Justice Studies, etc.).
  5. Cover letter should be addressed to Mr. Neil Shortland, CTSS Program Manager.
  6. Cover letter must indicate whether the student intends to pursue the internship for credit.

Returning applicants will be allocated to the CTSS project they were previously involved in.

Any questions about the application process or what the internships entail can be directed to Neil Shortland at the aforementioned e-mail address.

Requirements
Internships at CTSS will involve hard work. Successful applicants will have a high level of personal motivation, the ability to self-manage and remain detail-oriented throughout all levels of project work, basic information technology skills, a high level of interest in terrorism and homeland security issues, and strong written and oral communication skills.

All interns (whether pursuing the internship for credit or not) will be expected to complete the following:

  1. 10-15 hours of initial training in data collection and processing
  2. Successful completion of assigned readings where relevant
  3. Timely submission of bi-weekly reports
  4. Required quantity of coding and processing of data.
  5. Attendance at weekly or bi-weekly meetings with CTSS research staff for discussion, problem-solving, and experience sharing.

In order to receive course credit students will also be required to submit a final research paper.