One integral component of IHRE is an internship at a Johannesburg civil society organization.  Students undertake substantive work under the guidance of an in-house mentor, working approximately 10 hours a week, on Thursdays and Fridays.  In general, the work undertaken at an IHRE host organization includes research, advocacy, training, editing, event planning, and other matters related to the human rights work carried out by the host organization.

Separate academic credit is not given for the internship; rather, it is a component of the 4-credit core seminar Engagement in Human Rights.

In Engagement in Human Rights participants focus on academic issues related to civil society and the political and social context surrounding human rights work and struggles.  Reading assignments will address themes common to many internships and students will be encouraged to keep a journal about their experiences.  Students will also develop classroom presentations which apply theoretical insights to their practical work and will produce individual capstone projects, typically in the form of a paper.

The IHRE team strongly encourages students to participate in the internship component of the IHRE program, as hands-on experience is a valuable learning tool. Students who do not wish to participate may forego the Core Seminar Engagement in Human Rights and substitute one of the following: