Internships

Sociology Internship (SOC 495)

COURSE CONTENT: This course is a supervised work experience related to course work in sociology in appropriate government, social service, and private organizations. May be repeated to a maximum of 6 sem. hrs. Permission of the chairperson is required. Grade option 2. This course does not fulfill cluster or general education requirements.

Guidelines for a Sociology Internship

Last Revision May 1999

The Internship Program is designed to allow students to receive academic credit for work experience. This work may be done in any of a variety of agencies or organizations. The internship experience should serve as a transition between the world of the classroom and the world of work. The internship will give students an opportunity to relate their academic study to work situations and will provide more information on which to base a career choice. Students may obtain between one and six credits for the internship.

All internship programs must satisfy the requirements of the College of Arts and Sciences Policy Statement on Internships as described in the University Bulletin. The following information details the guidelines of the Department of Sociology, Anthropology, and Social Work regarding internships.

Guidelines

These are the minimum requirements for all internships:

Internship candidates must be in good academic standing with a grade point average of at least 2.0 or better overall and a 2.5 in sociology and anthropology courses.

Students must have accumulated 60 credits or more.

Students must register for a minimum of 12 credit hours in the semester in which they take the internship unless the internship is taken during the summer term.

Students should have completed academic course work in the Department that is related to the internship site or duties.

Internship assignments may be either compensatory or non-compensatory.

A minimum of 150 clock hours of work is required to earn three semester hours. This amounts to an average of 10 hours a week during a 15-week semester.

No more than 6 hours of internship will count toward the total required hours for a degree in sociology.

Students must submit an application form for the internship program.

Students must keep a daily log of the internship experiences. This is submitted to the Program Director at the end of the term.

Students must meet with the Internship Program Director or designated faculty member biweekly to discuss the progress of the internship. The daily log should be available to the Program Director or faculty member at this time.

Students must submit a final written report at the end of the term that reflects on and analyzes their internship experiences in terms of the knowledge they have gained and how this knowledge relates to the knowledge acquired from substantive courses in the Department (minimum length is 12 pages).

Internship supervisors in the agency will submit midterm and final evaluations of the intern’s performance.

This course may only be taken under Grading Option 2 (Satisfactory/No Credit).

The grade for the course will be determined by the Program Director or faculty member based on an evaluation of the reports of the Intern Supervisor, the biweekly meetings, log and written report.

Procedures for Becoming an Intern

There is no set time for submitting an internship application. However, we suggest that you begin your planning as early as possible in the term preceding the term that you would like to take the Internship. This allows more time to locate appropriate placements and determine all the necessary details for the internship. You will not be able to register for the internship until a placement has been confirmed.

Soon after completing the application, you should meet with the Program Director to determine your eligibility and, if appropriate, to discuss possible internship sites. While the Program Director may have a list of possible sites, you may suggest places that you feel are appropriate.

The Program Director or faculty member will contact the appropriate person in the agency or organization to discuss the feasibility of an internship. The Program Director and the agency official will discuss the duties and responsibilities that are appropriate for interns.

If an agreement is reached, the Program Director will direct the student to contact the agency official to set up an appointment for an interview. The interview will allow the parties the opportunity to discuss the needs of the agency, the duties and responsibilities expected of the student, the student’s qualifications, and details concerning the hours to be worked.

The agency will appoint an individual working on location to serve as Intern Supervisor. The agency will also prepare a written statement outlining the intern’s duties and responsibilities. This must be given to the Intern Supervisor, the Program Director and the student before the term in which the internship is to be taken begins.

The Program Director will, in consultation with the agency and the intern, prepare a contract outlining the conditions of the internship (including hours, work to be done, basis for the grade, etc.). This contract will be signed by the Program Director, student and Intern Supervisor before the term in which the internship is taken. A copy of this contract will be forwarded to the Dean of the College of Arts and Sciences.

As you can see, there are many details that must be worked out. It will require a considerable amount of work on your part, and on the part of the Program Director and agency personnel. Many of the details must be completed before you can register for the course. Start the process early.