INTERNSHIPS IN SOCIOLOGY (SOC 490)Summer 2018
SOC 490 is a 3-credit course that offers internships in “applied sociology” in a variety of settings. The course involves:
A)Community Placement: 15-20 hours at an approved agency of your choice
B)Academic Component: online component
The course is open to senior sociology majors who have completed the required core courses in sociology (soc115, soc220, soc221, soc235) and have at least a 2.5 grade point average.
The course will be offered in the summer from June 4th through July 27th online (for 8 weeks).
TO SIGN UP YOU MUST SUBMIT (1) A COMPLETED APPLICATION, (2) A RESUME AND (3) A COPY OF YOUR DEGREE AUDIT.
A wide variety of internship placements is available (see the attached document as well). Examples of recent internships include:
Albany County Bar Association
Albany County Department of Probation
Albany County District Attorney’s Community Justice Outreach Center
Albany County Sheriff’s Department
City of Albany, Department of Cultural Affairs
City of Albany, Police Department
Crime Victims and Sexual Violence Center
Equinox Inc.
Emmaus House – Albany Catholic Worker - New Sanctuary Program
Grand Street Community Arts
Holding Our Own/The Women’s Building Inc.
In Our Own Voices
National Organization for Women—New York State
New York State Attorney General’s Bureau of Consumer Fraud and Protection
New York State Coalition against Domestic Violence
New York State Small Business Development Center
New York Statewatch
Parsons Child and Family Center
PAL of Albany (Police Athletic League)
Planned Parenthood
Radix
START Children’s Center
Wildwood School
Completed applications (below) are due by:April 2, 2018
For information, contact the Internship Director, Dr. Samantha Friedman(AS348,). To sign up for her office hours, please do so online via:
SOC 490: INTERNSHIP IN SOCIOLOGY
COURSE INFORMATION
Soc 490 provides an Internship Program for students who wish to acquire experience in a field or area related to sociology that interests them, perhaps linked to future career possibilities. It should be thought of as “applied sociology,” relating academic knowledge to field experience. Soc 490 is a 3-credit semester course, graded on an S/U basis. Students must apply to the course through the Internship Director. Students may take Soc 490 only once for credit.
I.STUDENT APPLICATION AND SELECTION
Students applying to the Internship Program should have senior standing. They should have completed Soc 115, Soc 220, Soc 221, Soc 235, and at least one course that directly relates to their internship. Students should have an overall minimum grade point average of 2.5. These eligibility criteria may be applied flexibly at the discretion of the Internship Director if sufficient spaces are available. Internships are reserved for Sociology majors.
Students interested in the Internship Program must complete the below application. Students will be expected to provide evidence that an internship is appropriate to their academic and career objectives, and that they will be able to fulfill the requirements of the internship. Once the application is completed, the Internship Director will set up a meeting with students to discuss their credentials and whether they are a good fit with the program. Once accepted into the course, students must obtain a signed contract from their internship site and submit it to the Internship Director prior to the end of the semester preceding the one in which the student plans to do the internship; i.e., summer interns must complete arrangements by the end of the previous spring semester. Failure to do so may result in an applicant not being allowed to register for the internship.
Students who are accepted into the Internship Program must recognize their responsibilities to the program. Interns are representatives of the Department and the University. Participation in the program may be terminated at any time, at the discretion of the Internship Director, for failure to fulfill requirements of the placement or of the academic component.
II.COURSE PROCEDURES AND REQUIREMENTS
The Internship Program, as “applied sociology,” has two related but distinct components: (a) placement as an intern in a field setting, and (b) an academic component.
(a) The Internship Placement
Students will ordinarily be placed in a work setting with an agency or organization outside the University. The Internship Director will provide ideas for initial placements and contact information for local internships depending on student interest. Students must then contact the agencies (one at a time), request an interview for an internship, and seek approval for an internship with the agency. Students may also find their own placement arrangements with the approval of the Internship Director.
Specific duties and schedules of interns are flexible, subject to mutual agreement between the student and the placement site. The time commitment of the student should be long enough to provide meaningful activities, but should not go beyond reasonable expectations for a 3-credit semester course. It is essential that interns be involved in “real” work, rather than, for example, routine clerical duties. Ordinarily interns can expect a time commitment equivalent to 15-20 hours per week during the 8-week summer session. Interns will be supervised and evaluated by an individual at the placement site.
The Internship Director will maintain contacts with the placement site to assess satisfactory fulfillment of responsibilities; this may include an in-person visit to the site. Any problems with the placement, from the point of view of either the placement site or the student, should be brought to the attention of the Internship Director. The Internship Director will verify that the intern has successfully completed the placement by contacting the placement supervisor for an evaluation of the intern’s performance at the end of the semester.
(b) Academic Component
Students will also complete an online course component to the Internship. The specific content of the academic component is outlined in the course syllabus, but student can expect it to include three dimensions.
a) Readings: students will read sociological works that will relate to their placement experiences.
b) Oral Component: students will participate in group-discussions in the seminar via an online software called Voice Thread. They will discuss how the readings fit with their internship experiences.
c) Written Component: students will complete journal entries during the course and produce a final 10 -15 page paper about their internship experience.
III.GRADING AND EVALUATION
The internship on-site supervisor will submit an evaluation of the intern’s performance at the placement site. The student will also receive a grade for the academic component.
Final grades (S/U) for Soc 490 will be assigned by the Internship Director, based on performance in both the internship placement and the academic component. Performance must be average to a C in order to receive a satisfactory grade (S) for the course.
SOC 490: INTERNSHIP IN SOCIOLOGY
Application Form
Please fill out the following information. Date:______
Include a copy of your course audit and your resume with this application.
Name:______ID:______
Address:______
Phone number:______e-mail:______
(Note: If accepted into the Internship Program, the student is responsible for notifying the Internship Director of any changes in address and phone number.)
Major/minor:______Overall GPA:_____ Sociology GPA:_____
Current status (junior or senior):______Expected date of graduation:______
Do you have a car?______
Any other transportation issues which may affect placement?______
Do you work? ______If yes, how many days / hours per week? ______
Where do you work? ______
Have you fulfilled each of the following required sociology courses? Please indicate yes or no.
Introduction to sociology ______
Sociological Theory ______
Statistics for Sociologists ______
Introduction to Social Research ______
What other sociology courses have you taken?
(Feel free to type your answers to the following questions on a separate sheet of paper )
What past experiences have you had that will make you a good intern?
What are your future career goals? Be sure to address plans for specific types of jobs/careers and graduate school as applicable.
What are your interests regarding an internship (be specific, see list of potential sites above and in the attached file; also do some searches on Google)?