Internships create important pathways toward future employment. They can help students gain professional experience for their resume, sort through career choices, establish credentials and contacts in a job field, and apply the knowledge they’ve learned through coursework to real-world work.

General Elective Internship:

A variety of internship experiences are appropriate for students who major or minor in sociology. Students are responsible for identifying an internship placement, and typically, they work with Career Services to do so. In searching for opportunities, sociology students may also find this article helpful, along with resources located described on the websites of Rutgers Libraries and the School of Arts and Sciences (SAS). Students are encouraged to explore the websites of large organizations, agencies, or institutions with which they may like to work and to speak with the department’s undergraduate director for guidance as well. Possible options include positions in education, human services and non-profits, environment and sustainability, marketing, publishing, journalism, and communications among others. 

Sociology Elective Internship (01:920:482):

Sociology undergraduates can earn up to three academic credits by working at an internship.  Students who participate in an internship program for credit must have a GPA of 3.0 or higher and have junior or senior class standing.  All internships for academic credit must be approved by the department undergraduate director. First- and second-year students who wish to participate in an internship for academic credit must seek special permission from the undergraduate director.

To complete an internship for academic credit, students must:

  1. Complete the necessary paperwork to obtain approval from the department undergraduate director that the internship placement is appropriate, prior to the start of the semester in which they wish to intern. Internships are carefully vetted; we do not offer internship credit for positions that involve “cold calling” or fetching coffee. The position must provide meaningful training.
  2. Enroll in 920:482 for either 1.5 or 3 credits once the internship has been approved by the department.
  3. Fulfill a minimum time commitment in the work setting. To receive 3 academic credits, students must work about 8 hours per week or a total of 112 hours over the course of the semester. To receive 1.5 academic credits, students must work about 4 hours per week or a total of 56 hours over the course of the semester. Time sheets from the internship are required, and students must earn a favorable work evaluation from their supervisor
  4. Compile field notes (a journal entry) each week recording experiences throughout the semester. We expect field notes to be about one page in length; they should help you with the submission of the final project.
  5. Complete an end-of-semester project in which the setting and experiences are systematically analyzed. The final project will be determined in coordination with the faculty adviser. We allow a variety of options, recognizing that different internships may emphasize different skills. Typical options include a writing assignment, a podcast, a poster or a recorded interview. The final project must integrate what the student has learned in the classroom with the work they completed in the internship.

The final grade in the internship course is based on the quality of the final project submission and the evaluation of the internship supervisor. The course will count as a 300-level elective towards the Sociology major.

Students may take no more than two internships for course credit.

 

The Career Explorations in Arts and Sciences Course (01:090:210)

Open to Sophomores, this 1.5 credit, graded elective course will help you develop the skills and knowledge to pursue a purpose-filled life and career. The course helps students connect their education to careers and to search/prepare for internships. It is a great prep for students before they begin an internship. See here for more information.