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Do I meet the requirements to complete an internship?
The prerequisites for an internship are junior standing, a B average in sociology, a C+ in your overall GPA, a major or minor in sociology, at least 12 hours of sociology courses, and permission of the instructor. Other prerequisites may vary depending on the nature of the placement (background checks, previous training, TB tests, etc.).

I don’t meet the requirements but would still like to do an internship.
The internships for the department are only offered for academic credit.If you are seeking an internship for experience, please note that Career Services has internships that do not offer academic credit, but still provide experience for you, and they also offer a Certificate Internship Program. For more information, see the Career Services/Internship web page.*Some of the internships listed on Handshake may also be appropriate for receiving credit in sociology. Please view those listings as you search for an internship.

Do I have time in my schedule for an internship?
Your schedule and the time you have available are a critical consideration. For example, it is next to impossible to be a full time student, have a job, and successfully complete an internship. You will also need to consider what classes you are taking and when those class meet. For an internship, you will need blocks of time that you are available as it is logistically difficult/impossible to “pop in” to your internship for an hour at a time. If you are able, consider scheduling all T/Th classes, or all MWF, or taking some asynchronous online courses. For some internships, the things you might be interested in learning about may occur on specific days of the week, often early morning. You can get more information about time and what that looks like from talking with me or after meeting with the internship site supervisor.

Do I need a car?
Not necessarily. There are some internships available downtown, just understand they are limited.

I have already completed an internship, can I sign-up for academic credit afterwards?
No, since the internship is a real-time academic course, there is no way to go back in time and complete the necessary coursework.

When should I complete an internship?
Students usually complete the internship during the fall or spring semester of their senior year. 

When should I sign up for an internship?
You should set up the internship the semester before you plan on completing the internship. So, if you plan to complete the internship in the fall, you should begin setting it up about half way through the previous spring semester. If you plan on completing the internship in the spring, you should begin setting it up in the fall. It is preferred that all internships are completed during the fall or spring semesters. Summer internships are generally only offered for opportunities not available during the academic year. Summer internships also involve paying summer school tuition.

How do I go about signing up for the internship?
First, read over the frequently asked questions. Then,  contact and set up a time to meet with the Sociology and Gerontology Internship Coordinator, Brenda Sanders. Before meeting, preview the list of internship options at https://socanth.cofc.edu/student-ops/socy-intern-placement.php  and identify several sites that interest you. If you know of internship options that are not on that list, bring those as well. All new internship sites have to first be reviewed and approved by the internship coordinator. After meeting with the internship coordinator , you will receive the contact information for the internship site or sites in which you are interested. It is then up to you to set up an interview for the internship. Treat this like a job interview—dress professionally and plan on trying to impress the site supervisor.

Do I sign up through My Charleston?
You do not sign up for the internship through My Charleston.  Instead you will complete an Individual Enrollment Form from the Registrar.  Once you complete this form (it requires the signature of the internship site director, a description of the internship and your signature), return it to the Internship Coordinator to get the remaining signatures and the form will be sent on to the Registrar who will add the internship to your schedule.

How many hours are required for the internship?
For 3 hours of academic credit, you will be required to complete approximately 120 hours of work at your placement site over the course of the semester (this is about 8-10 hours per week for a 14 week semester). Your hours should be spread out over at least 8 weeks. Thus, you cannot complete the internship in three weeks by working 40 hours per week.  You can schedule the hours with the internship site director;  most sites are usually flexible and schedule around your classes. Internships can be from 1 hour to 6 hours of academic credit.

Will I have to complete assignments for the internship?
Yes. Since you are completing the internship for credit, you will be subject to similar expectations that come with being in a regular class. At the beginning of the semester during which the internship is being completed, the Sociology Internship Coordinator will have an orientation meeting of all interns to outline the academic expectations for the internships. The expectations will generally include the following:

• Submission of weekly journals describing your activities and what you are learning at the internship site.
• Significant writing assignments including several brief papers.
• Three on campus meetings to meet with other interns and the department coordinator.
• A self-evaluation summary that challenges you to evaluate your performance at the internship site as well as the performance of the internship organization itself.
• The internship site supervisor will also be asked to evaluate your performance during the semester.