Sociology and Anthropology Internships

The Department of Sociology and Anthropology offers students the opportunity to engage in internships in service, research, teaching and work/corporate settings. These internships enhance students' knowledge of sociology and/or anthropology in two ways. First, internships are opportunities for students to apply their knowledge to real-life settings in service to the community, academic research, teaching or in profit-oriented occupational settings, thus furthering their skills in applying their knowledge in practical ways. Second, internships allow students to gain a deeper understanding of the sociological and anthropological concepts, theories and ideas which underlie these disciplines. The following four types of internships allow students to enhance their academic lives personally and intellectually, while gaining practical experience to further the achievement of their goals:

Service learning: In service-learning internships, students work in a community service agency or organization or other non-profit organization whose goal is to provide some form of service to community members in need. Examples include rape crisis, alcohol abuse centers, homeless shelters, family violence, suicide hotlines, meals-on-wheels, youth-service centers, environmental organizations, counseling organizations and many other forms of agencies and non-profit organizations that provide community support. Service-learning promotes intellectual and civic engagement by linking the work students do in the classroom to the problems and needs of people in the real world. Through service-learning internships, students engage in experiences that help them develop organizational, team and problem-solving skills, the competencies and foundations for a career, and a commitment to responsible citizenship.

Work/corporate: The work/corporate internship generally entails the student's working in a business setting or other for-profit organization. Examples may include insurance companies, banks, investment firms, summer camps, for-profit day-care centers, office work and almost any work setting. This internship is geared to students who wish to apply their knowledge of sociology and/or anthropology in order to learn about the structure and culture of a particular organization, to gain experience in using specific sociological/anthropological skills in the workplace, to gain work experience in a particular type of occupational setting, and to increase their potential of being employed in a particular occupation. Work/corporate internships offer students the opportunity to apply the research and knowledge of sociology and/or anthropology within a particular occupational setting, thus enhancing their knowledge of sociology and/or anthropology while gaining a sense of their usefulness within the workplace.

Teaching: The teaching internship entails the student's working as a teaching assistant to a professor in a particular course. This internship is geared to students who wish to deepen their knowledge of sociology and/or anthropology, to gain a sense of the professional academic life, to have the opportunity to develop their interpersonal and communication skills, and to develop their leadership skills. The teaching internship is extremely valuable for the students who wish to pursue graduate education in sociology or anthropology and/or for those who might pursue a career in academia.

Research: The research internship entails the student's working with a faculty member who is conducting a research project. The student is provided with opportunities to assist the professor in conducting his/her research through activities such as word processing, information retrieval (library and computer searches), reading and reviewing written material, discussing research questions and issues, and other activities pertinent to the research project. By acting as a research assistant to a faculty member, the student is placed in a mentoring situation where he/she is exposed to the complexity and rigor of the research process. The student may contribute directly to a professional presentation or publication of the faculty member. This internship is particularly beneficial to students who wish to pursue graduate education.