Internship Definition
An internship is a type of time-limited, experience-based learning for enrolled college students receiving academic credit. Internships require both a faculty and agency supervisor. Students are expected to develop a connection between academic knowledge and professional practice while being guided by clearly defined goals and objectives. Internships may or may not be a paid positions (Narayanan, Olk, & Fukami, 2010; Sweitzer & King, 2019).
Internships are a signature pedagogy for social work and deemed a high-impact practice.
Through an internship, students capture their passions and link intellect and emotion.
Internships create an opportunity for personal growth and development.
The internship experience moves beyond an intellectual endeavor. It is a wholehearted affair.
More Than An Academic Experience
Areas of Student Personal Growth and Development
Empathy
Personal Values
Personal Efficacy
Leadership Skills
Relationships
Human Difference
Purpose
Career & Personal
Internships serve different purposes for different students. Students can explore career interests, clarify values and beliefs, test knowledge and skills in real-world settings
(O'Neill, 2010).
Relationship
Complex
A complex relationship exists between the student, faculty supervisor, and the field supervisor - each having their own needs and expectations.
The student must learn to navigate diverse relationships
(Narayanan, Olk, & Fukami, 2010).
Active
engaged learning
Students actively construct knowledge by problem-solving in the field. Learning is deepened when students see the relevance of the academic material applied to new situations
(Eyler & Giles, 1999; Gibbons & Gray, 2002).
reflection
feedback
Reflection is a deliberate form of learning. Reflecting on experiences and receiving frequent feedback brings personal values and beliefs into awareness
(O'Neill, 2010; Sweitzer & King, 2014).
References
Anderson, B. (2014). High-impact political science internship in a "low-density opportunity" environment. Political
Science and Politics, 47 (4), 862-866.
Bay, J. (2006). Preparing undergraduates for careers: An argument for the internship practicum. College English, 69(2), 134-
141.
Eyler, J. & Giles, D. E. (1999). Where's the learning in service-learning? San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass
Flanagan, N. & Wilson, e. (2018). What makes a good placement? Findings from a social work student-to-student research study. Social Work Education, 37(5), 565-580, DOI: 10.1080/02615479.2018.1450373​
Gibbons, J. & Gray, M. (2002). An integrated and experience-based approach to social work education: The Newcastle
Model. Social Work Education, 21(5), 529-549.
Kuh, G. D. (2003). What we're learning about student engagement from NSSE: Benchmarks for effective educational
practices. Change, 35(2), 24-32.
Narayanan, V. K., Olk, P. M., & Fukami, C. V. (2010). Determinants of internship effectiveness: An exploratory model.
Academy of Management & Learning, 9(1), 61-80.
O'Neill, N. (2010). Internships as a high-impact practice: Some reflections on quality. Campus Action Network, Association
of American Colleges and Universities, 12(4).
Sweitzer, F. H. & King, M. (2014). The successful internship: personal, and civic development in experiential learning (4th ed.).
Belmont, CA: Brooks/Cole.
Sweitzer, F. H. & King, M. (2019). The successful internship: personal, and civic development in experiential learning (5th ed.).
Boston, MA: Cengage Learning, Inc.