Mar 28, 2024  
2016-2017 Undergraduate Catalog 
    
2016-2017 Undergraduate Catalog [Not Current Academic Year. Consult with Your Academic Advisor for Your Catalog Year]

Department of Sociology - Experience Track


College of Liberal Arts & Social Sciences  > Department of Sociology  > Experience Track

The Department of Sociology recognizes the value of developing students professional development as an integral part of their academic career. Students who select the Experience Track in their degree program and satisfy its requirements will receive recognition for internship and curricular practical training (CPT) experience by transcript notation.

Prerequisites for the Internship:

  • Sociology major or minor
  • 2.5 cumulative GPA in sociology courses,
  • six hours from SOC 3300  , SOC 3400  , or SOC 3401  
  • nine additional hours in sociology

Internship Details:

  • Field experience in an agency for 90 hours (about 6 hrs per week for the 14 weeks of the semester)
  • Field journal
  • Reading Assignments
  • Attending three group classes with the other interns
  • Three skype or in person meetings with Dr. Karner
  • Final project (paper, video, or other format) in which you use sociological concepts or methods to discuss your internship agency and/or experience.

Steps to declare Experience Track:

  • Students must declare by submitting a General Petition to the Sociology Undergraduate Advisor their intention to pursue this track prior to processing the paperwork for approval of the internship/CPT.
  • The Sociology Undergraduate Advisor will verify the student’s academic eligibility for internship/CPT and enroll qualified applicants in SOC 4394.
  • Students will identify their internship placement in coordination with the faculty instructor of SOC 4394. An Internship Agreement will be drafted by the student in coordination with the field site supervisor that clearly details the terms of the internship, including a description of the work to be performed, a beginning and ending date, and the salary, if any, offered.
  • F-1 students seeking CPT should visit the International Student Scholar Services Office (ISSSO) for special instructions prior to initiating the steps above.

Curricular Practical Training (CPT)

For students on an F-1 visa, all of the guidelines and deadlines above are in force.  The following additional requirement will allow F-1 students to work without jeopardizing their immigration status. 

Upon visiting the ISSSO, F-1 students receive a CPT form.  This form must be signed by the Academic Department to verify that the internship constitutes valid professional experience.  This form is submitted to the Associate Dean in CLASS at the beginning of the semester in which the student intends to participate in an internship.  The CPT form is accompanied by a formal Internship Agreement that includes, a description of the work to be performed, a beginning and ending date, and any salary offered. 

  • As with all internships, the work must be related to the students major.
  • F-1 students must have already completed at least two full semesters of academic study.
  • Only half-time employment is allowed during Fall and Spring semesters.Full-time employment is allowed during the Summer semester.

Eligible Coursework