Publication Date

12-2011

Advisor(s) - Committee Chair

Dr. Holli Drummond (Director), Dr. Douglas Smith, Dr. Edward Bohlander, Dr. Donielle Lovell

Degree Program

Department of Sociology

Degree Type

Master of Arts

Abstract

The traditional way to learn about social sciences in a university setting includes taking courses that teach theoretical frameworks and scientific methodologies that are required for one’s major area of study. The courses that are taught to students are determined by what major they sign up for. After a student has taken all required courses,what skills does the student have to take with him after graduation?

Whether participation is pursued solely for academic credit, for career development, or for civic engagement, an experiential experience typically enhances a student’s connection between academic content and “real world” applications. Bridging the gap between “real world” situations and the classroom demonstrates the need for the application of knowledge.

This project’s primary purpose was to examine the student’s internship experience and determine whether it helped to enhance his or her ability to achieve the predicted outcomes of the internship program. A combination of quantitative and qualitative methodologies was deemed appropriate for empirical analysis. This evaluation project measured enhancement outcomes of an internship program, which rationalized potential designs for the undergraduate sociology major/minor and the undergraduate criminology minor, offered by a higher educational institution.

Disciplines

Civic and Community Engagement | Community-Based Learning | Criminology | Service Learning | Sociology

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