The internship in Sociology and Family Studies is a field situation in a community agency. Supervision will be provided by the agency and department. A journal and substantive term paper are required. This course serves as a culminating experience for the academic program, and students are expected to build on all previous coursework, incorporating research methods and theories in this final paper. Prerequisites: 21 SOC hours including 417 or 425; 422; and departmental approval.
Recent Placements
- Molly King—Urban Farms Memphis, Summer 2013
- Macy Alligood—J-Crib Urban Ministries, January 2014
- John Reed—Jackson Police Department, Spring 2014
- Betty Kay Stinson—The Exchange Club Carl Perkins Center, Spring 2014
- Shelby Henson—Art Therapy at the STAR Center, Spring 2014
- Mollie Tranum—First Baptist Church Jackson, Spring 2014
- Brittany Thompson—Four Rivers Behavior Health, Summer 2014
- Rachel West—Briarcamp at Briarcrest Christian School, Summer 2014
- Rachel Wukasch—Cru High School Global Missions, Summer 2014
- Casey Mack—Applewood Baptist Church, Summer 2014
- Ian Draper—Resurrection House Baptist Church, Summer 2014
- Kelsey Queen—The Theater Bug Nashville, Summer 2014
John Reed, 2014 Sociology graduate, poses with Chief Gill Kendrick (left) and Sargent Ronnie Jackson (right), both members of the Jackson Police Department, after completing their internship program.
Kelsey Queen poses with a child from The Theater Bug in Nashville, TN, where she completed her internship in Summer 2014. She served as a administrative assistant and program coordinator, as well as aiding with choreography and acting as Assistant Director for the Junior Cast.
Ian Draper (far right) completed his internship working with Resurrection House Baptist Church, an all black Southern Baptist congregation on the South Side of Chicago, a church that feels called to bring reconciliation to a community ravaged by poverty through community development and the improvement of race relations.
"I did my internship with Cru High School Global Missions working at a English speaking camp called SpeakOut for Hungarian students in the tourist town of Keszthely, Hungary. I served as an English tutor to a group of high school and college girls practicing English with them through conversation and games, but with the main purpose of sharing the gospel with them."
-Rachel Wukasch, Cru High School Global Missions in Keszthely, Hungary, Summer 2014
"Applewood Baptist Church is a large evangelical church in the suburbs of Denver. The goal of the church is to be a light in the city of Wheat Ridge. Their overall mission is to love Jesus and make Him known. They do this through different community groups ranging from the nursery all the way up to senior adults. During the summer, I worked under Pastor Derek Jones and Pastor Calvin Wittman as a student intern. As a student intern, I helped plan outreach events in the college ministry while leading bible studies and meeting with students to encourage them and love on them. I also helped lead a team in Alaska on the student mission trip as we met in parks in the city of Anchorage to run a daily VBS for the kids in the nearby neighborhoods. I was able to learn the joys and struggles of working in student ministry as well as see the amount of time a pastor dedicates to his ministry through meetings and daily prayer."
-Casey Mack, Applewood Baptist Church in Wheat Ridge, Colorado, Summer 2014
“My internship was an eye-opening experience. I led a victim advocacy group, made home visits, and took case notes while at the Exchange Club Carl Perkins Center who deals with childhood sexual abuse. [I realized that] not everyone is raised with a home experience like I was. We have to be aware of everyone's upbringings in order to be able to relate to them on a professional level.”
-Betty Kay Stinson—The Exchange Club Carl Perkins Center, Spring 2014
“As the college/missions intern, I was primarily responsible for heading the Jerusalem Project. I ethnographed a 2 mile radius, researched area ministries and recommended a program to implement.”
-Mollie Tranum, First Baptist Church Jackson, Spring 2014
Here's what some Sociology majors had to say about their Sociology internship experience!
“The internship provided me the educational experience I was craving, taught me how to bear witness to suffering without shutting down or becoming disarrayed, and gave me knowledge of a subject I am passionate about in a way that textbooks and theory cannot provide.”
“As an overall learning experience, my internship…provided me with new and improved skills, a plethora of knowledge surrounding the social, cultural, and political characteristics of the profession, and a greater understanding of my own needs as I enter the work world.”
“Overall, my internship…provided me with first-hand experience within the realm of criminal justice and encouraged me to analyze my experiences from a sociological perspective.”
“In my time [at my internship site] I gained a larger perspective for sociological knowledge and had the opportunity to be a part of a unique community that in a small but impactful way has the possibility to create positive change on society.”
“I am sad that my internship is over, but I am so thankful that I had this opportunity to grow as a person and to learn new skills that will help me in my future careers.”