Undergraduate capstone courses in sociology are designed to integrate students' knowledge in the discipline and to culminate the classroom experience with field application. Are capstones achieving these goals in a durable way? Although the short-term outcomes of capstone courses have been researched, fewer studies have documented the long-term…

Internships and other forms of experiential learning are a valuable learning opportunity and resource for many students and perhaps even more so for those with special needs. Outside of the classroom, however, assisting students with special needs may present faculty with new questions and challenges as they navigate the transition to a community…

Current training efforts used to prepare students of medical sociology to function in a changing professional environment are described. Crucial to this effort is the internship--that real-world experience where the students can learn the accommodative strategies needed to maximize interdisciplinary ties without loss of their identities as…

Noting the increasing importance of internship experiences in the graduate training of students for applied careers, this article presents a comprehensive case study analysis of an internship program. It reviews such issues as student preparation, supervision, grading, and intern-sponsor matching. (JDH)

Noting difficult and potentially dangerous situations encountered by students in their internships, this article describes a professional socialization course designed to foster awareness of professional ethics, organizations, journals, and, through case studies, practices. (JDH)

Presents study results analyzing the effects of a small scale internship program for undergraduate sociology majors on career choice. Concludes that even a small scale program makes a significant contribution to clarification of career choice for sociology majors. Suggests that internship provides information on occupations and reduces…

Acting on recent evidence indicating the potential for success in business careers for humanities and social sciences graduates, this article describes how a sociology department modified its coursework to better accommodate the business career potential of its students. (JDH)

Offers a description of innovations in the sociology program at Santa Clara University (California) focusing on the three stage approach to program improvement: (1) mission/vision; (2) time budgets (continuity between goals and effort); and (3) effectiveness. Discusses additional lessons that may be useful for other campuses. (CMK)

Discusses the Internship in New York City Government program initiated by City University of New York (Lehman College) to provide sociology majors with insight into the workings of a profession. Emphasizes that such programs are necessary because a large number of sociology majors choose business and professional careers over academic ones. (GEA)

Describes a comparative health care systems program based in London which combines seminars, clinical site visits, and participant observation. Objective is for students to view health care systems through a sociological perspective using experiential learning and systems analysis. (Author/CK)

Focuses on the use of service learning and community-based learning (CBL) discussing six types of CBL in detail: (1) out-of-class activities; (2) volunteering; (3) service add-on; (4) internships; (5) service learning; and (6) service-learning advocacy. Addresses the benefits of service learning and other CBL initiatives. Includes references. (CMK)

Proposes a program that uses the methods of participant observation to improve the experiences of student interns and integrate the internship programs into the liberal arts curriculum. The program includes a pre-internship methods course, a periodic log to be submitted by the student, and a final integration paper. (SLM)

Describes the Chicago Field Studies Program (Illinois) and its success in teaching social theory to students engaged in participant-observation. Explains how to integrate participant-observation into introductory sociology courses as a way to foster students' understanding of social theory using the students' personal experiences. (CMK)

Reports results of a national survey on undergraduate intern programs in sociology, discusses criteria used for and problems found with internships, and recommends strengthening the programs by formally integrating them into the curriculum. (Author/CK)

Describes a brief, pre-internship, observation assignment that has increased student awareness and provided some of the same benefits as internships. Finds that student reactions and other data support pre-internships as an effective learning tool. Concludes that pre-internships are most beneficial when used in combination with long-term,…