Make a difference while you learn. Explore a potential career field. Improve your communication skills. Integrate concepts you've learned in your major with real-world work experiences -- see how they're relevant and useful.

The Department of Religion offers a course for any student in Emory College-- not just for Religion majors-- an internship opportunity in the areas of community service and ethics. Through this program (course: Religion 380R) undergraduates can have a hands-on experience with a social service agency. This is intended to help students form an intelligent idea of the nature of work in that field. This is a pre-professional experience, not volunteer work. Opportunities for reading, research and writing on the ethical and religious dimensions of the project are frequently part of the Internship experience.

If students want to intern in sustainability, community justice, social service, or non-profit organizations they should contact Prof. Bobbi Patterson.

How to Find a Placement Site

Check this list on OUCP's Community Partnerships Database

Students have freedom to explore possible placements at locations of their choosing and to work in teams with other students. The student will need to apply and interview prior to acceptance by the internship site.

Job Descriptions

Here are a couple of sample internship descriptions from the Southern Regional Council:

• Sample Intern Description (Event Planning)
• Sample Intern Description (Marketing)

Credits

Internships may be taken for undergraduate credit (REL 380), and students will meet weekly in a seminar class in addition to working in their placements. Each hour of credit requires 2 hours of work at a placement. Students should advise their supervisors that some weeks they will need to lessen their hours because of the academic requirements of the course. Students will present case studies of their work and keep a portfolio. Many students do more than one internship at four credits each, however, twelve hours is the maximum number of hours the College permits for total internship credits during the student's college career. NOTE: There are limits to the number of credits in REL 380 that may be counted toward the major or minor (you may consult with the DUS).

Procedure

In addition to registering for REL 380, students interested in the internship opportunity should research internship sites and arrange for an internship on their own.

Forms

Here are forms in pdf format that may be helpful to download and print:

• Learning Agreement Design Sheet
• Learning Contract