Internship Program

Internships can be useful for strengthening students’ understanding of ideas they have learned in sociology classes and in shaping their career interests.

The Internship Program in Sociology is offered in fall, spring, and summer. It allows students to obtain an internship that fits their interests and receive class credit for it. Previous students have worked with a number of organizations.

Finding an Internship

Students must find their own internships. Below is a list of internship opportunities maintained by the Department of Sociology. In addition, you can take advantage of other internship resources at UConn:

  • The UConn Center for Career Readiness and Life Skills has an extensive list of internship opportunities on its website.
  • For an internship in local sustainability, please contact a Sociology Internship Coordinator. Internship options include working on a farm, learning about alternative healthcare, and engaging in social justice / humanitarian work.
  • A sociology faculty member can help you brainstorm ideas for internship sites. Consider talking with one of your sociology professors or your faculty advisor (if you have one). If you’re not sure who to meet with, view our faculty areas of study page.
  • You can also use an Internet search engine or website such as indeed.com to find opportunities. Reach out to places you are interested in working with by phone or email.
  • If you are doing a criminal justice minor, your internship must be in a criminal justice setting such as a police department, law firm, or prison. The State of Connecticut has internship programs with the Division of Criminal Justice and the Judicial Branch.

Not only was I allowed to earn credits and have my internship count toward my resume...[it also] allowed me to go in depth of my work and see it in another way.

- Halil, former internship student

Internship Opportunities

Each semester, sociology majors intern at organizations, agencies, and businesses where they can make a difference. Past internship sites include:

Learn more about these and other opportunities below.

City Internships

(CI) is an accelerated learning provider offering immersive, in-person programs that combine practical work experience-based training with cohort-based career workshops and seminars. All programs are open to undergraduate and graduate students. 

All programs feature an integral series of career-readiness classes and workshops, centered around an internship placement with a leading company in the student’s chosen city and field. Students may participate in a program in one of 20cities, with a placement in one of 9 fields:  Banking & Financial services; Consulting & Professional services; Law & Politics; Technology & Engineering; Marketing, Advertising & PR; Media, Entertainment & Journalism; Art, Fashion & Design; Start-ups & Entrepreneurship; Charities, NFPs & NGOs.

Visit the CI website for more info.

The Connection Intern/Volunteer

This organization offers internships in human service. Offering internships in the fields of homelessness, mental illness, substance abuse, and community justice rehabilitation, The Connection is an option for a number of students in social fields. The student’s college facilitates the process. Access this link in order to find information to apply. Note that positions are not always open.

ConnPIRG Campus Internship

ConnPIRG interns work on campaigns in their school campus. There are many different projects that ConnPIRG engages in, such as increasing voter turnout, advocating for renewable energy, fighting poverty, and improving college experience. Students learn many skills, and can earn class credit. In order to apply, visit CONNPIRG Internship Application, and read more Campus Internships.

Department of Emergency Services & Public Protection Co-Op Internship Program

The DESPP offers internship programs in many areas, including (but not limited to) Criminal Justice, Communications, & Fire Prevention and Control. Students list their location preferences before placement. Students must receive credit for participation. Priority is given to earlier applications. For more information, see Co-Op Internship Program.pdf.

Drug Policy Alliance

The Drug Policy Alliance offers an internship program to students interested in raising drug policy awareness in New York. Students in the program demonstrate interest in criminal justice reform and civil liberties. No prior knowledge on drug policy is necessary. In order to apply, visit their Careers & Internships page.

The Horizons Fellowship

Many students have pursued this program and received much acclaimed offers from companies such as Google and Amazon. The program, geared for all types of students, offers courses in web and mobile development, in order for students to build technological applications. Horizons offers fellowships in the summer as well as during the school year. No programming knowledge is necessary, and application forms and other information can be found at Horizons Immersive.

Local Organizations Focused on Sustainability and Social Justice

For an internship in local sustainability, please contact Dr. Phoebe C. Godfrey. Internships include those on farming, healthcare, and humanitarian work. Some require the ability to drive. Locations and organizations can vary. Consult Dr. Godfrey about placement.

International Rescue Committee Volunteer

The IRC works with refugees by helping them integrate in many ways. Volunteers will select an office around the country (the closest to Connecticut is in New York City) and assist with various tasks, including those in both the administrative and social fields. Some internship positions will take the interns around the world, though requirements for these positions vary. Find out more on the IRC’s website.

Internships with the Division of Public Defender Services

Students working with the Public Defender’s office will work with legal, social, and investigative manners. Priority applies to students studying criminal justice, and to those who apply early. Students can apply or find placement by themselves, but will be considered part of the same program. To find out more, Division of Public Defender Services provides other answers.

Judicial Branch Experiential Learning Program

This program offers students the ability to work with the state judicial branch. The ELP places students in court services based on the students’ preferences, and assigns them positions based on their own preferences as well. Programs are available for the Spring, Summer, and Fall. Priority varies based on applicants and might be given to students applying for credit. See application rules, qualifications and deadlines at Judicial Branch.

Malta House of Care Volunteer Positions

The Malta House of Care operates in a mobile clinic and provides health services to disadvantaged communities. Volunteers in the vehicle provide assistance to the physicians in providing for the patients. Volunteers can also work from a computer in other positions, such as assisting in crafting the newsletter. Based in Hartford, CT, learn more about the positions.

My World Youth Advocate- Internship [3 Positions]

The United Nations Development Programme offers three positions in this selective and prestigious program. Interns will assist in spreading the UN’s MY World goals in order to make differences in peoples’ lives. If accepted, the student will travel around the world. Multi-lingual skills are necessary for this position. Read more at My World Youth Advocate.

Planned Parenthood Volunteer & Internship Opportunities

In its Southern New England office located in New Haven, Planned Parenthood offers volunteer and internship/externship positions in both administrative and healthcare fields, as well as many more. Planned Parenthood strives to protect an individuals’ right to manage their own fertility and sexual health, and enhance knowledge of such rights. To learn more and apply, visit Volunteer & Internship Opportunities.

She Leads Justice

She Leads Justice (formally known as Connecticut Women's Education & Legal Fund) works to advance women and girls’ empowerment in Connecticut, especially with those in underprivileged communities. Student interns are unpaid and work in projects dealing with communications, development & fundraising, legal education, and public policy & advocacy. Please visit the She Leads Justice website for more information and directions on applying.

Sociologists for Women in Society

Sociologists for Women in Society is a nonprofit professional feminist organization dedicated to encouraging the development of sociological feminist theory and scholarship; transforming the academy through feminist leadership, career development, and institutional diversity; promoting social justice through local, national, and international activism; supporting the publication and dissemination of cutting edge feminist social science. Visit the SWS website for more info.

Travelers Summer Claim Professional Development Program Internship

Travelers has an internship program specializing in basic and moderate insurance claims. Students learn how to assess damage and how to negotiate in the program. The student must be living in the area where they have their internship. See more information about the internship program.

UConn Honors Congressional Internship in DC

This program is administered by UConn, but it is not led by a UConn faculty member.  The five members of the United States House of Representatives and the two senators from Connecticut, in partnership with the Honors Program and Department of Political Science, are offering students interested in the workings of the US government the chance to spend the entire spring semester working in one of their offices in Washington.  As a full-time Congressional intern, UConn interns become part of that particular congressperson’s team of staffers.  Interns participate in staff meetings, attend committee meetings, research and write reports, and visit other offices on Capitol Hill. Interns also assist with your office’s constituent services including helping manage telephone and mail correspondence between your congressperson and his/her constituents, as well as leading constituent tours of the U.S. Capitol Building.  Interns work full-time and as such, are fully integrated into the operations of the office.  This opportunity provides not only first-hand knowledge about our federal government, but also a distinctive professional experience.  Visit the Education Abroad website for more info.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

What is an internship?

Internships are when students work with an organization or company to gain experience. Sometimes they are volunteer positions, and sometimes they are paid. 

The Sociology Internship Program gives students not only work experience but also an opportunity to analyze a workplace from a sociological perspective. It’s a real-world application of what students are learning in their class.

How do I find an internship?

Sociology students have a wide range of interests, so to accommodate these interests, the Sociology Department does not offer a standard internship for all students to take. Instead, it allows students to find their own internship. Typically, the internship is with a company, organization, or agency. Most internships are off campus, but on-campus internships are feasible as well. 

Students take various approaches to finding internships. They include:

  • Asking family and friends
  • Cold calling possible internship sites. This works well because sometimes companies, organizations, and agencies have internship opportunities which they have not advertised. This approach also allows students to target the internship opportunity in which they are most interested.
  • Visiting the UConn Center for Career Development for experiential learning opportunities.
  • Ask a Sociology faculty member for ideas.
  • Search online using Google or a website such as Indeed.com. 
  • For internships regarding local sustainability, contact Professor Phoebe Godfrey for options such as working on a farm, alternative healthcare, and social justice work. 

For internships regarding criminal justice, visit the Division of Criminal Justice or the Judicial Branch for opportunities.

How does the Sociology internship program work?

The internship program is offered each in fall and spring semesters as well as the summer. It is offered online and asynchronously with students interacting with the professor by email. It does not have weekly meetings. 

Students receive course credits for their internship. To earn these credits, they successfully complete their internship, and they write a paper analyzing their experiences in the internship from a sociological perspective as assigned by the professor leading the internship program. 

Students can receive between two and seven credits. These credits are assigned in two different classes.

SOCI 3990 is the hourly component of the internship. For each credit of 3990, students must successfully complete 42 hours at their internship. Between one and six credits of 3990 can be earned. Grading is done S/U. 

SOCI 3991 (or 3991W) is the academic component of the internship. For it, students write a paper or a reflective journal in which they examine  internship experience from a sociological point of view. Students who take Soci 3991W write 15+ pages, with revisions. One credit of 3991/W can be earned. Grading is done on the A-F scale. 

A typical internship is for three credits–2 credits of SOCI 3990 (i.e., 84 hours) and 1 credit of SOCI 3991/W. Some students, though, opt for additional credits of SOCI 3990. 

Three credits of the internship can be applied to the Sociology major.

How do I sign up?

Please contact an Internship Coordinator to obtain permission numbers and submit a Student Application Form. You will then enroll in two courses:

  • SOCI 3990. Sign up for between 1 and 6 credits of this class. This is the hourly component of the internship, and for each credit you need to do 42 hours at your internship. The number of credits that you sign up for is up to you. Grading is done S/U. Note: You must specify the number of credits when you register online. If you don’t, it will default to one credit. Students can only apply up to 3 credits of SOCI 3990 towards the Sociology major.
  • SOCI 3991/W. Sign up for one credit for this class. This covers the academic component of the internship program. This one credit is graded A-F. You will be expected to write a paper that analyzes your internship from the perspective of a sociological theory (you will get an assignment at the start of the semester). Paper lengths are 5-10 pages for 3991 and 15-20 pages for 3991W.
  • If, for example, you wanted to get three credits total, you would sign up for 2 credits of 3990 and 1 credit of 3991/W.

How often do students meet as a class?

You don’t. Everything is handled by email, though, of course, you’re welcome to meet with the instructor by making an appointment with the professor who oversees your internship classes.

How many credits can I take?

Between 2 and 7.

How many credits can I apply to a Sociology major?

You can use 3 credits of SOCI 3990 towards the Sociology major. There are no limits on how many SOCI 3991 credits count toward the major.

Can I get credit for an internship that I’ve already done?

No. You must be enrolled in SOCI 3990/3991 prior to starting your internship.

Can I earn W credit for my internship?

Yes! You can enroll in SOCI 3991W instead of 3991. When taking this course as a W, your paper will need to be 15-20 pages in length as opposed to 5-10.