Field Placements
Experiential learning has long been valued by Immaculata faculty and incorporated into many required courses for social science majors who are interested in entering the health and service professions.
Students who major in Sociology/Social Work are required to take two semesters of supervised field experiences as upperclassmen.
- The first semester (Soc/Swk 343: Fundamentals of Working with People) consists of one day a week at an agency or center and a class seminar which meets two days a week. In this seminar, students learn basic interviewing skills, the development of a problem-solving, therapeutic relationship and various counseling interventions and values inherent in working with people in need and of diverse backgrounds.
- The second semester (Soc/Swk 346: Intensive Field Experience) consists of 12 or more hours in the field and a once a week in class seminar. Students can opt to be in one field placement all year for both courses or change and do two different field sites, one each semester.
Psychology majors and other majors can takes these courses as well.
Psychology majors who are interested in gaining interviewing and interpersonal
counseling skills may elect to take a Psychology Internship Course offered
by the Psychology Department (Psy 316/317: Pre-Professional Internship)
which enables students to be at an internship one day a week and attend seminars
on campus.
Psychology majors can also take one or both of the Sociology/Social Work Fieldwork courses. In this way, many Immaculata students broaden their fieldwork/internship experiences, have an opportunity to work with more than one type of service population and supervisor, and develop a resume and work experience for future employment and/or graduate school applications.
These supervised field experiences serve as ample evidence of preparation for graduate study in social work, psychology or other helping or allied health professions. Many Immaculata students are hired by their former supervisors for summer and/or post-college employment.
Visit the "Internship Experiences" page to learn what Immaculata students have to say about their field and internship experiences.