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Internships, Field Experiences and Practicums

Internships and Field Experiences

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Students at Cayuga Community College are offered a number of opportunities to gain career-related experience that is tied to their course of study. This real-world work environment, known as internships, field experience, practicum, are designed to provide the student with the opportunity to work in a day-to-day professional environment and earn academic credit for the experience. While the student gains work experience, the employer gains the use of the student’s skills for a period of time.

Internships

Why get involved in internships?

For the Employer:

  • Carve out time for special projects
  • Gain additional assistance
  • Obtain fresh insights from students currently studying leading-edge approaches
  • Develop a pipeline of talent for your organization’s workforce

For the Student:

  • Make more informed career choices
  • Apply knowledge and skills that you have been exposed to in class
  • Develop knowledge and skills that are difficult to introduce in a class setting, and perhaps
  • Secure permanent employment

At CCC internships can be a required component of a degree program or an elective/Independent Study option. The internship is offered off-campus, at a partner organization, supervised by an on-site supervisor as well as a faculty mentor. A contract is required stipulating the number of hours at the site of the internship and any extra coursework such as a final report, reflection papers, and classroom hours or one-on-one mentoring with the designated faculty.

Students are required to find internship placements with the assistance of their faculty mentor. Eligible students must meet the minimum GPA requirements as designated by the department, or a 3.0 GPA for Independent study. To complete an internship for credit the student must spend at least 38 hours on-site per credit hour with additional coursework as assigned by the faculty mentor.

The following courses offer internships for credit:
* Required hours may be more or less depending on the department guidelines.

 

Field Experience

Field experience is a term used frequently in the Education and Nursing Fields and is a required part of the course curriculum in order to obtain a degree. In this case students are required to spend time off campus to observe and practice what they are learning in con-current classes. They may be required to develop lesson plans and/or keep field journals for reports and reflection papers. Courses in other disciplines may offer field experiences to enhance the educational experience. Hours for field experiences varies depending on the course guidelines.

The following courses offer field experiences for credit:

 

Practicums

Practicums are experiences with a field of study that is conducted on-site at the campus or an extension of the campus programs. Examples include working for the college newspaper or radio. Practicum hours vary from 45 – 135 hours for 1 - 3 credit hours.

The following courses offer field experiences for credit: