Experience-Based Education

Experience-Based Education offers credit-bearing programs for students who want to apply their classroom learning to the real world as a student intern. You will find course specifics and registration information here.

Internships - GST or Departmental 498

Career Awareness - GST 303

Service Learning - GST 302

Graduate Internships - GST 691

Register for Experience-Based Education Courses

 

 

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Internships - GST or Departmental 498 Credit

What is an internship?

An internship is the supervised, paid or unpaid, placement of a student in a business, industry, non-profit agency, governmental unit, or other work setting for a semester or summer for college credits.  It is an UPPER DIVISION learning experience which will provide students with the opportunity to apply their theoretical background and skills to an experiential situation.  Students will gain further insight into their interests through a research paper and reflect on their learning through other required academic assignments.

All internships must be preplanned.  Once an internship is secured, students should immediately visit our office to obtain the paperwork (Learning Agreement) needed to receive credit.  It is recommended that you begin planning early in the semester prior to your anticipated experience.  A completed learning agreement submitted to our office is required before registering for credits.

The amount of academic credit to be awarded for an internship is determined by the responsibilities provided, and the amount of time the student is to work at the site.  Interns work 40 hours for each credit to be earned.  For example, a 3 credit internship would require a total of 120 work hours.

Fall or Spring Semester - Students can earn 2-12 credits.

Summer - Students can earn 1-9 credits.

An internship (498 course) is graded pass/fail and shows on your transcript as "Internship"

What are the prerequisites for earning internship credit?

1. Develop a Learning Agreement (available in our office) with a faculty member from your major or minor.
2. Select the type of credit you would like to earn (Departmental or General Studies credit). 
3. Be of Junior or Senior standing (First Year and Sophomores are eligible for GST 303).
4. Have completed 60 semester hours.
   (Transfer students must have completed 2 semesters at Oswego)
5. Have a minimum 2.5 GPA.
6. Participate in a part-time or full-time work experience in the local community or other location.       Work experiences on-campus will earn GST 303 Career Awareness credit.
7. Obtain a final grade: (H) Honors, (S) Satisfactory, (U) Unsatisfactory

How do I get an internship?

1. Start a semester prior to your anticipated internship (the early bird catches the worm, so to speak).
2. Attend an Orientation Workshop in person or online through Angel.
3. Fill out an Internship Application Form provided at the orientation workshops.
4. Visit Laker Leads and our Find an Internship page to search for possible internships. 
5. Contact prospective internship sites and follow their application procedures to apply .

Once I have an Internship Position, then what?

1. Pick up a Learning Agreement from Experience-Based Education.
2. Complete the Internship Learning Agreement with a faculty sponsor from your major department.
3. Obtain major department approval signatures (Faculty Sponsor, Academic Advisor, Department Chair).
4. Return your Learning Agreement to 145 Campus Center for Final Approval and registration.

After Learning Agreement approval, what next?

EBE will mail you a copy of your approved agreement and will register you for the credit.  If adding the internship credit will cause an overload of credits for the semester, you will have to provide EBE with an add/drop form signed by your advisor.  Summer registration is done through EBE with payment for the credit made via your myoswego account. 

How do I complete the internship?

1. Work the required number of hours at the internship site.
2. Complete all academic assignments/requirements per your Learning Agreement.
3. Submit your academic assignments to your faculty sponsor by the due date and a copy of all assignments to EBE with your time sheets by the last day of classes.  EBE is required to have on file a copy of all of your academic assignments and your time sheets (we do not require copies of your journals and work samples).  We are not able to assign a final grade for your experience until we have received your assignments.
4. The Site Supervisor provides on-going supervision, and completes an evaluation form on your performance at the end of the semester, the evaluation form is sent to your supervisor by EBE and used in determining your final grade.  Please check with EBE during the last week of classes to verify your supervisor has returned this form to us.

How is an internship graded?

The final grade for your internship is determined by your faculty sponsor through the evaluation of your assignments and your site supervisor's evaluation.  The final grade for your internship does not affect your GPA.   Internships (498 credit)  are graded:  H - Honors S - Satisfactory U - Unsatisfactory.

Why do an internship?

Employment - With the tight economy and fewer jobs available, an internship experience will stand out in the eyes of employers. It will help solve the "Catch 22" Can't get a job without experience, can't get experience without a job.

Theory into Practice- An internship experience can add meaning to your academic program by allowing you to apply theories and knowledge learned in the classroom to actual work situations.

New Knowledge- It provides you with opportunities to acquire knowledge or methods specific to a field or workplace that may not be covered in the classroom.

Learn by Doing - An internship provides you with an alternative method of learning through actual hands-on experience.

Expectations of the World of Work - Through working with professionals you have the opportunity to gain firsthand knowledge of their responsibilities as well as the knowledge, skills, and attitudes necessary to be effective in the workplace.

Personal Growth - Having to solve problems in new unfamiliar situations can enhance your self-confidence and point out areas which you need to improve.

Awareness Through Community Involvement - You will develop a better understanding of your role and potential contributions to society.

 

Career Awareness - GST 303

What is the Career Awareness Program?

The Career Awareness Program (GST 303) is a class designed to provide exploratory work experiences for those whose career aspirations are uncertain; to provide ongoing workplace experiences for those whose career goals are well-defined; to provide leadership and administrative experiences in educational and organizational work settings; and to provide opportunities for linking classroom academic programs with work-based experiential learning.  Students work 6-10 hours per week while attending the Career Awareness course.  The class meets 6 times per semester with assignments based on career related topics.

Teaching Assistants who would like to receive credit will register for the Teaching Assistants section of GST 303.

GST 303 Career Awareness is letter graded and shows on your transcript as "Career Awareness Course".

What are the prerequisites for the program?

1. Be in good academic standing (2.0 GPA) and obtain permission from the Office of Experience-Based Education.
2. Work at a part-time internship 6 - 10 hours per week.
3. Work sites can be on campus, in the local community, or off campus.
4. You can earn 2 - 3 Upper Division Arts & Science Elective credits in the Fall and Spring or 2-6 credits in the summer. 

            -For 2 credits you must work 6 -7 hours each week (80 hour semester total)
            -For 3 credits you must work 8 - 10 hours each week (120 hour semester total).

       5.  The course can be taken for a total of 6 credits towards degree requirements and you can earn a maximum of 3 credits in the fall/spring and a maximum of 6 credits in the summer.

How do I participate in the program?

1. Visit EBE to register for the course and receive a course schedule.
2. Visit Laker Leads and our Find an Internship page to search for possible internships.  Contact potential placements to secure a position.
3. Attend the first GST 303 class to develop your Learning Agreement.
4. Attend the required class meetings as scheduled.
5. Complete the career related assignments relating work experiences to classroom learning.
6. TA's , Lab Assistants and some special placements may have alternate assignments approved by program coordinator.
7. Work 80 total hours for 2 credits.
8. Work 120 total hours for 3 credits.
9. The Site Supervisor provides on-going supervision and completes an evaluation form on your performance at the end of the semester.  The site supervisor evaluation form is sent to the supervisor by EBE and is used in determining your final grade.

How am I graded?

The Faculty Sponsor will assign a final letter grade by using your attendance at the required class meetings, evaluation of your written assignments, time sheets, and the site supervisor's evaluation form.

Why should I participate?

The Career Awareness program was designed as a compliment to the Internship Program, and to provide first year students and sophomores as well as non-majors the opportunity to explore career fields in part-time, paid or non-paid positions. Participation in this program will not only allow you to learn about the nature of the world of work, it will also enable you to relate your experience as workers to what is learned in the classroom, and to gain experience as workers who will become productive members of a system.

 

Service Learning - GST 302

Service Learning:

Service Learning (GST 302) is a one-credit course where you enhance classroom learning through service to the community. You can choose from more than 130 service-learning placement sites.

Each student enrolled in GST 302 is required to complete a minimum of 20 hours of service, three written assignments, journals and participate in three discussion groups.   See the GST 302 syllabus (Word doc)

GST 302 is also offered in the form of a two-credit course. This course is reserved for group leaders and contains higher requirements than the one credit course offering.

For more information on Community Service & Service Learning, visit the Service Learning website.   Students wishing to participate in GST 302 will register for credit through EBE and complete the course requirements through the Community Service & Service Learning Office.

 

Graduate Internships - GST 691

Graduate internships for up to 6 credits are available to students who have been accepted into a Graduate Program at SUNY Oswego.  The procedures for a graduate internship are the same as the GST 498 internship.  Please refer to that section above for more information.