SOBL Internships: Best Practices Guide
Purpose
This webpage outlines best practices for designing, placing, supervising, monitoring, and evaluating internships in the School of Social and Behavioral Sciences (SOBL). These practices align with the Middle States Commission on Higher Education (MSCHE) expectations (Fourteenth Edition, effective July, 2023) for student learning, student support, assessment, and institutional responsibility.
The goal is to ensure that all participants understand expectations and that internship experiences are educational, ethical, and consistently supported, whether in schools, community agencies, nonprofits, healthcare-related settings, or at different student levels (undergraduate or graduate).
Guiding Principles (MSCHE – Aligned)
Internships should be:
- Intentional – designed to support defined learning outcomes
- Supervised – supported by qualified site supervisors and academic oversight
- Monitored – actively tracked throughout the academic term
- Educational – focused on learning, not simply hours or labor
- Equitable and supportive – attentive to student well-being and professional development
Shared Expectations Across All Internship Experiences
Please click each tab to learn more about each shared expectation.
Ongoing Improvement
Consistent with MSCHE expectations, internship practices are reviewed regularly using:
- Student feedback
- Supervisor input
- Learning outcome data
- Program review processes
Findings guide stronger placements, supervision, and student support.
SOBL Internship Structure: Roles at-a-Glance
Primary Focus: Appropriate placement and site approval
Key Responsibilities
- Approves internship sites using program criteria
- Verifies site supervisor qualifications and supervision capacity
- Confirms placement aligns with course and program learning outcomes
- Ensures required agreements (e.g., MOU, learning contract) are in place
- Confirms student eligibility and readiness
- Communicates placement details to the Internship Instructor and the student
Primary Timeframe
- Before the internship begins
Not Responsible For
- Ongoing academic monitoring
- Grading or semester-based evaluations (unless otherwise assigned)
Primary Focus: Academic oversight and student learning
Key Responsibilities
- Provides ongoing academic contact during the internship
- Monitors student progress toward learning objectives
- Reviews reflections, logs, or required coursework
- Serves as the primary university contact during the semester
- Addresses concerns related to performance, ethics, or safety
- Assigns academic evaluations or grades
Primary Timeframe
- During the academic term of the internship
Key Point
- Oversight continues regardless of who placed the student
Primary Focus: Day-to-day supervision and professional development
Key Responsibilities
- Provides regular, scheduled supervision
- Assigns learning-appropriate tasks
- Models ethical and professional behavior
- Provides feedback on skills and professionalism
- Communicates concerns to the university when needed
- Completes required evaluations
Primary Timeframe
- Throughout the internship placement
Not Responsible For
- Academic grading
- University policy enforcement beyond site policies
Primary Focus: Active engagement in learning and professional growth
Key Responsibilities
- Meets internship and academic requirements
- Adheres to ethical, confidentiality, and professional standards
- Communicates regularly with supervisor and university contact
- Completes required documentation and reflections
- Operates within a defined scope of practice
- Seeks support when concerns arise
Primary Timeframe
- Throughout the internship experience
All Roles Have Shared Responsibilities
- Maintain clear communication
- Support ethical practice and student safety
- Address concerns promptly
- Focus on learning and professional development
Who to Contact If…
Questions about placement approval, site eligibility, or pre-internship requirements
Internship Coordinator
Questions about course requirements, assignments, logs, or grading
Internship Instructor
Day-to-day questions about tasks, schedules, supervision, or site procedures
Site Supervisor
Concerns about role expectations, supervision quality, or learning opportunities
Internship Instructor / Internship Coordinator
Ethical concerns, confidentiality issues, or scope-of-practice questions
Internship Instructor / Internship Coordinator
(Students should also follow site protocols as appropriate.)
Safety concerns, crisis situations, or feeling unsafe at the site
Immediate Site Supervisor and Internship Instructor / Internship Coordinator
(If immediate risk is present, follow site emergency procedures first.)
Issues that cannot be resolved at the site level
Internship Instructor / Internship Coordinator, who will consult with program leadership as needed
Need for academic, personal, or accessibility support related to the internship
Internship Instructor / Internship Coordinator, who can connect the student with appropriate university resources
In conclusion...
The SOBL internship component demonstrates SOBL commitment to intentional learning design, effective student support, and continuous improvement. It aligns with the institution’s strategic priority #3, “Empower Student Success,” Goal 2, which aims to “Implement best practices to give students a strong foundation of future preparedness. This includes building professional competencies, increasing career readiness, and developing knowledge to drive students’ postgraduate outcomes.” With clearly defined expectations and coordinated oversight, internships are a key part of the student learning experience and meet standards set by the Middle States Commission on Higher Education.
For more information about our Academic Internships, please visit SOBL Academic Internship website.
