Gerontology Internships

Leading Faculty: TBA

 

           *Exceptions are considered on a case-by-case basis.

The required ‘co-seminar’ for this internship/ field placement is asynchronous on Blackboard. (However, a mandatory synchronous/Zoom orientation occurs on the first Thursday of the semester from 4:30-5:30pm. One or two other synchronous Zoom sessions are also scheduled during the semester at a time when all can attend). 

Before proceeding to the application step:

• Read our “Syllabus” carefully. Requirements are somewhat intensive, but they create the best opportunity for a successful experience. 
• Read Chapter 1 and Chapter 2 of our required textbook “The Gerontology Field Placement: Internship & Practicums in Aging” (Karasik, Donorfia & Greenberg, 2023) 
• Identify 3-5 specific sites of interest. In your meeting with Elyse Matthews, additional options can be discussed. Please don’t delay submitting your application because the longer you wait, the more likely placement slots fill up and won’t be available to you.

Please do not contact any organization until your list has been approved. At that time you will be provided with the name, email, and phone number of our contact person.

Many agencies require background checks, certification of health status/inoculations, TB Test, etc. YOU MUST ask them and follow their directions carefully. Do these as far in advance as possible so you aren’t delayed in starting your placement.

In addition to following the instructions on the SOBL internship page, you must:         

1. Visit placement sites for a tour after we approve your final 2-3 possibilities. Be sure to ask questions and get a complete understanding of what you would be doing for the 120 hours should you be accepted and choose to work at this placement site. This is probably the MOST important step in the whole process. 
2. After we approve of your selection, carefully complete the Student Agreement Form. You must spell all names correctly, capitalize everything appropriately, provide complete addresses, accurate phone numbers and e-mail addresses. If you fail to do this you may be barred from registering or lose one half course grade.
3. As soon as we’ve decided where you’ll be placed, contact both the agency you selected and any that you did not select. (Thank those that you did not select for their time and willingness to consider you but indicate that you found another placement opportunity that seemed to better match your educational and career goals. Tell the one you’ve selected that you look forward to your experience, and make arrangements/appointment for your first day ‘on the job’.)
4. Make sure that you’ve obtained a new, used or online digital version of the 8th (or latest) edition of our textbook at least 3 weeks before the term begins. Chapter reviews begin to be due 2 ½ weeks before the first day of each term unless otherwise noted. Submit chapter reviews one at a time in the Assignment links provided in our Blackboard Course. By submitting on-time, you will receive feedback designed to help you make corrections to subsequent reviews. Students who are careful and follow feedback generally receive average score ranging from 92%-97%, - a great way to start the semester! (See Guidelines for details). ***A 120 day rental of the book from www.vitalsource.com is about $60.00, a good choice.
5. Attend a mandatory orientation session (in-person or by Zoom) on the first Thursday of the semester from 4:30-5:45pm for Fall and Spring Internships, or TBA for Summer.  Details and/or Zoom links will be provided by the professor to all enrolled students.

When in doubt, ASK QUESTIONS - Elyse.Matthews@stockton.edu

 

Student Testimonials

From the beginning stages of finding the right placement site, to the constructive feedback you’ve given on every post and every assignment, I really do want to send out a huge thank you for everything you have done for us! I’m so glad to say with you and my supervisor, you made this the best experience I’ve had as an undergraduate.

I would 100% recommend an internship or field placement to other students. I knew ahead of time that I was going to learn a lot more than I could in a classroom setting and now that I have completed my internship, I realized that I have learned much more than I thought I ever could as an undergraduate student.