Course Syllabus

BIOL 1997 Biological/Health Sciences Internship I

Course Description

This course is designed to provide hands-on practical/work experiences in the biological or health sciences. Internships are an opportunity for students to link theory with practice. They are also designed to help students network with professionals, increasing opportunities to receive full-time employment after graduation. Internships can introduce students to multiple professions, helping them narrow down their specific areas of interest early on in their college experience. They are temporary, on-the-job experiences intended to help students identify how their studies in the classroom apply to the workplace.Internships can be paid or volunteer in nature. They can occur with a business, organization, or government agency and are individually arranged by the student in collaboration with a biological sciences faculty member and a supervisor at the workplace.This course is repeatable for up to 6 credits, with no more than 3 credits per semester. Each credit requires 45 clock hours of internship experience. Internships are typically pass/fail credits. Students desiring a grade will need to negotiate a contract with significant academic work beyond the actual work experience.

Justification

“An internship is a form of experiential learning that integrates knowledge and theory learned in the classroom with practical application and skills development in a professional setting. Internships give students the opportunity to gain valuable applied experience and make connections in professional fields they are considering for career paths, and give employers the opportunity to guide and evaluate them.” (NACE Definition, NACEweb.og)As such, internships provide students opportunities to explore career options through an engaged setting, they help students apply academic materials and skill to practical work situations, they provide valuable professional experience, and they develop interpersonal skills.Students who participate in internship opportunities Often secure work more quickly and are promoted more rapidly than students who do not. All USHE institutions offer internship opportunities to their students. Students at Snow can enroll in up to 3 internship credits in an academic semester. No more than 6 credits can count toward the associate's degree. Duplicate experience for additional credit is not allowed.

Student Learning Outcomes

1. Understand and apply classroom material to a professional work situation.
2. Develop interpersonal skills.
3. Develop professionalism by developing self-initiative, time management skills, effective communication skills, punctuality, and professional conduct.
4. Connect something from work environment back to a biological/health science discipline.
5. Discover the educational and practical experience needed for various carriers in biology or healthcare.
6. Network with various professionals.

Course Content

Course content will be determined collaboratively by the student, faculty mentor, and job supervisor. The internship contract uses a student's academic and professional interests to serve as the intellectual starting points for developing a semester-long project. Together the student, faculty adviser, and work-site supervisor will design a project that meets the following criteria:1) Aligns with the student's academic program,2) Offers the student an opportunity to significantly expand their current knowledge and skill set,3)Provides the student opportunities to apply academic knowledge to the workplace environment and job tasks; and4) Aligns with the student's professional pursuits.