Arianna Spalding
Arianna Spalding’17 worked as an intern for the Athens County Court of Common Pleas during the 2016-17 summer session.
As a graduating senior with a Sociology-Criminology major and Certificate in Law, Justice and Culture, she was looking for an internship that would give her exposure to the criminal justice system and working in a court environment. This internship was a great match!
She was responsible for pulling files in the Clerk of Courts office to prepare for the following day of court, filing papers with the Clerk of Courts, and organizing files in Judge McCarthy’s office. Spalding also learned how to record matters handled in the court room. She enjoyed having access to information about the judicial process that allowed her to learn a great deal.
She focused her term paper on the effect that low socioeconomic status has on the defendant’s experience of the judicial process.
Spalding is now a graduate student in the Sociology M.A. program at Ohio University, with plans to work in victim assistance and hopefully work in the criminal justice system in the future.
Internship in Sociology & Criminology
The SOC 4910 internship experience is designed to provide Sociology, Sociology-Criminology, and Sociology Pre-Law students with an opportunity to engage in applied sociology—to take what is learned in the classroom and use it in the real world and to see and understand the myriad connections between individuals and the social institutions within which they function.
Moreover, internships can provide opportunities for students to gain valuable work experience, develop professional contacts, and to use their skills to contribute to the local community.
In short, an internship offers the opportunity to learn and grow personally, academically, and professionally. Students who are accepted into the SOC 4910 program will have a chance to earn 3-9 credit hours while completing an internship in a field relating to their career interests.
Students may complete internships during the fall, spring, and summer terms.
Possible internships include working with criminal justice agencies (e.g., police, courts, and corrections), law firms, rehabilitation programs, mediation clinics, human resource agencies, children’s services units, hospice programs, elder care facilities, child mentoring projects, and educational programs.
The internship program in sociology and criminology is open to all junior and senior Sociology, Sociology-Criminology, and Sociology Pre-Law majors. However, SOC 4910 is a competitive program with a limited number of placements. While the internship coordinator decides final eligibility, priority is given to seniors and students with a 3.0 G.P.A. in their major.
Application material and accompanying documents must be completed and submitted to the internship coordinator no later than the Friday of week eight in the semester prior to the semester in which you wish to undertake the internship. You may submit your material after the deadline, but placement cannot be guaranteed, even if you are accepted into the program.
For more information, contact the internship coordinator Roberta Roberson or visit the internship website.
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