Charles Wilson ’17
B.S. Social Science: Psychology
“I attribute my post-graduation success to the invaluable experience I received through RSU’s internship program. Following my internship with Rogers County Youth Services, I was hired as a direct care staff member. After graduation in 2017, I began working as the Mayes County Care Coordinator with YouthCare of Oklahoma. The time I spent at my internship sites equipped me with an array of transferable skills and vast knowledge of work in the field of behavioral and mental health. The internship experience put me a step ahead in my field and opened the door for me to quickly transfer into a bachelor’s level position post-graduation. I am confident that I acquired my current position because of my internships and know that I would not have gained such success without the valuable experience I received in the RSU internship program.”
Each student majoring in psychology, sociology or community counseling will complete two internship experiences before graduating.
Internships are supervised under the Social and Behavioral Science course numbers SBS 4033 (Internship I) and SBS 4043 (Internship II).
Both are blended courses which means students will have some in class meetings and graded assignments as well as time with a host agency or internship site. These courses are offered each semester allowing flexibility in student scheduling.
The following is a brief comparison between topics covered in class.
Internship I (SBS 4033)
- Career Assessment
- Resume Preparation
- Career Correspondence
- Search Strategies
- Goals/Objectives
- Professionalism
- Presentation Preparation
Internship II (SBS 4043)
- Conflict Resolution
- Strengths Assessment
- Market Value/Negotiation
- Post-Graduation Plans
- Mock Interviews
- Accepting/Rejecting Offers
- Online Presence
Both courses include 60 hours of onsite work with an agency or site approved by the instructor or internship committee. Hours prior to approval will not count toward internship. Final grades for internship courses include a combination of assignments and class participation as well as ratings and assessment from site supervisors.