The Practicum in Politics, Sociology, & History:
Overview
THE PRACTICUM is a three credit course in either History, Political Science, or Sociology, that combines the traditional classroom setting with the practical experience of an internship. Students enrolled in the course serve as interns at local political, legal, or social service organizations while reading academic literature about the sector within which they are working. Practicum students can be of any major, or can be undeclared.
We have professional contacts with law firms, public service organizations, law enforcement agencies, federal, state, and local government, and we will work with you in developing other internships of your choice!  We have numerous existing contacts, and we can develop new contacts just for you.

If you are looking to apply your classroom learning,develop valuable professional contacts, or enhance your resumé in a way that will impress future employers,the Practicum may be just the educational opportunity for you.

For many FDU students this course has been the most rewarding and stimulating experience of their academic careers.  According to a recent student

"The Practicum was not only an incredible experience, but an important step in my career path. I would suggest that any student looking to evaluate their future career ambitions seriously consider an internship..." (to see other student quotes, click here)
Application Requirements:
Department approval is required. Acceptance is competitive and based on factors such as grade point average and recommendations from department faculty members. Juniors and seniors receive priority over freshmen and sophomores. 

Internship Requirements:
Students are required to work 8 hours per week at their internship sites (for a total of 104 hours), read scholarly material related to their internships, attend weekly internship discussion meetings, and complete a term paper about their semester work experiences. 

Contact Information:

  • For information on History internships, contact Professor Diane Sommerville by phone at (973) 443-8721 or by e-mail at Sommervi@aol.com
  • For information on Political Science or Sociology internships, contact Professor Bruce Peabody by phone at (973) 443-8729 or at by e-mail at bpeabody@fdu.edu or look at the website for a recent Practicum course
WEBPAGES AND LINKS

Fairleigh Dickinson University
Department of Social Sciences & History
Madison, NJ 07940
(973) 443-8721