"Internships: Theory and Practice" focuses on the history, theory, value, design, administration, and evaluation of professional internships as an educational experience for college students. Internships are guided, pre-professional experiences that combine academic and professional components as a managed transition to professional careers. Touted by many as an educational innovation for the 21st century, internships (or experiential learning, or apprenticeships, as they once were called) have been a staple of professional preparation for centuries, dating back at least to the earliest documentation in the Middle Ages and no doubt far beyond that.Charles Sides and Ann Mrvica trace this history through primary sources to explore the development of internship experiences over the past 800 years, create an introduction to the topic of internships, and provide a foundation for modern college-corporation partnerships in professional education and training. The authors present specific guidelines and discussions on issues important to corporations, in terms of providing for internship experiences; issues important to colleges, in terms of designing and evaluating internships; and issues important to students, in terms of participating in and learning from internships.
Chapter One: Introduction
History of Experiential Learning
Chapter Two: Internships as Learning Experiences
Theories that Support Internships
Chapter Three: Internships as Professional Experiences
Transitions to Productive Careers for Graduates
Chapter Four: Administrative Responsibilities for Academic Institutions
Guidelines for Developing and Administering Successful Internship Programs
Chapter Five: Administrative Responsibilities for Internship Host Sites
Guidelines for Corporations that Provide Internship Experience
Chapter Six: Internship Preparation
Guidelines for Students preparing to Engage in an Internship
Chapter Seven: Internship Performance Evaluation
Guidelines for Academic and Professional Evaluations of Internship Experiences
Biography
Charles Sides, Ann Mrvica
