Experiential Education at Endicott College
Endicott is a pioneer in offering required experiential learning opportunities in every program of study. The founders of the College believed that students gaining practice in their intended career fields could acquire practical experience, sharpen their insights, and enhance their professional skills development. In many cases students are employed after graduation at their internship sites.
Experiential learning at Endicott takes several forms, including internships for the majority of students, student teaching in the Early Childhood, Elementary, and Physical Education programs, and clinical education experiences for Nursing and Athletic Training majors. A philosophy of “learning by doing” permeates the College curriculum, in which students are encouraged to integrate theory and practice in all of their studies.
THE INTERNSHIP: A PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE
The Endicott Internship Program
Endicott has a comprehensive undergraduate academic internship program that is unique for a college of its size. At its core the program has two central features: it promotes professional development by promoting critical employment skills and providing a path to direct job offers in the field and also provides a framework for new and deeper learning within the discipline. The Internship Program is fully integrated into Endicott’s curriculum and to the identity of the College itself. The concept of applied learning springs from the mission of the College, requiring multiple internships for all students. The program engages the entire campus, with students working with major-specific internship coordinators as well as academic advisors, faculty, and deans.
Students complete a sequence of three internships over the four years. The first and second internships are 120-hour internships completed in the freshmen and sophomore years, typically in our winter term. The Semester Internship is typically completed full-time in the fall of senior year. All internships are completed as part of graded, credit-bearing courses.
Clinical Education, Student Teaching
The structure of the experiential learning component is shaped by program and individual student learning objectives. Nursing and Athletic Training internship credits are earned in clinical education experiences over the course of the four-year program. Education and Physical Education students complete 120-hour internships, but devote their semester-long experience to student teaching.
International Community Service Projects
As an alternative to one of the 120-hour internships, students may elect to participate in the International Community Service Project. Students who elect to use this course as one of their internships may need to take another course or an additional internship in order to fulfill the credit requirements for their major.