SOC480Y General Overview
SOC480Y5Y is a work placement/internship course in Sociology, Criminology and Socio-Legal Studies. The goals of this course are to expose UTM students to work situations in which expertise in sociology, criminology and socio-legal studies is required; to integrate students into the local community; to provide an opportunity to make career contacts; and to develop skills that will help students succeed in the workplace. Through a part-time, unpaid individual or team work placement, students apply sociological knowledge gained primarily through previous course work. Placements may be made at municipal social service departments or non-profit agencies providing social services, social movement or community-based organizations working for social change, courts or parole offices, for-profit workplaces or other organizations.
Placements will typically be tied to a specific project and students will be involved in developing the project’s terms of engagement and deliverables. Students will normally write a report at the end of the course. The final report will demonstrate how the students’ sociological knowledge related to a real life setting, and how their engagement with experiential learning shaped their academic knowledge.
Requirements: CGPA: 2.5
Prerequisite: Fourth year standing (completed 14.0 credits) , Graduating in June or November 2014
Specialists in Sociology and Criminology and Socio-Legal Studies will be given priority.
An interview may be required.
Deadline: February 28, 2013
All efforts will be made to give you a work placement that suits your needs and skills. Please note, however, that there are no guarantees concerning what type of work placement you will receive.
The placement will require a volunteer work commitment of 200 hours. This is equivalent to approximately one day per week for the school year. However, there is considerable flexibility in how this commitment is fulfilled; for example, you and your employer might decide that two half-days per week is a more suitable arrangement. Or, you may decide that most of the work commitment will be fulfilled during the summer. You will be responsible for getting yourself to your workplace. In some cases, you will work with employees on site; in other cases you will work in teams with other UTM students; in other cases, you will work independently. It is absolutely crucial that you conduct yourself as a professional in all dealings with your employer; you are a representative of UTM in the community. In all cases, your work is seen as a real contribution, not a "make-work" project. Therefore we make an effort to find an appropriate placement for each of you, given your individual backgrounds. Please note that no money is involved; this is an academic placement only. You will have complete safety insurance coverage for the time you spend on the job.
Once you have been accepted into the course, you will be given a detailed schedule and other course information. Some of the class meetings are organizational; others are practical skills sessions. IT IS EXTREMELY IMPORTANT FOR YOU TO ATTEND THE FIRST CLASS MEETING. Attendance at all class meetings is required and comprises part of the course mark.