Internships

What is an Internship?

Internships are structured, supervised work experiences that allow students to apply their classroom knowledge in real-world settings. For Sociology majors and minors at UCF, internships with local businesses, government agencies, and non-profit organizations offer a unique opportunity to explore how sociological concepts and skills are used in professional environments. Students can earn up to six credit hours of Restricted Electives through internship placements.

Internships help students:

  • Explore career pathways in fields such as social services, public policy, criminal justice, education, healthcare, human resources, and community development.
  • Gain hands-on experience that enhances graduate school applications and resumes.
  • Build professional networks that often lead to job opportunities after graduation.
  • Develop critical skills employers value, including communication, teamwork, data collection and analysis, cultural competence, and ethical decision-making.

Completing an internship not only strengthens your academic profile but also prepares you to enter the workforce with confidence or pursue advanced degrees in Sociology, Public Administration, Law, Social Work, and other related fields. Internships can open doors to positions in research, advocacy, nonprofit leadership, and a wide variety of careers committed to social impact and change.

Internship Overview

Sociology majors at UCF can earn 3 to 6 credit hours by completing an internship with an approved organization in the Central Florida community. These internships serve as a bridge between classroom learning and real-world application, offering students the chance to develop professional experience while engaging with meaningful social issues.

Internships are ideal for students looking to:

  • Deepen their understanding of sociological theories and methods through practical application.
  • Gain career-specific skills in research, policy analysis, community outreach, education, and advocacy.
  • Strengthen their resumes with experience that aligns with post-graduation goals.
  • Make professional connections and explore long-term career opportunities.

Students are responsible for identifying and securing their own placements, but faculty support is available throughout the process.

Sample Internship Sites in Central Florida

While students are free to seek opportunities with any appropriate organization, here are some organizations in the Central Florida area where Sociology students have successfully interned in the past:

Community and Social Services

  • United Way of Central Florida
  • Heart of Florida United Way
  • Catholic Charities of Central Florida
  • Harbor House of Central Florida (Domestic Violence Shelter)
  • The Zebra Coalition

Youth, Education, and Family Services

  • Boys & Girls Clubs of Central Florida
  • Big Brothers Big Sisters of Central Florida
  • Orange County Public Schools (OCPS) – Student Services
  • PACE Center for Girls
  • UCF Center for Success of Women Faculty

Healthcare, Mental Health, and Public Health

  • Mental Health Association of Central Florida
  • Planned Parenthood of Southwest and Central Florida
  • The Center for Multicultural Wellness and Prevention
  • Shepherd’s Hope Free Clinics

Criminal Justice and Legal Services

  • Public Defender’s Office – Ninth Judicial Circuit
  • Florida Rights Restoration Coalition (FRRC)
  • Orange County Corrections Department – Inmate Programs
  • Legal Aid Society of the Orange County Bar Association

Research, Advocacy, and Policy

  • UCF Institute for Social and Behavioral Sciences
  • League of Women Voters of Orange County
  • Florida Policy Institute
  • The Polis Institute
  • Hope CommUnity Center

Students interested in other organizations not listed here are encouraged to propose their own placements, subject to approval. All internships must relate to sociological themes and support the development of relevant academic and professional skills.

Eligibility

  • Open to Sociology majors
  • Minimum 3.0 GPA
  • Completion of SYG 2000 and at least 9 upper-level sociology credits
  • Students must be classified as Juniors or Senior

Process: How to Complete a Sociology Internship for Credit

Internships are a student-led experience with faculty support at every stage. Follow the steps below to ensure a smooth and successful process:

Step 1: Identify and Secure an Internship Placement

  • Begin your search early—ideally 1-2 semesters before you plan to register for internship credit.
  • Think about your career goals and the type of organization where you’d like to gain experience (nonprofit, government agency, research center, etc.).
  • Explore opportunities through multiple avenues:
    • Contact organizations directly via email or phone.
    • Attend UCF’s Career Fairs or visit UCF Career Services.
    • Use Handshake, UCF’s online job and internship portal, to search for local opportunities.
    • Browse local nonprofit directories and social media pages (LinkedIn, Instagram) of organizations that align with your interests.
    • Talk to professors, advisors, or past interns for recommendations.

Tip: When reaching out, introduce yourself professionally and include a brief statement of interest, your resume, and your availability.

Step 2: Confirm the Internship Meets Program Requirements

Before committing to a site, ensure your internship:

  • Is supervised and provides structured opportunities to apply sociological skills.
  • Offers a minimum of 45 hours per credit hour (e.g., 135 hours for 3 credits, 270 hours for 6 credits).
  • Aligns with sociological themes like social inequality, community development, research, advocacy, etc.

Step 3: Contact Dr. Angela Vergara to Begin Registration

Once you’ve secured your internship placement:

  • Email Dr. Angela Vergara (Undergraduate Program Director) at angela.vergara@ucf.edu to initiate the internship registration process.
  • Include the following in your message:
    • The organization’s name and a brief description of your role.
    • The start and end dates of your internship.
    • The name and contact information for your site supervisor.

Step 4: Submit Required Documents

To be officially enrolled in the internship course, you must:

  • Complete the Internship Contract Agreement Forms (signed by your site supervisor).
  • Schedule a brief meeting with Dr. Vergara (via Zoom or in person) to review the internship details and complete a course registration agreement.
  • Once approved, you will be enrolled in the internship course for academic credit (usually SYG 3940).

Step 5: Begin Your Internship and Stay on Track

  • Keep a field journal documenting your activities, reflections, and learning outcomes.
  • Stay in contact with your supervisor and follow all expectations outlined by the organization.
  • Complete all course assignments, including the final paper and supervisor evaluation.

Application Requirements

After securing an internship, students must:

  • Complete and submit the Contract Agreement Forms, signed by the internship supervisor.
  • Schedule a meeting with Dr. Angela Vergara to finalize the course registration process and submit required documents.

Course Requirements

Grades in the internship course are based on:

  • Completion of required contact hours at the internship site
  • A field journal
  • A final paper
  • A supervisor evaluation

Questions?

For more information or assistance with the internship process, please contact:

 

Dr. Angela Vergara

Undergraduate Program Director

Department of Sociology
📧 angela.vergara@ucf.edu

Student Internships

ANDREA GOTH Covenant House

Andrea graduated with her BA in Sociology in Spring of 2017. During her last semester at UCF she interned at Covenant House.

“I chose to do an internship because I wanted real-life experience that related to the field I had been studying for two years. I interned at Covenant House Florida, a non-profit organization which serves runaway, homeless, and at-risk youth ages 18-20, including teen parents and their babies.

My experience was enlightening and broadening to say the least. I was able to better my understanding of the struggles and barriers young, homeless and at-risk youth face on a day to day basis. I was also able to further develop my understanding of how a non-profit organization works. I loved every moment I was able to help assist a young teen in taking one step closer in the right direction toward achieving their goal, which could be anything from helping them apply for Medicaid to providing them with practice worksheets for their GED. I learned that providing what I thought to be minimal help, could leave an everlasting impact to a young person who has endured many struggles most of their life. The first-hand experiences I obtained during my internship enriched and gave more life to everything I had learned in my restricted electives, like poverty, inequality, juvenile delinquency and even patters of drugs and alcohol use. Though at first I was nervous and felt like I was going out of my comfort zone, into an environment I had never been before, it was then where I learned valuable information that would forever change the way I viewed the world. This was similar to how I felt while learning the material I did through Sociology at UCF.

I definitely recommend an internship to any current student. Being a Sociology major and learning about our world, human relations, behavior and social patterns, is already so fascinating. To then be able to apply it to real-world experiences like the ones I had, makes the knowledge obtained that much more insightful. It has made me more eager than ever to want to learn more, research more, and dig deeper into the world of Sociology.”

 

 

KATHERINE CABRERA Children Home Society of Florida

My name is Katherine and I’m the first in my family to graduate with B.A degree. I found my passion within the Sociology Department and so, my focus went on family and children. I began interning my last semester prior to graduation to engage with my interest and possibly get my foot in the door of an awesome opportunity.

Children Home Society, is a non-profit Organization they take pride in counseling, and family services such as, Visitation Centers. That is where I chose to intern in Osceola county which is one of their many locations. My experience was extremely interactive. Most of my work was hand and hand with parents and child; I had to supervise the visits and bring a detailed report of everything I witnessed in the room. From the time, they all greeted each other and said goodbyes, to the foods the child was being fed. My job was to protect the child always, and remember not to underestimate the parent’s ability.

The opportunity helped me to find out in which direction I wanted to move in. I didn’t want to work with the families in that way, but I wanted to do more of the background information too. In the Visitation Center they received all the information and responded to the orders of the case workers or case managements. They were fully in control, and I knew I would have greater success doing so.

Although it is not a requirement, if you care enough of your future take heart in the opportunities that come your way, if they do not come your way, do what I did and use your resources and discover what makes a working day not such a working day!