Applied and Independent Learning
  

DIRECTED STUDY
In order that students may investigate in depth some subject matter that is not offered in one of the regular curricula, the College permits a Directed Study (course-like) project for credit. Such a project is ordinarily in the area of concentration or in some field for which the student is especially prepared. A student who desires to pursue a Directed Study should first seek the cooperation of a faculty member in the appropriate discipline (or request the assistance of the department chairperson of that curriculum area in identifying an appropriate faculty member) who will agree to supervise the effort in the subsequent semester. The student then completes an online application at: 

http://www.stonehill.edu/directed_study.htm

The student must also present plans in advance of pre-registration to the faculty member who has agreed to direct and evaluate the project. At the time of pre-registration, the student must obtain the approval of this faculty member, and of the Chairperson of the Department in which the project is to be conducted, on the form generated through on-line application. This form also includes a brief description of the project which is placed in the file of the student. A student may not take more than one Directed Study, for three credits, in a semester without permission of the Office of Academic Services. Directed Study courses are listed on the student’s transcript under the number 490 preceded by the Department identification in which the project is being pursued.

INDEPENDENT RESEARCH
With the approval of a supervising faculty member and department chairperson, a student carries out an independent research project on a topic currently being studied by the faculty member or on an original project developed by the student and faculty member. The course number is listed as 496 preceded by the Department identification in which the project is being pursued.

SENIOR THESIS
Students complete an independent scholarly work, resulting in a substantial written document, under the guidance of a faculty member and with the approval of the department chairperson. The course number is listed as 497 preceded by the Department identification in which the project is being pursued.

STONEHILL UNDERGRADUATE RESEARCH EXPERIENCE (SURE)
The Stonehill Undergraduate Research Experience (SURE) Program is an opportunity for students who have completed their first year at Stonehill to perform significant, publishable full-time research under the guidance of and in collaboration with an experienced faculty researcher. The experience, available to all disciplines, helps to solidify and define students’ career choices, both through graduate school decisions and in post-college employment. All SURE Scholars receive a stipend for an eight or ten-week full time summer session. Applications are submitted in mid-December preceding the summer of participation. For further information, contact the Office of Academic Development, room 119 Duffy, 508-565-1069. Additional information can be found at:

http://www.stonehill.edu/academic_development.

INTERNSHIPS 
Academic internships provide valuable educational experiences, as they facilitate student learning outside of the classroom. Qualified (normally senior) students may be approved to work in public and/or private organizations, where they gain first-hand knowledge of a specific field. Internships can be either full-time experiences, as with the International Internship, New York Internship (“Semester in the City”) or Washington Internship Programs, or part-time, typically taken along with courses in Stonehill classrooms. Through participation and observation, interns enhance their personal, academic and professional goals. Given the opportunity to apply classroom theory to “real world” situations, Stonehill students find themselves better prepared to make important decisions regarding their future. Students have the opportunity to appreciate more fully the connections between theory and practice, to adapt to a culture outside the college environment, and to gain exposure to potential career choices. For further information, contact Jared Mann, Internship Coordinator in the Kruse Center for Academic and Professional Excellence. (See p. 111 for Policy and Procedures.) Students with any major may apply for an internship at: 

http://www.stonehill.edu/career_services/internshipform/.

The following are examples of departmental offerings:

Biology: Qualified students apply and, if approved, obtain practical experience in selected fields of interest. Opportunities vary depending on the student’s academic background and future goals.

Business Administration: Qualified students have opportunities to avail themselves of internships in local businesses, such as public and private accounting, personnel, finance, and other industrial and nonprofit organizations. Three to six hours of academic credit may be earned in the junior or senior year if the necessary requirements of the program are fulfilled. This experience enriches the traditional classroom setting and enhances the long-range accomplishments of the students.

Chemistry: Qualified students apply and, if approved, obtain practical experience in selected fields of interest. Opportunities vary depending on the student’s academic background and future goals.

Communication: Qualified students have opportunities to merge classroom concepts with practical experiences in communication. Internships in political communication, mass communication, and organizational communication are available to majors and minors. Settings for these one-semester internships are diverse, including radio and television stations, public relations firms, and political organizations in the local area and internationally.

Education: The Education Department requires a nine or twelve-credit student teaching experience of all Education students. The Department utilizes the services of elementary and secondary schools in local school districts for supervised student-teaching internships, or in approved sites in foreign countries.

English: Students complete three to six credit internships at a variety of sites including the American Cancer Society, Tiffanie Williams & Company and WorldBoston. Students incorporate The New York Times into their internship experience as they find articles that are relevant to their learning outcomes.

Health Care Administration: Health Care Administration majors are required to complete an extensive internship. The student has the opportunity to select a summer or regular academic year internship. The academic year model enables the student to earn from 9 to 15 credits, depending upon the type of internship appropriate to the area of selected interest. (This also includes the internship abroad and the Washington, D.C. internships.) The summer internship model is not for credit (but fulfills the program internship requirements), consists of 40 hours per week for 10 weeks, and in a majority of cases provides a summer stipend. Students will confer directly with the Department Chairperson to discuss the details of the options. Sites include area hospitals, HMOs, nursing homes, group practices, consulting firms, general and specialty home care agencies, human service organizations and state and federal support agencies.

Journalism: Qualified students may gain valuable professional experience at one of several print and broadcast news organizations, applying what has been learned about modern mass media in the classroom to the work environment.

Political Science and Public Administration: In addition to the Washington Internship (see below), a variety of state and local internship placements are available.

Psychology: Students with the appropriate prerequisite courses may intern in a mental hospital, clinic, school guidance center, day care center, human resources department, women’s shelter, research laboratory, and various other settings depending on their interests. The internship may be completed in either the fall or spring semester, typically in the senior year.

Other Liberal Arts Placements: Examples include:
• Special Olympics
• Paul Revere Memorial Association
• Fuller Museum of Art
• Archbishop Williams High School
• Federal Bureau of Investigation
• Office of Youth Ministry for Boston Diocese
• The May Institute, Inc.
• Self Help, Inc.
• National Archives and Record Administration
• Massachusetts Cultural Council
• ilumina

New York City Internship Program: 
“Semester in the City”
This is an opportunity to gain practical experience in an urban setting, while experiencing a unique living environment just outside the city. The program will include:
• A four-day per week internship in New York City
• One or two evening classes at Fordham University
• Housing in the Bronx (a few blocks from Fordham)
• Cultural events / Community living / Community service with the option of a service-learning course and more!
See the website:

http://www.stonehill.edu/academics/internship/NYC.htm for details.

Washington Internship Program
Through its affiliation with the Washington Center, Stonehill College offers students the opportunity to spend a semester as an intern in the nation’s capitol. The Center assists in the placement, orientation, supervision and evaluation of interns, provides housing, and offers academic seminars and assemblies. Student interns in Washington earn a semester’s academic credit. The Washington Internship Program is administered by the Political Science Department, but is not limited to Political Science majors. Internship positions generally are available for those interested in government, politics, economics, journalism, business, consumerism, women’s issues, the arts, museums, and a large number of social issues. There are also a limited number of science internships. See the website: 

http://www.stonehill.edu/academics/internship/washington.htm for details.

FIELD STUDY 
Emphasizing that academic development occurs on many levels, the College recognizes processes by which students develop themselves outside the traditional structures of the classroom. For example, students may conduct research in intellectual disciplines related to their major subject, pursued under the immediate direction of specialists and under the supervision of members of the College faculty. Courses pursued under Field Study will be listed on the student’s transcript under the number 495 preceded by the Department identification.

Several Departments, as part of their curricula, have established informal affiliations with area agencies to which students are assigned for course credit. Following is a list of those Departments and some of the facilities utilized.

Extensive counseling is offered to students applying for field work. The student’s immediate supervisor must agree to adhere to the College’s academic requirements, and periodic performance evaluations are conducted. The grade is determined in consultation between the designated Stonehill faculty member and the student’s supervisor. Application is initiated by completing an online form:

http://www.stonehill.edu/career_services/internshipform/ 

Biology: Field Studies are specifically tailored to the individual student’s research goals. He or she will work under the direction and approval of the Medical Science Coordinator.

Chemistry: Field Studies include placements in various chemistry-related positions at medical centers, private industries, government agencies, and universities in the area (e.g., Wellesley College, Tufts University, Harvard Medical School) and internationally (University of Nottingham).

Education: Field Studies include placements in various school and community settings.

Health Care Administration: Majors and minors may participate in Field Studies in addition to the required internship. Usually reserved for highly motivated students, these three-credit opportunities are possible with many of the Department’s affiliated health care organizations. Students may discuss specific opportunities with the departmental advisor.

History: Field Studies include placements at the John F. Kennedy Library, the Archdiocese of Boston Archives, and Plimoth Plantation.
Political Science: Field Studies include placements in local government and also the offices of several state legislators.

Sociology and Criminology: Field Studies are required of Sociology majors and Criminology majors, in such agencies as Brockton Family and Youth Resource Bureau, Phaneuf Drug Center, Catholic Charities Detoxification Center, Goddard Hospital, Old Colony YMCA, and various District Attorney’s offices and correctional institutions.