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Internships and Prior Learning Program

The Internships and Prior Learning Program (IPL) emphasizes practical experience, professional development, and self-directed learning. IPL encompasses four academic areas of study related to engaged learning: Internships, Projects, Service-Learning, and Prior Learning Assessment.

Internships

Internships incorporate engaged learning experiences by enabling students to apply theory, expand knowledge, determine additional learning needs, explore careers, gain real-world experience, and develop insight related to public, social, and cultural issues. Internships emphasize self-directed learning in an academically sponsored experience and facilitate opportunities for students to:

• Explore career interest areas
• Determine learning needs
• Develop employability skills and experience that can be added to a resume
• Network with professionals in the field
• Increase awareness of community, diversity, and public affairs

Internships can be developed throughout the U.S. and internationally and can be affiliated with various career areas, such as business, management, and administration; government and public administration; education and training; health science; human services; and information technology.

Projects

Projects are a form of engaged learning experience and provide similar objectives and benefits as internships. Projects incorporate developing an end product that demonstrates work and reflection of learnings obtained throughout the semester. Project work requires independent motivation, excellent organizational skills, and attention to self-imposed deadlines. Examples of projects include:

• Research project with a faculty member
• Writing project (fiction or nonfiction)
• Entrepreneurial endeavor, such as starting a business
• Audit of a nonprofit organization's computer system
• Creation of new software or a new app
• Study Away experience

Prior Learning Assessment

Prior Learning Assessment allows qualified students to earn academic credit for college-level experiential and lifelong learning activities acquired outside of the traditional classroom. This is particularly valuable to those with an extensive background affiliated with a profession, military experience, community service and volunteer work, relevant travel or hobbies, or independent research. Students are required to develop a portfolio to demonstrate and describe concrete learning experiences that can be transferable and applied to situations outside of the setting in which it was learned.

Service-Learning

Service-Learning courses explore the connections of academic theory and the practical needs of the community while expanding overall knowledge of community-based problems. Students are required to perform volunteer service hours to further enhance the process of self-reflection, self-discovery, and learning new skills and knowledge.

Requirements

The following courses are part of the Internships and Prior Learning Program:

• IPL 300: ECCE: Internship Applied Learning (2-12 credits)
• IPL 301: ECCE: Project Applied Learning (2-12 credits)
• IPL 305: ECCE: Undergraduate Prior Learning Portfolio Development (3-6 credits)
• IPL 501: Graduate Prior Learning Portfolio Development
• IPL 499: Tutorial (1-12 credits)
• IPL 202: ECCE: Service-Learning Immersion (3 credits)
• IPL 362: ECCE: Social Change and Leadership (3 credits)