Internship
Each learner in the Doctor of Education Program (Ed.D.) is required to complete a 300-clock-hour (minimum) internship during her/his second year in the academic program (Semesters 3 and 4). The internship carries a total of six credit hours (three credits each semester).
The internship provides learners the opportunity to integrate theory and practice while under the supervision of a qualified individual who possesses documented expertise in education. The internship is not meant to be “business as usual.” Rather, the experience is intended to challenge learners in new ways, requiring them to step outside of their comfort zones. Given the Ed.D. Program’s focus, a central purpose of the internship is for learners to explore the complexities involved in furthering ideals of social justice within an educational setting.
The objectives of the internship are as follows:
- To further the intern’s acquisition of professional knowledge, skills, and dispositions in the field of education.
- To facilitate the intern’s development as a competent practitioner who assumes responsibility for her/his own actions and self-development.
- To provide the intern with training and practice in identifying, assessing, and ethically responding to needs of learners and other stakeholders.
- To enhance the intern’s abilities to work appropriately and effectively within socially and culturally diverse organizations.
- To provide interns with opportunities for educational experiences which align with the goals and objectives of UI&U’s Ed.D. Program, including those related to social justice and ethical practices.
All learners are required to design an internship that presents a challenge to the norms of their previous or current professional experiences. For example: an urban school professional might choose to participate in an internship in rural setting; a community college professor might choose to experience a 4 year or graduate college setting; a university faculty might work with an administrator.
During both semesters of the internship, learners are enrolled in a three-credit course (INTS 790/791). Final preparations for the internship take place when the course is convened at the academic residency that launches the third academic semester. The internship advisor, who serves as faculty for the internship course, guides these preparations. The internship syllabus establishes expectations and goals common to all internship experiences.