Internships are a requirement of many social- and behavioral-related educational programs.

Many students see internships as working for free, but internships are learning experiences.

Internships help build résumés, make connections, and more.

In my first introductory social work class, a student exclaimed, “I don’t understand why we have to do all of this! I just want to help people!”

We had been reviewing the educational pathway. I was explaining practicum requirements in social work education and there was an air of shock and frustration: You don’t just take classes? You have to work for credit!?

Indeed, field work is an integral component of the educational pathways of social work and many related disciplines. Here’s exactly what I tell students in an introductory module in my internship course:

No matter what your discipline, field education allows you to put what you’ve learned into practice. You’ll also learn while you are out in the field. There is nothing better than learning through application. As these are typically introductory level placements, our goal is for you to be exposed to the issues, organizations, populations, and work of interest to you. This will help you build your résumé, make career choices, and move forward in your education.

No matter what your discipline, field education allows you to put what you’ve learned into practice. You’ll also........

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