What is the difference between the following terminologies: internship,
experiential learning, co-op, service learning, field study, community
service, and volunteer intern?
Many of our students (and staff) are confused with the use of these
terminologies by employers because they almost always mean "internship".
Thank you.
From: May Lansigan, Career Center, UCI
ANSWER FROM BRIAN KRUEGER:
Hi May -
Excellent question. Actually, many of the definitions for these terms can
and do overlap. In fact, I would add one more category to your list--summer
job. As an example, a student may ask an employer if they have any summer
internships. The employer, thinking in their terms of internship (which in
their case may mean a structured program of learning and working, designed
to earn college credits), may state that they don't have any summer
internships. However, when asked if they have any summer job openings, the
response might be that they do. Simply changing the term slightly changes
the definition. And yet the summer job may provide the student with all of
the same benefits they were seeking in a summer "internship"--namely, to
gain work experience within their field of study.
And, unfortunately, there are no universally applied definitions for these
terms. However, following are some of the generally accepted definitions:
Internship - the term can apply generally to any work done within the
major or field of study of a college student; may be paid or unpaid; may be
structured or unstructured; may earn college credits or not.
Experiential learning - a broad term applied to any type of work which
provides the participant with learning through experience; usually
specifically applied to structured programs which are designed to extend the
college-based curriculum into a hands-on setting in business, government or
other work environment.
Co-op - the term is typically applied to structured work programs in
cooperation (hence the term "co-op") between the college and the private
sector; can include application of credits for work performed (which may
also include a final paper or exam); often the work is done in place of (or
in addition to) a semester of schooling; although it is typically a paid
position, it may also be done on a voluntary basis.
Service learning - typically applies to unpaid work done for the purpose
of further extending learning in a particular subject area; it can include
observation, mentor-protege relationships and application of academic
interests in a real world situation; it may also include service-based work
in a non-related field, such as working with the Peace Corps.
Field study - refers to any type of work which is done "in the field" or
in a real world situation; applies most typically to those areas of study
which are theoretical- or experimentally- or laboratory-based in academics
(such as the liberal arts or sciences), although it can refer to any real
world application or testing of academic knowledge; can also include testing
and polling for validation of theoretical hypotheses.
Community service - typically work for a not-for-profit or other
community-based entity; is not necessarily within the field of study; is
typically not paid.
Volunteer intern - refers to any type of internship (or work in general)
which is volunteer-based (i.e. unpaid). Usually is with a not-for-profit or
government entity.
I would add two additional terms to the above:
Work-study - usually a structured program between a college and employers
which provides for a combination of both work and college studies to provide
the student with learning in both the classroom and real world setting;
usually a paid position which can also help the student in meeting college
expenses; however, it can also refer to non-major related work on campus (or
near campus) strictly for the purpose of meeting college expenses.
Summer job - any job performed over the summer by (in this case) a college
student; it can range from simply working at McDonald's to a fully
structured internship; it begins and is completed during the summer months.
In summary, some of the distinguishing characteristics of the above programs are:
Pay - is it paid or unpaid?
Timing - is it designed to be full-time or part-time? during the school year or during the summer?
Learning structure - how structured is the work toward learning and how much help and assistance will be given by others?
College credits - will it earn college credits?
Association - is it conducted in association with a college (or colleges)?
Environment - is it a for-profit business, government entity or not-for-profit?
By answering the six above questions, it will provide a better understanding
of what is actually entailed with the position. However, it is important to
understand that the defining base terms listed above can and will be
intermingled. The meaning for one employer (or one student) to another will
not necessarily be consistent. So it's always important to ask the above
questions to gain greater clarity.
Do you have a question that you would like to have answered here in this forum? Send your question direct to Brian Krueger.
All job search information at this forum is provided by Brian Krueger, author of the book College Grad Job Hunter, the definitive guide for college grad job search. Used by permission of the author.
