Social Work Internships

Create a Highly Marketable Social Work Résumé

Champlain's Social Work major is focused on getting you into as much fieldwork as possible, so you can apply the knowledge gained in your undergraduate studies to real-life situations. It will provide you with great depth in the skills that will give you the most flexibility in the vast field of social work.

By starting your internships sooner, you'll have time for multiple internships before you graduate, giving you a résumé that will stand out in a field of applicants. 

And our interns do stand out. Many Burlington employers have given our students glowing reviews like this one:

"Our experience working with Champlain's Social Work interns has been extraordinary. The students that have been placed with our agency demonstrate sound practice, an investment in the community, and a strong willingness to learn and apply knowledge in the field. Their enthusiasm and preparedness to enter the workforce have made them strong interns and strong employment applicants post-graduation. We have had great success transitioning former Champlain College interns into full-time employment when their internship ends."
—Tammy Santamore, Learning Together Coordinator, Lund Center, Burlington, VT

In your senior year at Champlain, you'll be involved in a year-long internship at a minimum of 420 hours of fieldwork. Internship opportunities include: 

  • helping in substance abuse treatment facilities and assisted living facilities;
  • working with refugees from eastern Europe, Asia, and Africa as they enter Burlington and the surrounding communities; 
  • working in community advocacy agencies; 
  • supporting children with emotional behavioral needs;
  • addressing housing insecurities; 
  • assisting those with mental illness and addiction issues in Court Diversion processes; and
  • supporting young single parents.

You'll gain real-world skills and marketable experience—and you'll be creating lasting change in your community before you even graduate. 

Recent Internship Locations for Social Work Majors

How We Prepare You for Experiential Learning

We want you to be well prepared for your first internship, externship, or other fieldwork. After your first year of exploratory practical education, you'll be ready to work with your Career Advisor to take the next step.  

  • The Upside-Down Curriculum allows you to get extensive classroom learning and hands-on experience with industry professionals in your first year, which gives you the real-world skills and qualifications needed to begin taking an internship or externship as early as the summer before your sophomore year.
  • Champlain's Career Collaborative will help you develop your professional résumé and hone your interview skills. Early on in your studies, you'll be able to show employers what you know.
  • Your professors will become your reliable mentors, pointing out the strategic academic and co-curricular activities that will help you build your professional skill set and enhance your résumé.

Local and national employers turn to Champlain for college interns because they are better prepared to work in professional environments than the majority of their peers from other institutions. Many Champlain graduates receive full- and part-time job offers from the organizations where they first took their internships or externships.

Read more about Champlain graduates' Career Success.