Augsburg Experience - What You Need To Know
The Augsburg Experience enables students to link the liberal arts, classroom knowledge and skills with the larger world and gain first hand, community-based experience beyond the campus. This signature element is part of Augsburg's general education requirements and underscores the college's commitment to support student engagement in the community and the world as part of their overall Augsburg education, as expressed in the Augsburg 2004 Vision document.
The Augsburg Experience can be completed through at least one of five learning options typically done in the Junior and Senior years. Ideally students will have multiple experiences across the variety of opportunities throughout their years at Augsburg. Each will strengthen their skills and reinforce their knowledge and understanding, equipping them for professional lives and service following graduation.
- The Augsburg Experience may be done as part of the major or outside the major.
- The opportunities may be scheduled during the academic year or summers.
- Augsburg Experiences may be for credit or not for credit.
Augsburg Experience options:
- Internships, Cooperative Education (work-based experience related to your major), practicum, field work, clinical, student teaching, including domestic semester programs such as HECUA's MUST, City Arts, et al
- Extensive Service-Learning or Community-Based Learning Projects that may or may not be course related or embedded (Note: service-learning in a LAF course is not considered an Augsburg Experience)
- Study Abroad programs at worldwide program and partner university locations, ranging in length from one week to an academic year.
- Faculty-student research with a community/professional application component
- Approved special/individualized off-campus immersion experiences (domestic or international)
Ideas and suggestions from the Sociology department...
- SOC 399 – An Internship is required in three Concentrations: Crime & Deviance, Social Psychology and Community Studies and highly recommended of all majors and done in a wide variety of placements, e.g., Target Corporation, Project for Pride in Living, Swedish Institute, MN State Highway Patrol, Hennepin County Corrections/Probation, et al
- Honors Thesis/SOC 499 [when a paper is presented at an off-campus venue/professional conference]
- Augsburg Abroad programs, such as the Center for Global Education, International Partners Program, HECUA, ect. are encouraged for all majors
- SOC 390 – Social Problems Analysis [Service-Learning]
- SOC 410 – Organization Development Practicum
- SOC 498 – Metropolitan Resources
Contact the following people or offices to help you plan your Augsburg Experiences:
Department Faculty liaison:
Garry Hesser, hesser@augsburg.edu, Memorial 430, CB 83, , x1664
Tim Pippert, pippert@augsburg.edu, Memorial 431A, CB 113, x1227
Lars Christiansen, christil@augsburg.edu, Memorial 444, x1226
Your Academic Advisor
The Center for Service, Work and Learning - x1148
Augsburg Abroad - x1159