HDFS Internship Program

Welcome to the information page for the HDFS Internship Program at Purdue University! This page is designed to provide information about the HDFS Internship Program to students, current interns, cooperating internship sites, and sites interested in partnering with the internship program.

About the HDFS Internship Program

The HDFS Internship Program is offered by the Department of Human Development & Family Studies and fulfills the capstone experience requirement (HDFS 45500) for the undergraduate Human Services major. It is also available as a selection for the capstone internship requirement (HDFS 45800) for the Developmental & Family Science major. The capstone experience provides students with “hands-on” experience in human services and related fields. The internship is designed to promote student learning outcomes in three domains:

  • Knowledge of Field - Students will acquire knowledge about individual development, family processes, and the broader social context.
  • Skills in Social Services - Students will become skilled in supporting children, adults and/or families in creating and striving for goals that are pertinent to their desires and needs, as well as consistent with the internship site’s program goals.
  • Professional Behavior - Students will demonstrate professional work attitudes and behavior.
Students majoring in Human Services will complete an internship in one of the following formats:

  • Full-time internship (12 credits) at 40 hours per week for 16 weeks (fall/spring)
  • Half-time internship (6 credits) at 20 hours per week for 16 weeks (fall/spring)
  • Full-time internship (6 credits) at 40 hours per week for 8 weeks (summer only)
Students majoring in Developmental & Family Science may complete an internship in one of the following formats:

  • Half-time internship (6 credits) at 20 hours per week for 16 weeks (fall/spring)
  • Full-time internship (6 credits) at 40 hours per week for 8 weeks (summer only)
Students will work with an Internship Placement Coordinator to set up the internship as part of HDFS 45400: Career Assessment and Professional Development, which is taken the semester before the capstone internship experience.

Internship Placement Sites

Internship placement sites may represent a broad range of settings related to human services, developmental and family science, and related fields. For example, internship placement sites may:

  • Be non-profit, private, or government agencies (community centers, family resource centers, autism centers, elder care facilities, correction facilities, military installations, etc.)
  • Perform indirect services (fundraising, program development, grant-writing, technical assistance) or provide direct services to clients (program implementation, case management, outreach/education, family support services)
  • Focus on human needs (poverty, disability, criminal offenses, health and wellness, etc.) across the lifespan (from birth to old age)
  • Serve individuals, groups, families, practitioners, or human service programs

Students completing the internship may be majoring in either human services or developmental & family science. The range of appropriate placement sites for the two different majors overlap but are not identical. Internship coordinators can provide further details.

Internships are often local placements but may be completed in other locations as long as the capstone requirements are met as defined by the Internship Placement Coordinator. For a list of past and current internship placement sites, see the List of Internship Site Partners.

Already a site partner with the HDFS Internship Program?

The HDFS Internship Program appreciates your ongoing collaboration! The documents below may be useful to you in supporting current or future interns.

Interested in partnering with the HDFS Internship Program?

The HDFS Internship Program is always interested in partnering with agencies that can offer high quality experiences and supervision to our students.

Contact an Internship Coordinator

Jennifer Dobbs-Oates (jendo@purdue.edu; 765-494-2931)

Natasha Watkins (watkinsn@purdue.edu; 765-496-2106)

Purdue University, 610 Purdue Mall, West Lafayette, IN 47907, (765) 494-4600

2016 Purdue University | An equal access/equal opportunity university | Copyright Complaints | Maintained by HDFS

If you have trouble accessing this page because of a disability, please contact HDFS.