Field Education

According to educator David Kolb, “Learning is the process whereby knowledge is created through the transformation of experience.”

Field education provides students with supervised experiences in their chosen fields of study outside of the classroom. "Now I know that this is what I want to do with my life," is a comment often heard after a student completes a semester of youth work, social work, or child-development training, or after a summer serving as a camp counselor, missions-trip leader, or as a participant in a cross-cultural ministry setting.

Many students are currently fulfilling their field-education requirements with area churches and organizations, including Sunshine Community Church, Bethany Christian Services, Fourth Reformed Church, Michigan Army National Guard, Kids Hope, USA, Rockford Baptist Church, and Faith Reformed GEMS. Some students are working right here at Kuyper College as resident assistants, student-government volunteers, or Spiritual Life Committee interns.

There are also opportunities to meet field-education requirements during the summer and on May-term trips. Students have served as camp counselors for Young Life and A Christian Ministry in the National Parks and during SERVE leadership events, as part of mission trips to Russia or the Dominican Republic, and in IDEA ministries.

Eight credit hours of field education are required for graduation. Students earn three of those eight credits by satisfactorily completing Gateway to Excellence (GE 120). Two credits can be completed in a senior-level internship. Students may complete the other hours during the semester or in a summertime setting.

To receive credit, students are required to attend four field-education classes at the beginning of each semester, fill out a confirmation form and have it signed by both their field supervisor and Professor Evan Heerema, work at least three hours per week, keep a reflective journal during the semester, write a five-page reflection paper at the end of the semester, and have their supervisor offer an evaluation of their work.

For more information, please contact the Career Development and Field Education Office.

Transfer students are awarded field-education credit for academic work completed prior to attending Kuyper College. Please contact Professor Evan Heerema or Academic Dean Ben Meyer  for further information.

Many students find their own field-education opportunities or hear about them from other students. When needed, the Career Development and Field Education Office is able to help any student locate a suitable opportunity.

A new edition of the Field Education Manual is printed every year. The manual and field-education syllabus are available in the Career Development and Field Education Office or online:

Other forms essential to completing field-education requirements are:

• The Confirmation form
• The Supervisor Evaluation form

Field supervisors are expected to meet with the student at the beginning of each semester to look over their Confirmation Form and agree to the student's intended goals. Students are required to serve at least three hours per week at their location, which can include preparation time and any follow-up time.   

Though it's not required that the supervisor meet weekly with the student, we do hope that there would be regular contact for the purpose of reviewing goals and to provide opportunity to discuss student and supervisor satisfaction. The supervisor is asked to fill out the Supervisor Evaluation form at the end of the semester or summer and discuss it with the student. As part of the course requirements, the student has the responsibility to return the Supervisor Evaluation form to Professor Heerema in a timely manner.

A "Welcome to the Team" packet will be sent to the field supervisor at the beginning of each semester. Packets are distributed on the first day of class and are also available at the following links:

Download the Confirmation Form (PDF)

Download the Evaluation Form (PDF)