Internships and Practica
Information for Students
What is a practicum/internship?
A practicum/internship is a work experience in an on- or off-campus setting for which a student receives academic credit. The School of Business cooperates with local agencies and businesses to provide a wide variety of opportunities that give real-world application of the concepts learned in the classroom. Supervision is provided for the student at the place of assignment by a designated on-site supervisor. An academic coordinator on campus further supervises the student's progress and serves in a liason capacity between the experience site and the University.
Juniors, Seniors and graduate students are eligible for BA 409/509 practicum placement. A student must work at least 3 hours per week for the duration of the 10-week term for each credit hour granted. Most students enroll for 4 credit hours complete 120 hours of work during the term. (Additional credit hours may be granted under special circumstances. Freshmen and Sophomores may register for up to a total of 4 credits of BA 209.) Practica normally follow the 10-week quarter, but may begin and end at any time that is mutually agreed upon by the academic department, the site supervisor, and the student. Students may earn a maximum of 15 credits in BA 409 toward their bachelor's degree.
What steps should a student take to set up a Practicum/Internship?
- Become fully admitted to the School of Business.
Once you have completed the pre-business program requirements, visit the School of Business office in Central Hall 144 to apply for full admission to the upper division program in Business Administration. At this time you will select one of the six concentration options and will meet with an advisor who will help you plan your upper division coursework. Your advisor must approve your internship. - Identify and receive approval for an appropriate internship.
- Follow the "Search for Internships" link below to learn about selecting and gaining approval for an internship.
- Register for BA 409 Practicum credits as directed by the Practicum/Internship Coordinator.
After registering for BA 409, you will complete a Student Practicum Application posted in the course Blackboard site.
Checklist for Current Practicum Students . . .
At the beginning of the term ....
- Attend class section scheduled during the first week of the term. (Check course site in Blackboard for date, place and time.)
- Submit a complete School of Business Student Practicum Application and submit it via Blackboard.
- Submit the Student Agreement form to Central 115. The form is available to you to download and print from the BA 409 Blackboard site. You may not complete and submit the form in Blackboard...we must have an original signature on file.
- Meet with the Course Instructor to choose and/or confirm the practicum site and activities.
During the term ....
- On a weekly basis -- electronically submit hours worked at the host business on agreed internship activities using the form on the BA 409 Course Blackboard. (Students registered prior to Fall 2003 may access this form through this web link weekly papers .)
- Prepare and submit a midterm paper to your course instructor. (Check Course Blackboard for midterm paper assignment instructions and required deadline.)
At the end of the term ....
- Prepare and submit a final paper to your course instructor. (Check Course Blackboard for the final paper assignment instructions and required deadline.)
- Prepare a draft thank you letter to your supervisor and submit to your instructor. (Check Course Blackboard for a sample format for the thank you letter and the required deadline.)
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| Meredith Reynolds Internship/Practicum Coordinator CE 122 541-552-6677 FAX: 541-552-6715 mreynolds@sou.edu |
