Internships
Your internship has the potential to be the best and most rewarding semester of your college experience! During your internship, you have the opportunity to gain an understanding of the relationship between classroom theory and its practical application and to acquire and develop skills and competencies needed for your transition from college to a full-time position.
What positions qualify for your internship credits?
Some students obtain positions which are titled “Intern” while others have various titles which serve as their internships for RPTS 484 credit. Positions must be related to recreation, recreational youth programs, events, tourism, travel and/or parks, and provide opportunities for you to apply the concepts you have learned through RPTS coursework. If you are not certain that a position will qualify for your internship, be sure to have it approved by the Internship Coordinator before accepting the job. In many instances, job descriptions have some flexibility, and interns can focus on a project or program of interest. You will need to discuss your interests and career direction with your prospective employer if you would like to help shape your job responsibilities. Links on this website may be helpful in finding a position, but you are not limited to positions listed by the RPTS Department. Students are permitted to use a part-time position over two semesters to complete RPTS 484 requirements.
Paid vs. Un-Paid?
Internships in which a student is primarily observing professionals while rotating through different departments are sometimes unpaid, as are positions with a variety of organizations which can provide great experience, but have no budget for interns. If you are able to do an unpaid internship, you will have a wider range of choices, but there are many excellent paid internships available as well. Some sites offer housing, meals and other benefits. It is your responsibility to negotiate the benefits of your internship with your prospective employer. Remember that you will need to pay tuition for 6 credits of RPTS 484 during the semester of your internship.
Pre-Internship Requirements
Each student must meet the prerequisites of the internship before being registered for the RPTS 484 course. These prerequisites are as follows:
- Completion of a minimum of 15 hours of RPTS courses, including RPTS 311, 340 and 481
- A major grade point ratio of 2.25 or above
- An overall grade point ratio of 2.0 or above
- Completion of a minimum of 80 hours total
Prior to Your Internship:
Complete Form A (Internship Course Application) when you know when you want to intern, but you have not yet secured a position.
As soon as you have secured a position, complete Form B (Organization Acceptance of Intern) so that the position can be reviewed and accepted for RPTS 484 credit. You may not begin logging hours before this has been submitted and approved, and it is very helpful to submit it well ahead of time.
Internship Form B: 6-credit Internship (RPTS majors only)
Internship Form B: 3-Credit Internship (open to RPTS majors, minors and students accepted to the PEMC)
Registration for RPTS 484:
RPTS Majors need 6 credits of RPTS 484 in their degree plan; pandemic policies allow substitution of 3 or 6 credits of RPTS electives. Contact an Advisor to discuss elective options. Select the “In Absentia” section if you are not taking other on-campus courses during the semester for which you’re registered (In Absentia students are not charged the Rec Center fee and a few other campus-specific fees). When you register on “Howdy,” change the default setting of zero credits to 6 credits by clicking on the numeral “0” and typing a “6.” Failure to do so will result in an incorrect bill until an RPTS Academic Advisor has time to revise your registration, requiring about 5 minutes of Advisor time per student.
Grading for RPTS 484:
- Four reports: 40%
- Website Assignment: 10%
- Self-evaluations: 5%
- Hour logs: 5% (signed by intern and supervisor)
- Performance evaluations by on-site supervisor: 40%