Internship Requirements

Department of Health and Human Performance Internship Requirements

Internships are high-impact learning experiences that allow students to apply classroom knowledge in real-world professional settings. Through internship and seminar coursework, students gain hands-on experience, strengthen career readiness, build professional networks, and develop skills needed for future employment.

Required Internship Courses by Major

Exercise Science Students

Exercise Science students are required to complete the following co-requisite courses:

  • EXSC 406 Directed Field Experience
  • EXSC 421 Seminar in Exercise Science

These courses are typically completed during junior or senior year and serve as capstone experience for Exercise Science students. Students complete 100 internship hours with an organization that supports their career goals.

Sport Management Students

Sport Management students are required to complete the following co-requisite course sequences:

  • EXSC 406 Directed Field Experience
  • EXSC 421 Seminar in Exercise Science

and

  • SMGT 499 Internship in Sport Management
  • SMGT 421 Senior Seminar in Sport Management

Sport Management students complete both the Health and Human Performance internship experience and the Sport Management capstone internship sequence. Students complete 100 internship hours through EXSC 406/421 and 300 internship hours through SMGT 499.

EXSC 406 Directed Field Experience & EXSC 421 Seminar in Exercise Science

EXSC 406 and EXSC 421 are designed to help Exercise Science and Sport Management students connect academic learning with professional experience in the field. These courses are typically taken in junior or senior year and serve as a capstone experience. Students are required to complete 100 internship hours with an organization that supports their career goals. During the internship experience, students use critical thinking, written communication, data collection, and evidence-based reasoning to evaluate real-world outcomes and trends.

How do I secure an internship?

Students are responsible for locating and securing their own internship placements. Students are encouraged to begin this process during the semester before they plan to complete the internship.

An internship should align with the student’s career interests, strengthen the student’s resume, and provide meaningful opportunities to learn more about a chosen field or industry. This experience is designed to help students build professional skills, expand their networks, and gain valuable real-world experience.

A list of past internships can be found here.

How do I sign up for EXSC 406?

Once an internship location has been secured, students will fill out the Internship Agreement Form required by the Career Center. This form is a digital agreement between the student, site supervisor, and faculty supervisor. This serves to protect all parties during the internship. Once the form is completed, students will be cleared to register for the course.

What is required for EXSC 406 and EXSC 421?

Students are required to complete:

SMGT 499 Internship in Sport Management & SMGT 421 Senior Seminar in Sport Management

SMGT 499 and SMGT 421 are designed to help Sport Management students connect academic learning with professional experience in the sport industry. Together, these courses serve as the capstone experience for Sport Management majors and support students as they transition from the classroom to professional careers. SMGT 499 requires students to complete a minimum of 300 internship hours with a sport organization, allowing them to gain hands-on experience in areas such as sport marketing, event management, facility operations, athlete services, administration, customer relations, and other areas of the sport industry. SMGT 421 is taken as a co-requisite seminar with SMGT 499 and supports students during the internship process by focusing on career readiness, professional communication, resume cover letter development, interview preparation, job-search strategies, networking, and personal branding.

How do I secure a Sport Management internship?

Students are responsible for locating and securing their own internship placements. Students are encouraged to begin this process during the semester before they plan to complete the internship.

Students should identify a professional area of interest within Sport Management and seek an internship site that aligns with their career goals, strengthens their resume, and provides meaningful opportunities for professional growth.

How do I sign up for SMGT 499?

Once an internship location has been secured, students will fill out the Internship Agreement Form required by the Career Center. This form is a digital agreement between the student, site supervisor, and faculty supervisor. This serves to protect all parties during the internship. Once the form is completed, students will be cleared to register for the course.

What is required for SMGT 499 and SMGT 421?

Students are required to complete: