Implementing a successful internship program : an honors thesis (HONRS 499)

As I complete my undergraduate course work, I realize that I have learned the most from my internship experiences. I will be graduating in May 2001 with a major in Sport Administration and a minor in Business. Being a collegiate athlete, I have always been close to sports, but my two internship experiences have given me a more extensive view of the sport industry into which I will be entering.Following both my sophomore and junior years, I interned during summer vacations at the Women's Sports Foundation in Long Island, New York and USA Track & Field in Indianapolis, Indiana respectively. Although both of these organizations are non-profit organizations, the experiences that I gained were entirely different. From the way the internship programs were implemented to the missions of the organizations, these two organizations within the sport industry were different.Because of my two internship experiences, I feel that internships are a very valuable part of a student's education. However, it does seem that too often internships offered to students are not at the level they should be. The intern may not be getting exposure to the field while at the same time the employer may not be benefiting the best they could from the intern. It is clear that implementing an internship program is a process that can take a lot of hard work and dedication if done properly.Due to my experiences, internship coordinating is now an interest that I have and would like to oversee someday in my career. The objective of this thesis is to develop an internship program that I could someday implement at an organization for which I work. Although having had two very different internships allowed me the opportunity to compare my experiences, I do realize that in no way do I know all there is to know about internships. In order to gain more opinions and information, I surveyed internship coordinators from a variety of industries to learn how their internship programs operate.Honors CollegeThesis (B.?.