The best learning environment takes place by being exposed to hands-on opportunities in the field. All exercise science and fitness management and personal training majors participate in internships through the department. Physical education teacher education majors will work through the School of Education for student teaching experience.
All you have to do to get started is to review the course requirements and confirm prerequisites with the help of your degree map at one.iu.edu.
If you are on an exercise science or fitness management and personal training plan of study, you must complete all prerequisite courses listed below with a grade of C or better.
Exercise science majors are required to complete:
BIOL-N 261 (or BIOL-K 101)
BIOL- N 217 (or BIOL-K 103)
KINE-P 215
KINE-P 246
KINE-P 258
KINE-P 373
KINE-P 374
KINE-P 403
KINE-P 409
KINE-P 410 (may be completed as prerequisite or co-requisite)
KINE-P 417
KINE-P 419
KINE-P 420
KINE-P 443
Fitness management & personal training majors are required to complete:
KINE-P 410 (may be completed as prerequisite or co-requisite)
KINE-P 417
KINE-P 419
KINE-P 420
KINE-P 443
You need to have met all prerequisite requirements listed to take KINE-P 393.
KINE-P 443 is a graded class; you must obtain C or higher to continue with KINE-P 393.
KINE-P 393 is a seven credit S/F course, meaning you earn either a satisfactory or a fail grade. If you pass the course, your grade point average is not affected. If you fail the course, your grade point average will be negatively impacted.
The internship director awards the grade, not the site supervisor.
The grading criteria includes your performance on the quality of your portfolio, on ratings you receive from your site supervisor on two formal evaluations, on how well you follow timelines for submitting various assignments, and whether or not you did submit all materials.
Within the first two weeks, there will be some informational forms and professional goals due at the start of the semester. You will also be required to develop a portfolio, which will be worked on both at your internship site and during time outside your regular internship hours. There will be a portfolio discussion and a one-hour exit interview with the director at the conclusion of your internship. There will also be a mid-term and final evaluations.
Additionally, you will need to check Canvas frequently for emails and announcements related to your internship course. The internship director will make at least one visit or phone call interview during your internship. A second visit or phone call will happen only if necessary.
You may take a maximum of six credit hours. You should devote most of your energy to top-notch performance in your internship.
For the KINE-P 443 class, you may take as many credit hours as needed to maintain your normal academic load.
The director will be contacting you regularly–by email, Canvas, or by phone–throughout your internship experience to check in.
Go to the Canvas site weekly for general announcements, updates, and more. There will be specific times when you are to required to connect with the director, such as the second week to send goal statements, coordinate the director’s visits to your site, and during internship evaluations for the mid-term and final evaluation.
Internship course registration
If you’re looking to register for KINE-P 443, make sure you’ve met with your academic advisor and confirmed all the required prerequisites. Then submit the KINE-P 443 course intent form. After completing the form, if you’ve met internship eligibility requirements, you will be given instructions for registering for the section that fits your schedule.
You must complete KINE-P 443 as your first internship course.
These steps outline what you need to do to register for the KINE-P 393 course. For this external internship course, you must also complete the application and onboarding processes that are required by your internship site.
Start by meeting with your academic advisor to confirm prerequisite classes.
Begin to consider the things you want to get out of the internship.
Attend one of the internship informational meetings held each semester. Meeting details will be announced in the department e-newsletter toward the beginning of the fall and spring semesters.
Check out and visit potential sites from the department’s directory of approved sites–obtained when you take KINE-P 443 or by contacting the Director of the Kinesiology Internship Programs. Narrow your list to your top two or three choices.
The semester before your internship, complete the KINE-P 393 course intent form online to be reviewed by the internship director.
The internship director will notify you within 14 days whether or not you have met internship eligibility requirements.
If approved for KINE-P 393, the internship director will advise you to proceed with applying to a position at your preferred internship sites. If not approved, the director will advise you on what steps to take to earn eligibility.
Once the internship director notifies you of your internship eligibility for KINE-P 393, submit your application, cover letter, and resumé to your top internship sites. You will also need to go online and register for KINE-P 393.
Notify the internship director of your internship application status, whether offered or declined a position. If unable to find or be accepted at your top sites, then immediately contact the director to identify other potential internship sites. Stay informed and prompt with this process; delays make it harder to find internships.
Attend the send-off meeting for interns—held two to three weeks prior to the start of the upcoming semester. Failure to attend this meeting may jeopardize your internship eligibility.
For the best chance of placement in the internship course, be sure to check SHHS Undergraduate E-News each semester for the priority consideration dates. Generally, the recommendation is the submit the forms following this schedule:
For fall internships submit by the end of May or the first week in June.
For spring internships submit by the beginning of October.
For summer internships submit by the beginning of March.
If you miss the priority consideration date, complete the form as soon as possible or contact the internship director immediately to discuss your situation. The longer you wait, the more limited your options will be.
Internship site selection
You can start exploring internship opportunities a year before doing your intended internship. You do not need permission to investigate or visit a prospective site. You are in a fact-finding or information-gathering phase regarding your internship. Inform prospective internship sites that you will need to be declared eligible and your internship form approved by the internship director before you will be authorized to accept a position at a potential host site for internship credit.
The department maintains a directory of approved sites also known as the DAS. The DAS consists of organizations that have hosted a kinesiology intern in the past or have expressed an interest in hosting a kinesiology intern in the future.
If you find a promising site not on in the DAS, check out the details, and email kineint@iu.edu to discuss your findings. Additional sites may be added to the DAS depending on the location of the potential site and the site’s ability to provide a quality experience for student interns. However, do not assume that you are automatically permitted to do an internship at a site that is not in the DAS.
Consult with the internship director to help narrow your search in finding an internship suitable for your long-term goals.
The department maintains the DAS as a way of making sure that the sites are clear about what we expect of interns. It also ensures that they can provide adequate supervision for students. For instance, the site supervisor should have a degree in a related area and proper certifications, as well as be willing to mentor the student intern.
Potential sites out of the Indianapolis area are much less likely to be approved because of limited resources the department has for supervising you as an intern.
You are looking for a site or sites that suit your needs, goals, and interests. The better research you do ahead of time, the more likely you are to locate a site that meets your expectations for the internship experience.
Criteria you should consider:
Does the site match your goals for the internship?
What is that site’s internship application process?
What is the deadline to apply for the internship?
When are internship applicants notified of acceptance?
Is an internship program already in place or will you be the first?
Will you be the only intern or will there be several?
Who is the internship coordinator? What is his/her contact information? Talk with that person about the internship.
Will selling memberships or personal training packages be part of the internship? If so, find out more about it. Decide if selling is for you.
Is site orientation and training part of the internship? Or are you expected to learn as you go without a formal orientation?
What are the hours? Will you work weekends or split shifts?
When can you start?
Probably not, but check with the internship director about a possible exception. However, keep in mind the point of doing an internship is to learn new things and new ways of doing things. This is more difficult to achieve at a place you’re familiar with from working at since you know their ways and techniques.
You should not move forward with the internship if you want it to count toward your internship credit for KINE-P 393. Contact the internship director to discuss your interest in a site not currently on the DAS.
Before you contact the director, you should gather specific information about the site including the internship contact person, the name of the organization, address, phone, fax, website address, email, and potential duties of an intern.
The director is responsible for contacting potential sites, checking to see if that site hosts interns, and requesting that the supervisor submits an internship host site application with the department.
Each internship site has its own set of deadlines and procedures for internships. You will need to determine the deadlines of the sites you are interested in. Be responsible for getting your materials in on time. Some sites set deadlines as early as 12 months or more in advance, others will take applications very close to the start date, and many sites have deadlines somewhere in between. Let the internship director know if your selected site has an earlier deadline than the internship programs require.
When you are discussing internship possibilities with prospective internship sites, ask whether the site requires it and then ask if they provide it or expect you to provide your own coverage. Some internship sites provide interns with liability insurance coverage; others do not. In some instances, sites may require that you show proof of liability insurance coverage before you will be allowed to start your internship.
The internship director maintains a list of inexpensive liability insurance options. If you’re needing liability insurance check with the director to explore potential sources of coverage.
Internship hours and duration
Discuss the schedule expectations when you interview. Find out what hours the site will require and consider if that will work for you.
A site may ask you to work a split shift (e.g., Tuesday–Saturday from 5:30–9 a.m. and 4:30–8 p.m. or 8 a.m.–3 p.m. weekdays plus every other Saturday). Consider if the schedule will work for you and discuss it with the site before you accept the position.
This depends on when your internship site needs and expects you to start. And, it depends on how flexible that site is in accommodating commitments in your schedule.
Ask about the potential start date when you interview at the site to find out the expected starting and ending dates. As far as the department is concerned, you may start as soon as the previous semester or summer session ends. We do not want anything to interfere with your present academic work and responsibility. Any exceptions to this timing must be cleared by the internship director.
The minimum requirement is 350 hours for those taking the KINE-P 393 for seven credit hours. Some host sites may have internships that last longer. You will need to decide if you are willing to accept an internship that is longer than required by your plan of study.
There are several ways to configure those 350 hours. It depends on what the host site needs or expects and what you and the site supervisor negotiate at the onset. Some sites have very fixed daily and weekly schedules, while others will accommodate your schedule to some extent.
Discuss the options before you accept an internship offer. The department does not care that you finish earlier than the time frame of a regular semester. The goal is to accomplish an internship in as much a full-time capacity as possible.
Even if the internship is not paid, it must consist of 350 hours for the seven credit hour internship course. We ask that you devote a majority of your time to the internship and work only a few additional hours a week at another job.
We advise students in the kinesiology department that an internship is a requirement. You should plan ahead so that the internship fits into your schedule and financial plan.
The department expects interns to follow the schedule of your internship site. Be sure to talk with your internship supervisor during your interview or the first week of your internship if you want to discuss options for holidays or days off.
Many sites provide this option. Inquire about opportunities during your initial interview or shortly thereafter. Jobs range from covering the front desk, working with personal training clients, or staffing special events.
Keep in mind that you need to be rested, sharp, and effective during your internship hours. Avoid working too many extra income producing hours that you compromise your internship performance.
With my Ascension internship, I have been given many amazing opportunities to see Phase 1 through Phase 3 cardiac rehab as well as stress testing and seeing the cath lab. It's been great to have hands-on experiences I can take with me to any work environment.
