CEWIL Resource Hub: Internship at Brock University

Students receive two full academic credits for the internship: one for the theory behind the experience, and another for the reflective component, evaluation, and logistics. In addition to their time within the experience, students must identify their learning objectives, write a proposal paper, and write an academic paper. In order to qualify for the internship, students must maintain a 70% average and have completed 13 credits during their first three years within the Department of Sport Management.

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Key success factors

  • The internship allows students to take the knowledge they’ve gained in their first three (or three and a half) years of study and apply it to a real-world experience. While they’re embedded in a work experience during the internship, they must strike a balance between their work and various curricular duties.  
  • Students have helped to drive the internship program forward by sourcing individual internships for themselves and turning those employers into longer-term participants in the internship program. Students have also used internships as ladders to full-time employment after graduation.  

Unique characteristics

  • Some students precede their internship with a sport management field placement that introduces them to vital skills and the nature of working in the field. The two opportunities are similar, but the internship is more intensive and is supported by more theory. Students who complete both experiences are encouraged to make connections between the two.  

Challenges

  • Because the internship is more intensive and experiences higher enrolment than the field placement, it’s more complicated to manage. There are more components associated with off-site employers/partners and students need more support in order to be successful within their internships. 

Resources

Key characteristics

  • Type: Internship
  • Year program was established: 1997
  • Number of students per year: 110
  • Number of employers/partners per year: 80+
  • Programs/academic disciplines participating: Department of Sport Management
  • Duration of experience: 4 months (450 mandatory hours in the industry) 
  • Submitted by: Katie Desveaux