Welcome, internship sites and supervisors!
Thank you for your interest in providing kinesiology students with the opportunity to serve as an internship under your supervision and mentorship. The experiences students gain through internships are invaluable, and your expertise and guidance provide them with a strong foundation.
Thank you for your time, energy, and service as you change the lives of these students, and the individuals they will serve in years to come.
Kinesiology Internship Overview
Length
Typical kinesiology internships are 90 hours over a 10-week term.
Learning Objectives
- To provide intensive field experience allowing for hands-on application of academic theories and principles.
- To receive an introduction to an organization within the kinesiology field to gain a better understanding of its design and structure.
- To develop an understanding of an organization's various management and technical skills, the communications techniques and the decision-making processes.
- To apply what was learned during coursework (theory, skill development, professionalism) to the working world.
- To allow the intern to assume appropriate responsibilities and be able to function with minimal supervision.
- To help the student make better kinesiology career choices in the future.
- To allow the student to prepare for their future non-internship job by seeking potential places of employment, practicing resume and cover letter preparation, gaining references, and interviewing if applicable.
3 steps to hosting an intern:
1. Check requirements
Before offering an internship to a student, please double check that your organization aligns with OSU’s Internship guidelines and employer responsibilities.
Affiliation Agreements
An Affiliation Agreement between Oregon State University and the training site/internship host is the preferred method to document the relationship, establish the responsibilities of all parties, and define the education objectives of the experience. The affiliation agreement lasts 3 years and allows professional liability coverage to follow the student to the site. Please refer to Internships and Risk Management Services for more information or contact the Cascades Career Development Center.
Background Checks
It is not OSU policy to perform background checks or hold medical records for vaccines for OSU students. OSU does not certify or vouch for the background of the students who participate in this experiential learning. You must conduct your own background check and obtain other information from the student if it is a site requirement.
Insurance
Students participating in the Kinesiology Internship Program receive professional liability coverage at $2,000,000 per occurrence, $3,000,000 aggregate. Please refer to Internships and Risk Management Services for more information or contact the Cascades Career Development Center.
Learning Agreements
Are required and included in the Handshake approval process. They indicate that all parties; the student, the site supervisor, and the faculty supervisor are going to fulfill their roles to help the student complete the learning objectives for the course.
2. Create a position description and advertise
If your organization would like to advertise an intern position to students, create a description of the position. Include: organization information, position description and title, required qualifications, and application process.
Follow instructions on Posting a job or internship on Handshake.
If a student contacts your organization, follow the steps below.
3. Select your intern and get started
Follow your organizations typical hiring process (i.e. request a resume, host an interview, review candidates, and make your selection). Notify student(s) of your selection. Coordinate with the selected student on start date, hours, schedule, logistics, etc.
The student will notify the Faculty Supervisor and start the Handshake experience process. The Site Supervisor will receive an email directly from Handshake with a prompt to view and approve the student’s internship. Please note that Handshake emails often go to junk or spam folders. Notify the student if you have not received an approval email.
Refer to the Employer and Site Supervisor Responsibilities for tips on how to best work with your intern.