Proposal for Change

MAN 4940 Management Internship

Current Catalog Requirements for MAN 4940

Management Internship (MAN 4940) 1-4 credits
Prerequisite: Junior standing
Internships provide students with an opportunity to gain valuable practical experience under the guidance of supervisor (mentor) in the work setting, as well as a professor in the academic setting. Goals are to give students insights into the operations of businesses and organizations and allow them to hone their managerial skills in a real-world setting.

Overall assessment of the current offering:

An undergraduate student can meet current requirements to enroll in MAN 4940 merely by completing the sophomore year (transition to Junior status with only 60 hours), having at best completed two semesters of accounting and economics and perhaps GEB 2011 (Introduction to Business). Additionally, by department policy in place, the student would need to have a minimum FAU GPA of 2.5 and upper-division business course GPA of 2.75 (or instructor approval) to be approved for an internship for credit.

Premise for Change of Current Course Descriptions/Eligibility to Enroll in an Internship for Credit:

The current course descriptions and approval for College of Business students to register for internships for academic credit are not uniform in either the academic rigor or the entry level skills (both academic foundation and business experience).

Proposal for Modification to MAN 4940

In regard to the more stringent requirements in the Health Administration and Marketing programs, as well as the Hospitality Management field experience courses, the following prerequisite changes are proposed to the requirements for MAN 4940:

  1. Business Major
  2. Senior standing
  3. Overall FAU GPA 2.5 or greater
  4. Completion (with a minimum of a C grade) of MAN 3025 (Management Concepts and Applications), completion of three additional hours in core courses, plus either MAN 4046 (Leadership, Supervisory Skills and Team Development), MAN 3611 (Cross-Cultural Human Relations and Negotiations) or ENT 4024 (Entrepreneurship), or consent of instructor
  5. Instructor approval of the intended internship
  6. MAN 4940 must be applied for in previous semester of the intended internship.

Comparison with Other Department/Program Internships for Credit:

Please find below, a review of current internships for credit within the purview of the Management Programs Department of the College of Business, with a recommendation for revision of course description of MAN 4940.

Comparison of MAN 4940 with Other Department/Program Internships for Credit:

The Departments ofAccounting, Economics and Finance, Health Administration, Hospitality Management, and Marketing provide several options to students seeking an internship experience.

The Accounting Department allows students to secure an internship for elective credit through the Management Department’s supervision (currently Dr. Ser oversees the academic course approvals and facilitates the academic internship courses). Students in the Accounting Scholar program are provided a separate, required accounting internship.

Economics and Finance do not provide any specific internship courses, and allow students to experience an internship through the Management Department’s supervision.

Health Administration requires a Health Practicum course (HSA 4817) as part of the degree program.

Health Practicum (HSA 4817) 6 credits
Prerequisites: Open only to Health Administration seniors with permission of instructor; Application must be made during previous semester and the following criteria must be met: 1) has successfully completed the other core courses in Health Administration, 2) has an overall grade point average of 2.5 or better in courses attempted at FAU, 3) has successfully completed at least 33 credits at the upper-division level, 4) is a program major, and 5) is not on academic probation.
A course that requires the senior student in Health Administration to function in a participant observer role in a health facility in order to develop a written management project that is an issue, problem or goal (of the facility).

Prerequisite for the HSA 4817 includes completion of six HSA core courses, minimum FAU GPA of 2.5, completion of at least 33 upper-division (3000-level or above) credits and three other required business and writing courses, Health Administration major, and not be on academic probation. Senior standing is specified, as is permission of instructor. Students applying for the Practicum must apply during the previous semester.

Hospitality Management has no internship, per se. It does have two “field experience” courses. HFT 4941 is conducted in the domestic hospitality industry, with 0 credit. HFT 4955 is conducted outside the US, for 3 credits.

Field Experience in Hospitality (HFT 4941) 0 credit
Prerequisite: HFT 3003
Students must complete 1,000 clock hours of satisfactory, verifiable work experience in the hospitality industry as a major or 500 clock hours of satisfactory, verifiable work experience in the hospitality industry as a minor. This work experience must be progressive and/or varied, meaning that the student must move into a more responsible position during the last half of the field experience or the student must work in different segments/positions of the hospitality industry during their tenure. Grading: S/U

International Field Experience in Hospitality Management (HFT 4955) 3 credits
Prerequisite: HFT 3003
This course permits students to study the hospitality management industry outside of the United States through a personalized visit to a particular destination. The study tour focuses on general tourism promotional activities of the destination, analysis and personal visits of hospitality venues operating in the destination, and a thorough, written comparative analysis to hospitality operations found in the United States.

Marketing offers three distinct internship options for Marketing majors:

Advertising Internship (MAR 4940) 2-3 credits
Prerequisites: MAR 3326 and either MAR 4331 or MAR 4334, senior standing, and permission of instructor.
The advertising internship offers the advanced undergraduate student who has selected a career in the field of advertising practical laboratory learning experiences under the direction of professional executives and educators while employed in the area of advertising.

MAR 4940 (Advertising) requires MAR 3326 (Principles of Advertising) and MAR 4331 ((Media Strategy and Tactics) or MAR 4334 (Creative Advertising Strategy Concepts and Design). Additionally, students must have attained Senior standing, be a Marketing major, and receive instructor permission.

Internship in Retailing (MAR 4945) 2 or 3 credits
Prerequisites: MAR 4231, senior marketing major, and permission of instructor
Directed learning experience to develop skills and apply theories to practices in retail organizations. Following a training plan, the intern will research all major functional areas while employed in an approved retail firm.

MAR 4945 (Internship in Retailing) requires MAR 4231 (Retail Management), which itself requires MAR 3023 or equivalent. Additionally, students must be a Marketing major, attained Senior standing and receive instructor permission.

Sales Management Internship (MAR 4946) 2 or 3 credits
Prerequisites: MAR 4403, senior standing, and permission of instructor
The sales management internship offers the advanced undergraduate student who has selected a career in the field of sales management practical laboratory learning experiences under the direction of professional executives and educators while employed in the marketing area of sales management.

MAR 4946 (Sales Management Internship) requires MAR 4403 (Sales and Sales Management), which also requires MAR 3023. Additionally, Senior standing and instructor permission are required.

By comparison, the Management Internship for Credit options are elective business credit only. The MAN 4940 course, described at the beginning of this proposal, is relatively easy to qualify for at an earlier stage of the undergraduate degree program.