Internship FAQ’s
Q: What is the process for getting registered?
A: In order: 1) attend a Mandatory Internship Meeting at the start of the semester preceding when you are planning on doing your internship (i.e. August if you are doing a spring semester internship), 2) find a site, 3) email Keri Morrison and get her permission (see below), 4) once approved go to KIN 492 / 493 website and complete the Application to Enroll in KIN 492 / 493 & upload the requested documents (email of approval including the answered questions & if needed a scanned pdf of ALL pages of the affiliation agreement), 5) you will be enrolled in the class.
Email Keri Morrison at .
Answer the following questions (place your answers under my questions)-
1. Have you attended a Mandatory Internship Meeting?
If so, when did you attend?
2. What semester would you like to enroll?
3. KIN 492 or 493?
4. How many TOTAL credits will you have at the start of the semester that
you plan to take your internship? i.e. Are you a senior (>88 credits)?
5. If you are completing the KIN 493 internship, have you taken KIN 411?
If not, what semester do you plan on taking it?
6. Is your internship going to be out of state?
If so, what state?
NOTE: If you intend to complete your internship in a state other than Michigan, please email Keri Morrison right away! Certain states require a letter of intent that MUST be submitted by the Department of Kinesiology and approved by both the internship coordinator and the Provost’s office 60 days in advance of the internship.
7. What/where/with whom would you like to take your internship?
8. Is the proposed site supervisor one of your relatives or someone with a
relationship that could be conceived of someone with a conflict of
interest?
9. What are the credentials of your site supervisor?
10. What will your specific job duties be?
11. Identify your cognate and explain why this internship would be
beneficial to you in your cognate.
***No attachments please, email format only.
Q: What is the 80 / 20 Rule?
A: As a general rule, approximately 80% of the internship work/hours completed by students must reflect the worthwhile competencies of the broad based field of Kinesiology (examples: Exercise, Fitness, Sport, Human Movement, Therapeutic or Rehabilitation practices). The decision as to whether or not an internship or internship hours meet this requirement lies with the instructor of record for the internship courses.
Q: When does D2L become available?
A: The first day of class for the semester you are enrolled in.
Q: When should I start looking for a site?
A: Rule of thumb is at the start of the semester preceding when you are planning on doing your internship (i.e. September if you are doing a spring semester internship). However, you should start earlier if you are planning on doing it in the spring semester as this is typically the most competitive time of year to find something.
Q: Am I responsible for finding my own internship site?
A: Yes you are.
There is a list of internship sites available on the internship website-
http://www.education.msu.edu/kin/undergrad/kinesiology/493Internship.asp
Other internship sites can be found at MySpartanCareer at http://careernetwork.msu.edu.
You should contact any of these sites that you are potentially interested in and inquire about available internships. The responsibilities of the site are to supervise and evaluate your performance. They should also be at least peripherally involved in the development of your proposal.
Q: What if I want to do an internship at a site that’s not on the list?
A: If you wish to use an internship site that has not been approved, your site must fill out an affiliation agreement and sign it. However, Keri Morrison can veto a site if she feels that it’s inappropriate. NOTE: If your internship is at a hospital that we do not have a current affiliation agreement with, I would highly suggest you start the affiliation agreement process at least 2-3 months prior to your internship starting.
Q: What if my internship is out of state?
A: If you intend to complete your internship in a state other than Michigan, please email Keri Morrison right away! Certain states require a letter of intent that MUST be submitted by the Department of Kinesiology and approved by both the internship coordinator and the Provost’s office 60 days in advance of the internship.
Q: How many credits of KIN 492 / 493 do I need to graduate?
A: You need 3 credits of KIN 492 / 493.
Q: Can I register for 2 credits of internship?
A: No, you cannot register for 2 credits; you must enroll in a minimum of 3 credits.
Q: I want/need to do an internship at two separate sites. Is this OK and what do I do about the assignments?
A: Yes, that is allowed. Ask Keri Morrison for permission to do so. If the 2 sites are very similar with similar job duties (i.e. 2 physical therapy sites) you may turn in just one proposal and one final report. In addition, place your weekly reports and journals in the same document on the same page; just be sure to label each site. However, if they are 2 completely different sites you will need to turn in 2 proposals and 2 final reports. You will need to have each site complete a mid-term & final evaluation.
Q: What is the biggest, worst mistake I can make and become that rare species of individuals with a bad grade on the internship?
A: Glad you asked. Although Keri Morrison is amazingly compassionate and understanding, nothing sets her off like a student who doesn’t turn in any assignments until the end of the course. This is usually coupled with such intelligent comments as “Wow, I just found out that we had to turn this in” or the equally ineffective “However, I did work really hard during my internship.” You obviously did not come to a mandatory internship meeting or even read the syllabus for that matter and you will not get a very good grade in this course. Please, please, please, please turn in your assignments in a timely manner. You will get due credit for your work and we will all have a good semester. Of course the fact that you are reading this probably means that you have the good sense to follow instructions and I’m typing this just to ventJ
Q: How many hours do I have to work?
A: 60 hours per credit earned. That means 180 hours for a 3 credit internship.
Q: Do I still have to work that amount of hours if something happens and I’m not able to work a couple of weeks?
A: Yes.
Q: What if I get sick?
A: Doesn’t matter.
Q: Death in family?
A: Still have to do 180 hours for a 3 credit internship.
Q: Will I receive an “Incomplete” if I have not finished the required hours by the end of the semester?
A: It depends; please see the policy regarding “Incompletes" found in Academic Programs.
http://www.reg.msu.edu/AcademicPrograms/Text.asp?Section=112#s529
Q: What if I finish my hours early in the semester?
A: If that happens, you have the flexibility of getting your final report and supervisor evaluation in early or at the end of the semester with everyone else. I cannot, however, submit any grades until the semester is completed.
Q: When are final reports due?
A: Please read the syllabus.
Q: If I’m doing an internship in the summer, do I have to complete it in the first session or full session?
A: For the summer semester, there are now 2 sections of KIN 492 / 493 to choose from. Section 101 is for the first half of the summer semester and Section 001 is for the full summer semester.
Q: I am going on Spring Break, do I still need to turn in my journal and excel weekly hours spreadsheet?
A: Yes and no. Your journal and hours spreadsheet are still due for the week prior to Spring Break, so be sure to turn them into the drop box before you take off. However, please do not turn anything into the drop box the Monday after Spring Break since you did not work any hours. In the following drop box, just be sure to label that week still and put that you were gone and did not work that week. This also applies if you are sick or gone for any other reason.
Q: I am trying to download my assignments to the drop box on D2L and they are not there, what should I do?
A: Please DO NOT contact the TA or or myself, we are not computer techsJ If you are using a Mac computer, you must use Firefox to submit all files to D2L. You will find that Safari does not successfully connect to the D2L site. If this does not work or you are unsure how to download Firefox to your computer, please contact the D2L helpline at 1-800-500-1554.
Q: Can I count internship hours if I am not enrolled in KIN 492 / 493?
A: No, you cannot! You must be enrolled in KIN 492 / 493 in order to start counting your internship hours! AND you must have a signed Affiliation Agreement in place!
Q: What if I would like to start my internship before the semester starts?
A: You may NOT start your internship early! The earliest you can start is the first day of the semester.
Q: What is the drop / add policy for KIN 492 / 493?
A: IMPORTANT: There are no exceptions to the following. The add/drop dates for KIN 492 / 493 are the same as for any course at MSU. These are set by the university and always described on the Registrar’s website. You are responsible for knowing these dates. You cannot late add or late drop KIN 492 / 493. If you do not add/drop the course by the official dates you will get no refund and/or you will receive a zero point, and YOU WILL NOT GRADUATE.