Internships

All students majoring in Recreation, Parks and Tourism must complete a 14-week (560 hours) internship as directed by the National Recreation and Park Association and American Association for Leisure and Recreation (NRPA/AALR) Council on Accreditation.  Upon successful completion of this experience, you will receive 12 credit hours.  This experience is considered by many educators and practitioners to be the most vital phase of professional preparation.  It provides you with the opportunity to make practical use of principles, methods, knowledge, and materials acquired in the academic program of study.  The application of theory in a practical setting gives meaning and fulfillment to the formal educational experience.

Your internship experience is done in a carefully selected agency under the supervision of an agency supervisor and a department internship supervisor.  Utilizing an agency internship survey form, the agency is screened and approved to meet departmental and accreditation requirements for an internship.  Approved and conditionally approved internship sites can be found through the Approved Agencies link below.

Note:  

RCPT 413 Professional Issues and RCPT 469 Pre Internship classes helps students prepare for their internships.  RCPT majors must attain a 2.5 GPA overall and 2.5 GPA in the major for enrollment in RCPT 413 Professional Issues and RCPT 470 Internship.

Resources:

The RCPT department has developed a structured process to obtain and complete the internship process. The following resources will serve as a guide:

Internship Manual [PDF]:  This link will lead you to the RCPT student internship manual.  All polices and procedures are outlined in this manual. This is an excellent place to start to find answers to basic questions.

Approved Agencies:  This link will lead you to the department’s approved internship sites. Lists are available for each concentration.

Internship Forms: This link will lead you to the required pre-internship forms. These forms will be completed and submitted when the students enrolls in RCPT 469.