The Internship Experience (KIN 4963 -150 hours or KIN 4966 -300 hours) is a required course for juniors and seniors seeking a degree in Kinesiology.
The internship should be completed during the junior or senior semester of the degree; however, under extenuating circumstances students may be granted an exemption to complete the internship in an earlier semester. The Internship provides students with the opportunity to apply and integrate the cognitive knowledge and skills acquired in other Kinesiology courses in real-world settings. As a department, we are here to support you in this authentic experience as you begin to transition into your career field upon completion of the internship program and graduation. We look forward to working with you throughout your internship semester.
Course Description
This course is designed to provide a supervised internship with an agency that closely mirrors your career aspirations in exercise science, wellness, coaching, and kinesiology and health science. Students enrolled in the course must complete 150 or 300 hours of work experience at the internship site. This equates to approximately 10 or 20 hours of internship hours per week (Fall/Spring) and 15 or 30 hours per week (Summer).
- The recommended standard hours to take would be 12 credit hours, which includes the internship course. For the summer, it can be up to 9 credit hours including the internship course.
- If students want to take more than 12 credit hours including the internship for fall or spring and more than 9 credit hours for the summer, then that would need to be petitioned.
- Students must petition to do the internship if their UTSA GPA is below 2.75.
- Students should be aware that the mandatory meeting must be attended to receive any paperwork for site selections. Students will be emailed when this meeting is scheduled.
Students who follow the previous catalog (prior to the Fall of 2024) and are required to take this internship course to complete their degree plan must register for the 6-credit course KIN 4966.
Frequently Asked Questions
Please work with your academic advisor to register for this course necessary for your degree plan. They will check if you meet the requirements before enrolling on either course. Once registration opens, you will need to register for KIN 4963 (150 hours) or KIN 4966 (300 hours) as recommended by your advisor.
You must complete 150 or 300 hours at your site before the end of the academic semester.
Kinesiology students will be guided by the Internship Coordinator of the Kinesiology department that has established collaborations with several internship sites. Each site provides slightly different learning experiences and exposure to different fields within Kinesiology. After registration for KIN 4963 or KIN 4966, students will receive an email from the Kinesiology Internship Coordinator for a scheduled MANDATORY meeting before receiving documents for site selections. Once received, students are encouraged to do their research on each possible site to decide what sites will serve them best. Students will be asked to submit five sites according to their interest. The internship coordinator will coordinate connecting students to the different sites based on availability and student interest.
The internship sites that the Department of Kinesiology offers already agreed to accepting interns, so no application process is needed. However, resumes may be requested by site supervisor since most internship sites have only a limited number of internship spots while student demand may be exceeding. Therefore, most sites conduct preliminary interviews with interested students and select the students they wish to work with. Interviews are scheduled and conducted by the site supervisor.
Please contact the Kinesiology Internship Coordinator with more information about the type of internship you desire.
No, please view the list of sites on the Kinesiology Internship website to view the complete list of sites that are partners with the Kinesiology Department. The internship coordinator may be able to further explain sites and work with you to identify a location that would provide you the desired experience relevant to your future career aspirations.
No, we would like you to choose another location to get a different experience for this course.
No, your internship hours must be completed at a different location than where you currently work.
In the fall and spring, you would work 10 (KIN 4963) or 20 (KIN 4966) hours per week for 15 weeks. In the summer, you would work 15 (KIN 4963) or 30 (KIN 4966) hours per week for 10 weeks.
KIN 4963/4966 is intended to give real life experience and teach job skills directly related to your desired career by immersing yourself into the professional work force in the final semester prior to your graduation. In contrast, KIN 4933 and KIN 4913 can be taken at any point during your education and serves as a firsthand experience in research by joining a faculty member in their research lab for a semester.
Internship Preparation
Before:
- Set goals for yourself
- Create a schedule and stick to it
- Clarify the dress code
- Prepare to be open minded to a new experience
- Review your position description and the company's mission
During:
- Take initiative
- Be professional and on time
- Say "yes" to opportunities
- Ask questions and get feedback
- Reflect on your goals
- Share your goals with your supervisor
- Show enthusiasm and passion
- Communicate openly with your supervisor and peers
After:
- Reflect on your complete experience
- Ask for feedback
- Identify new skills and add them to your resume
- Stay in touch withy your supervisor and peers
- Show interest in future opportunities
- Send a thank you card
