Internship Guidelines
Professor Betsy Goff:
Phone: (413) 545-4730;
Email: bgoff@sportmgt.umass.edu;
Office: 103 Skinner Hall
Professor Betsy Goff serves as the Director of Internships and is responsible for advising and placing students in sport management internship positions in the following sport industries:
- college athletic departments
- professional teams
- facilities and arenas
- collegiate associations and conferences
- sport marketing and promotion agencies
- sport federations
- various miscellaneous sport programs and organizations.
The internship is an on-the-job learning experience with a sport organization and is arranged for course credit. The six-credit course number is SPORTMGT 698. The internship is scheduled for a minimum of 13 weeks with at least 40 hours of work per week. However, many internships are arranged for a longer period by mutual agreement of the student and sponsor. Arrangements are finalized through an internship contract signed by the student, the sponsor, and the Department Head of the Department of Sport Management.
Eligibility
To be eligible for an internship arranged through the Department of Sport Management, a graduate student must complete eight courses for 24 credits with at least a "B" (3.0) cumulative average in those courses.
Compensation
Compensation for student interns varies considerably, depending on the needs and availability of students, resources of the sponsoring organization, the general market for interns, location of the internship site, and other variables. Generally speaking, an organization is able to obtain an intern from this program only if some form of financial assistance is available. However, some internships are not able to pay any kind of a stipend. Some organizations offer housing for interns while room and board are provided in other cases. Some organizations pay interns an hourly wage and others pay a fixed stipend. The amount and form of compensation are largely negotiable.
Academic Credit
To receive academic credit for the internship, the graduate student must be registered for six credits in SPORTMGT 698. The internship course is graded on a pass/fail basis. The grade is based on an evaluation submitted by the student's sponsor and an internship report submitted by the student. Following receipt of a satisfactory evaluation and internship report, the student receives credit for the internship and the Degree Eligibility form is signed by the department. It is the student's responsibility to submit the Degree Eligibility form to Professor Goff prior to leaving campus.
Placement
The placement of student interns is coordinated through [link]Betsy Goff, the Director of Internships. The department has standing arrangements with many sport organizations which regularly accept interns from our program.
The department also receives numerous inquiries from various organizations which seek interns on a one-time or periodic basis. In addition, a student may independently apply for an internship with a sport organization if the application has the approval of the Internship Advisor.
Other Guidelines
1. When the department receives notice of an internship opportunity, any eligible student may apply for that internship.
2. The department will make efforts to find an internship placement for any student who is interested and eligible for an internship. However, there is no assurance or obligation to provide internship placement with a specific kind of sport organization in a specific geographical location, or with financial compensation.
3. The student must complete a paper on a topic related to the internship as assigned by Betsy Goff, the Director of Internships. The paper must be received by the Director of Internships at least one week prior to the end of the internship.
4. The student must be prepared financially to pay tuition and fees during the internship semester. Graduate assistantships do not provide tuition waivers during internships.
5. The internship is intended as the last course to be taken before graduation.