Abstract
A successful internship experience can provide invaluable learning experiences connecting students’ classroom knowledge to professional “know-how” in the field. Over the past three decades, post-secondary internship programs have flourished, generating considerable research literature from a variety of disciplinary perspectives; however, little is known about internships in dance. The purpose of this article was to describe the research, design, and implementation of an internship program as part of a required web-based course within an undergraduate BS program in dance professions. This curriculum research study presents the 1) development process and methodology; 2) literature review; 3) key internship elements; and 4) prototype internship manual. The author concludes with a discussion of challenges incorporating preliminary recommendations for the field.
Notes
1. The publication was renamed the Journal of Cooperative Education and Internships in 2003.
2. In addition to BS core courses (12 credits), students complete required dance courses in technique and performance (18 credits), dance studies (12 credits), cognates (6 credits), and capstone (3 credits).
3. Many Wayne State University students hold part-time jobs. Some undergraduates do not own or have access to a vehicle and have computer and Internet access only on campus.