Internship & Practicum FAQs

A practicum or internship provides students with hands-on experience to apply classroom knowledge, develop professional skills, and explore career paths. It helps shape their professional identity, enhances employability, and offers networking opportunities with industry professionals. Through real-world practice, students gain valuable feedback, refine their skills, and build confidence in their chosen field.

Yes.

If you are a Kinesiology major, KNS 260N is a required course for graduation; however, KNS 426 is optional and will satisfy a departmental elective, a professional elective, and/or an unrestricted elective requirement.

If you are a Sport Management major, RSM 290N, RSM 390N, and RSM 490N are all required courses for graduation.

If you are a Therapeutic Recreation major, RSM 294N, RSM 394N, and RSM 494N are all required courses for graduation.

One section is reserved for students completing their internship in the Knoxville area and/or will be using on-campus resources during the semester. The other section is reserved for students completing their internship outside of the Knoxville area.

All undergraduate practicums and internships in the KRSS department will span from the beginning to the end of the enrolled semester. All hours must be completed by the due date listed in the course syllabus.

You are required to find your field experience site.

If you have done everything you can and given a valiant effort to finding and securing a site but are still running into difficulties, there are a few options available to you:

1. Check your major’s Canvas page. There are lots of opportunities regularly posted there as they come across our desks.
2. Ask your colleagues!
3. Email KRSSinternships@utk.edu.

Email KRSSinternships@utk.edu to have your site reviewed.

Kinesiology and Therapeutic Recreation majors may only complete their practicum or internship hours at one location. Likewise, Sport Management majors enrolled in RSM 290N or RSM 390N may only use one site to satisfy the requirements of their practicum.

Sport Management students enrolled in RSM 490N are permitted to use two sites to satisfy the requirements of their internship.

Yes, placements can be completed all over the country and even internationally!

It depends. If you wish to use the same site a second time, you must work with your site supervisor to develop a proposal outlining how the second experience will differ from the first. You may use this link to submit your proposal. The field experience coordinators and course instructors will review your proposal at their earliest convenience and either approve or reject the proposal. In either case, the site must continue to meet the course requirements.

Your experience can be paid or unpaid. That is between you and your site.

Hours completed before the semester starts will not be permitted to count toward the hour requirement in the course. Likewise, hours completed before the student has received approval from the field experience coordinators will not be permitted to count toward the hour requirement in the course, regardless of whether the semester has started.

For Kinesiology majors:

• To enroll in KNS 260N, students must have completed KNS 200.
• To enroll in KNS 426, students must have completed KNS 260N and have declared Kinesiology as their major.

For Sport Management majors:

• To enroll in RSM 290N, students must have completed RSM 250 with a C or better and have a 2.5 GPA at the time of enrollment.
• To enroll in RSM 390N, students must have completed RSM 290N with a C or better and have a 2.5 GPA at the time of enrollment.
• To enroll in RSM 490N, students must have completed RSM 390N with a C or better and have a 2.5 GPA at the time of enrollment.

For Therapeutic Recreation majors:

• To enroll in RSM 294N, students must have completed RSM 201 with a C or better and have a 2.5 GPA at the time of enrollment.
• To enroll in RSM 394N, students must have completed RSM 294N with a C or better and have a 2.5 GPA at the time of enrollment.
• To enroll in RSM 494N, students must have completed RSM 394N with a C or better, BMCB 230, EEB 250, and EEB 251, and all TR coursework with a C or better.

• Affiliation Agreement
• Public School Placement Procedures
• Background check
• Drug screen
• Immunization record/waivers
• Physical
• Basic Life Support or First Aid/CPR
• Orientations
• Attestations
• HIPAA Confidentiality Agreement
• Personal health insurance
• Clinical Practical Training (for international students only)
• Minors Training (for students working with children under the age of 18)
• Site Repeat

Site supervisors must be qualified professionals with sufficient knowledge and expertise to provide effective guidance. They should be employed in at least a part-time capacity at the facility or organization.

A site supervisor must not be an undergraduate student, an unqualified graduate student, a close friend, or a family member of the student. This ensures objectivity, professionalism, and impartiality in supervision.

Yes. You may work where a family member or close friend also works. However, you may not use a family member or close friend as a supervisor (whether formal, direct, or secondary).

Responsibilities for interns are outlined in detail in the KRSS Field Experience Handbook.

Students in all three KRSS majors can expect to complete at least the following:

• Timesheet submissions
• Reflections
• A thank you note to their site supervisor at the end of their field experience
• An evaluation of their site/sit supervisor

Each course will also have additional assignments and projects, which can be found in the course syllabus.

Major	Course	Hours
Kinesiology	KNS260N Practicum in Kinesiology	50
Kinesiology	KNS426 Practicum in Kinesiology II	50-300
Sport Management	RSM290N Sport Management Practicum I	120
Sport Management	RSM 390N Sport Management Practicum II	120
Sport Management	RSM 490N Sport Management Internship	480
Therapeutic Recreation	RSM294N Therapeutic Recreation Practicum I	120
Therapeutic Recreation	RSM394N Therapeutic Recreation Practicum II	120
Therapeutic Recreation	RSM494N Therapeutic Recreation Internship	560

Yes!

You can reach out to your course instructor if you have concerns about your field experience.

First things first, talk with your site supervisor about the issue(s) calmly and professionally. If you have done this and the issue(s) continue, reach out to your course instructor.

As you go through your practicum or internship, there are several resources available to you. Those include the KRSS Field Experience Handbook, the Field Experience coordinators, and your course instructor. Always check the handbook and your course syllabus first! If you cannot find the answer to your question after that, you can reach out to the Field Experience Coordinators (KRSSinternships@utk.edu) for matters of administration and getting started or your course instructor for matters related to the academic content of the course.

It depends. If you have addressed the issue with your site supervisor and the situation has not improved, reach out to your course instructor. They will talk with you about your options.

If you have an extenuating circumstance, please reach out to your course instructor as soon as possible and be ready to provide any documentation that you may have (documentation is key!). They will work with you to ensure that you are able to complete the course.

Yes. Once you are enrolled in the course, you will automatically be billed for the University-provided Student Liability Insurance by the Bursar’s Office. The cost is $10 USD per policy year, which runs from June 1 of one year to May 31 of the following year. If your site is requesting a Certificate of Insurance, email KRSSinternships@utk.edu.

Yes, you are required to follow your site’s confidentiality rules (i.e., HIPAA, FERPA).

Possibly. You are expected to work with your site supervisor to develop a work schedule that is conducive to your school schedule as well as your site supervisor’s schedule and needs. This could mean that you will work evenings, weekend days, and/or during UT breaks (like spring break, fall break, etc.). Make sure to confirm whether this is the case for your site before you accept an offer.

If time off is needed, you should communicate with your site supervisor as soon as possible. Treat this like you would a job!

Your first step is to complete the KRSS Field Experience Incident Report Form, then reach out to your course instructor via email or during their student support hours.

Failing to meet the expectations of your site or the university will result in a failing or non-passing grade in the course.