Internships are currently becoming the capstone course for students in many degree programs as well as within many disciplines. Internships are exceptional experiences for students for practical employment advancement as well as potential employment entry, firsthand knowledge to recognizing the necessity of learning work skills, and development of career expectations and future goals
Internships cross many different business or government sectors and are found in different focused technical areas with national or international employers. Internships are performed by student interns in mining, manufacturing, oil and gas utilities, construction, loss control, government functions, research and many other areas. University of Central Missouri (UCM) Safety Science students have accepted internships in all of these areas. Safety Sciences at UCM encompasses the discipline areas of Safety Management and Industrial Hygiene for both undergraduate and graduate students. All Safety Science students are expected or encouraged if not required within their program of study to complete an internship prior to graduation.
Research in the field of internships has typically been focused on the evaluation of student's success, but there has been limited use of internship data to validate the success of the program's effectiveness. The data gathered from internship mid-term and final evaluations are a great resource for programs to use for continuous improvement and validation of program technical content for a top-notch educational experience for students.
