A fundamental part of your education is your participation in clinical experiences.
Clinicals include any field experience—practicum, internship or volunteer hours—in on- or off-campus learning environments that provide you with real-world, hands-on clinical practice. Learning to synthesize theory into practicality will help you transition from student to professional.
The internship experience is a sequence of two courses; ES 450 Internship I LEC (1-credit) followed by ES 451 Internship II LAB (12-credits). The internship is a valuable experiential learning opportunity, which is the process of learning through hands-on experience and reflection. This allows students to connect theories and knowledge learned in the classroom to real-world situations to enhance career readiness.
ES 450 is the lecture portion of internship and is ONLY offered in the Fall semester. If you plan to complete your internship in the Spring, Summer, or Fall of your final year, you MUST enroll in ES 450 the previous Fall (e.g., 2024 Internship requires Fall 2023 ES 450). This course will focus on Career Readiness training; this includes step-by-step instruction in developing materials to apply for and secure an internship. A strength of our clinical program is that students can decide what type of internship setting is most valuable to them. You will browse our clinical sites, select sites of interest, submit application materials, and interview. Clinical sites have full control over who they select so students should prepare and perform their best to secure their ideal spot.
ES 451 is the lab portion of internship. It is a 12-credit internship where you will complete 480 hours over the course of the full semester. You can enroll in ES 451 any semester, though Spring is the traditional sequence. Spring and Fall internships are completed over 15-weeks, 32 hours per week. Note: Summer internships are a shorter timeline; students must complete all hours in a 12-week time, 40 hours per week.
All required Exercise Science courses, including electives, MUST be complete before you are eligible for internship (ES 451). No exceptions. You must also have all ENS Requirements complete. ENS Requirements are due annually by October 15th, however requirements must be satisfied sooner for Fall internships.
All clinical sites must hold current Affiliation Agreements with the UB Exercise Science program. You can choose an affiliated site from the “Current List of Affiliated Clinical Sites for Exercise Science” below. However, you can also choose an internship with a non-affiliated site, anywhere in the country, but an Affiliation Agreement must be completed first. There are deadlines for submitting “New Site Development Forms” that are strictly adhered to because it can take months to establish a new relationship with a clinical site. Review the ‘Internship Checklist’ and ‘Policies & Procedures Manual’ for greater detail.
Utilize the ‘Internship Checklist’ below for a step-by-step checklist to walk you through preparing for an internship. All questions surrounding clinical experiences should be directed to Dr. Rebecca Begalle, Undergraduate Director of Clinical Education for Exercise Science.
Think of a practicum as a “mini-internship.” You can complete a practicum at any of our local affiliated sites. Practicum is required for some program concentrations and can be selected as an approved elective for others. Be sure you review your program requirements and meet with your Academic Advisor. Practicum is a great opportunity to apply and enhance the knowledge and skills learned in the Exercise Science curriculum.
If your concentration requires a practicum, you must take a 3-credit practicum (135 clinical hours). If you are interested in completing a practicum as an approved elective, you can choose to complete a 1-3 credit practicum. You will be required to be at your clinical site three hours per week for 15-weeks for every one credit you register for.
A Student-Instructor Contract must be submitted to the Director of Clinical Education, Dr. Rebecca Begalle, to be registered for your practicum. Students are not able to register themselves. Utilize the ‘Practicum Checklist’ below for a step-by-step checklist to walk you through securing a practicum.
Learn more about the steps to force register for an ES and NTR courses.