Internships and Experiences
As an undergraduate student in the Department of Kinesiology, you may be required to complete an internship and receive real world experience before graduation. The internship will last 10–16 weeks. More than 200 Kinesiology students participate in internships each year.
Where will you go? Anywhere!
- In the exercise science, community/public health, and physical activity and health promotion options, approximately 40 percent of students go out-of-state for special opportunities that relate to a region of the country or a large-city environment.
- Teacher preparation students who are student teaching stay closer to Ames to receive frequent and specialized observation and feedback.
You will work in a variety of settings, taking on many different job titles and professional roles:
- Athletic training students work with collegiate athletes, high school sports teams, and various special events such as Special Olympics. They’ll also work in professional sports, including NBA or WNBA teams, as well as hospitals and sports medicine clinics.
- Physical education licensure students work in elementary, junior high, and high schools teaching health and physical education.
- Exercise science students work in private health clubs and spas, corporate wellness programs, strength and conditioning/sports enhancement programs, and clinical settings such as cardiac rehabilitation programs.
- Community/public health students work in a variety of community and public health agencies (e.g. county health offices), for non-profit organizations such as the American Heart Association, Red Cross, or national organizations like the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
- Physical activity and health promotion students work in various health promotion settings (e.g. worksite wellness programming), or pursue opportunities in health coaching in community and clinical settings.
During your internship, you’ll be guided by an Iowa State faculty supervisor who will help to integrate your curricular preparation to make it operational within the internship setting:
- Kinesiology faculty from within your curricular area will be assigned to assist you and supervise your work.
- Your papers and reports will be submitted to your supervisor throughout the internship.
- On-site visits and/or phone contacts occur during the fieldwork, and critiques, feedback and suggestions will be given.
Internship Examples
The following links provide some of the sites where Kinesiology students have had internships.
Career Connections – Kinesiology students write about their internship experiences. Sortable by major and minor.
Previous Internship Organizations (excel) – Sortable by Agency Name, Location, and Option.
Fall 2022
Spring 2023
Summer 2023
Internship Scholarships
CHS unpaid internships & student teaching scholarships