27769 Professional Internship for Graduates

Subject level: Postgraduate

Handbook description

This subject is designed for graduate students in arts, events, sport and tourism management and for students in the MBA program with a major in arts. For those students who have limited work experience in the arts, events, sport and tourism industries, the subject provides the opportunity, through a placement, to gain such experience and to relate it to theoretical and applied learning. For those students who are already working in a relevant industry, this subject provides the opportunity for students to diversify their experience and their theoretical and applied learning. This subject is based on a practical internship of no less than 160 hours, an evaluation of the work experience gained and a report on the internship by way of an individual learning contract developed in association with a supervisor.

Subject objectives/outcomes

On successful completion of this subject, students should be able to:

1. investigate and analyse a practical issue, problem or challenge through an internship with an organisation within a specific industry sector
2. apply and integrate conceptual and theoretical knowledge acquired through their respective courses to solve a practical issue or meet a related organisational need
3. develop appropriate documentation or recommendations for practice
4. act in the capacity of a professional within the context of their selected organisation and role.

Contribution to graduate profile

The subject is designed for students of the Master of Management programs in arts, events, sport and tourism and the MBA major program in arts. For those students who have limited work experience in the arts, events, sport and tourism industries, the subject provides the opportunity, through an internship placement, to gain experience and to relate it to theoretical and applied learning. For those students who are already working in a relevant industry, the subject provides the opportunity to diversify their experience in a related area and to reflect on their theoretical and applied learning and career development.

Teaching and learning strategies

One member of staff will coordinate the subject overall. In addition, individual supervisors with specialist knowledge will be appointed to match the student's area of interest. The subject guide will be developed and tailored to the student's placement giving the timeline of the internship and supervisor-student interaction, outlining the required written work, the type of work that will be undertaken and the scope of the final report.

Content

Students will be required to identify an organisation in which the internship will occur and to negotiate the internship in the first instance. Students will then draft an internship proposal for the supervisor and the prospective workplace. When agreed, this will then be further developed to detail the objectives of the internship, the specific management context specific to the specialist industry (arts, events, sport, tourism) and the anticipated outcome of the internship (sponsorship plan, marketing plan, project management).

Students will undertake no less than a 160 hours internship in an agreed organisation. The timing of the internship can be in blocks or worked fractionally over the semester.

Students will be required to write an internship report on their work experience. The report will reflect the theoretical and conceptual base used for the practical work, an analysis of the organisation in the industry context, value of the internship and provide evidence of the applied work undertaken. The theoretical perspectives can be drawn from conceptual considerations from the core subjects of the MBA or Master of Management programs while applied perspectives can relate to marketing, planning, information use/research, financial issues or human resource issues. Examples are:

• Evaluation of the marketing activity of an organisation in relation to the structural assumptions of services marketing
• Examination of the use of sales and research data to optimise programming of a sport venue
• Development of a marketing or sponsorship plan for an arts organisation
• Development and evaluation of a special event

Assessment

Assessment item 1: Proposal and rationale for the internship (Individual)

Assessment item 2: Final Project Report (Individual)

Assessment item 3: Placement Assessment (Individual)