A Case Study Examining a Sport and Recreation Management Internship Program at a Historically Black University

The purpose of this study was to examine the practices of one sport and recreation management internship program in the historically black college and university environment and explore how these practices might contribute to educating this specific population of learner for professional work. The focus of this study was to explore the student experience, practices of the program director, and program. Thus the problem of this study is to understand more about the relationship between practice and theory in one experiential learning program and to explore how the program director and students perceive the benefits of the internship experience.;The research questions for this study are: 1. What are the current practices and guidelines of sport and recreation internship programs and how do they align with and/or from those discussed in literature? 2. How do students perceive the sport and recreation management program's ability to prepare them for success in the sports industry? 3. Are there specific considerations perceived by administrators and students perceive as being significant to a sport and recreation management internship program at a historically black university?;To answer these questions, the researcher used a qualitative case study approach. This case study examined the sport and recreation management program at one historically black university by investigating the perceptions of student readiness to transition into the profession and gain a greater understanding of the professional preparation in this environment. Data were collected using document analysis, semi-structured interviews, and classroom observations and were analyzed using an inductive data analysis approach.;The three themes expressed in the findings included a) factors that support program success, b) factors contributing to professional preparation, and c) influences on the learning environment. Findings indicated that the internship program shared qualities identified in literature, interns believed that they were ready to pursue careers in the field based on their internship experiences, and the learning environment possessed a high level of nurturing and a strong emphasis on mentorship for students. Based on these findings, recommendations were shared for the program director and interns to improve the student experience in the internship program.