Why should students intern?

We feel that filling an internship position is a very important part of earning an Equine Science degree. Internships offer students knowledge and understanding of certain equine issues that are sometimes difficult to touch on in a classroom setting. An internship provides the intern with invaluable practical learning experiences that enhance their on-campus education. These are only a few reasons why we require all senior Equine Science students to complete a one-semester horse industry internship before they receive their diploma.

Interning is a great opportunity to learn more about an equine industry or area that is of the student's primary interest. Interns develop useful skills that they can take with them upon graduating. Not only does the internship expand the student's experience and knowledge, it provides the intern with an important means of networking within the horse industry. Intern positions can provide a vehicle for graduate placement, either in a permanent position at the internship site or through the many valuable horse industry contacts interns make during their internship. During the course of the internship, the student  has a chance to show others in the horse industry what they have learned from the Equine Science Program at SIU.

Some of SIU's Equine Science students have interned with some of the nation's leading trainers, breeders, clinicians, racetracks, and other equine enterprises! These internships offer the student several opportunities, including:

• Allowing students to learn and/or practice skills that cannot be adequately covered in the university setting.
• Involving the student directly in an aspect of the horse industry in which he/she intends to seek employment.
• Encouraging the development of contacts with professional horsemen active in the student's chosen occupational area.
• Giving the student an opportunity to learn advanced management methods, obtain wisdom, and gain experience from horse professionals in their chosen field.
• Providing the student with the opportunities needed to better enhance their chances of obtaining a job or meeting the requirements for admission to graduate or professional school.