Professional Practicum

What Is A Professional Practicum?

The professional practicum is a student's opportunity to gain practical work experience in a professional exercise, health, and/or sport setting. Through the professional practicum, classroom instruction is enhanced by the acquisition of practical experiences that are closely supervised by a practicing professional.

Practicum placements range from 2-4 units (60-120 hours) depending on the setting and expectations.

Exercise/Fitness/Sport Industry Professionals

Would your company like to provide a student professional practicum opportunity?  Click here for a Site Application Form to complete and return to our department.  We will keep your request on file and inform our students of it.  Students will contact you directly to interview for the posted position.

Practicum Opportunities 

• Active Care, San Francisco - Heather McGill, PT
Institute on Aging

• Presidio Sports Medicine, San Francisco - Erin Green, PT
• St. Mary's Medical Center, San Francisco - Caryline Lehman, PT
• Physiotherapy Associates, San Francisco - Sharlene Shu Oliver, PT
• Breakthrough Physical Therapy, Sunnyvale - Charmaine Marmaril, PT
• Crunch, San Francisco Bay Area 
• Presidio YMCA
• SYLC YMCA 
• Fitness Anywhere
• Breakaway Performance 
• Coaching Corps  
• Galileo Summer Camps 
• Bay Area Professionals 
• Soccer Hype 
• Girls Inc. 
• Duke Live for Life
• More Practicums...

Practicum Placements Available Within USF

• Athletic Game Operations and Facilities 
• Athletic Marketing and Corporate Accounts - Steven Kenyon, Director
• Sports Medicine/Athletic Training Department - Ron Shinault, Director
• Health Promotion Services - Kamal Harb, Director
• Koret Health and Recreation Center
• KIN Physical Activity Program - Dr, Geraldine Lauro

Student Responsibilities

Each student is individually responsible for locating and acquiring their individual practicum placement PRIOR TO the start of the semester. The KIN department has a list of sample practicum placement opportunities.

A Liability Waiver Form must be submitted prior to beginning the practicum.

To complete the Professional Practicum the student must:

• Identify the individual who will serve as an Agency Supervisor for the practicum.
• Turn in the Professional Practicum Agreement. This must be signed by Agency Supervisor and must include the general duties and SPECIFIC AND DETAILED responsibilities to be undertaken by the student intern, and the intern's work schedule for the duration of the semester. All agreement forms must be approved by the KIN department PRIOR to the commencement of the Practicum.
• Each student is expected to make a Practicum Portfolio. The Practicum Portfolio is the centerpiece of the practicum course and is a compilation of several different sections, turned in together at the end of the semester in a professional binder. The sections are as follows: 
1. Personal reflection: an introduction
2. Company history and structure
3. Observational research and analysis summaries
4. Personal reflection: mid-point appraisal
5. Informational interview
6. Personal reflection: concluding assessment
7. An updated resume
8. Appendix

Professional Practicum Agreement Form 
Professional Practicum Evaluation Form