Growing Pains: The Search for Aging Studies Internships for Undergraduate Majors - Issue 2 - presentation and program strategies

Sep 29, 2026

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Growing Pains: The Search for Aging Studies Internships for Undergraduate Majors outlines a School of Aging Studies curriculum revision at the University of South Florida and the resulting internship recruitment and operations. The revised Health Care Administration program emphasizes completing an Administrator in Training internship, producing 15 interns across 14 sites in 2024 and 4,850 service hours. Anticipating a two-fold increase next year, the document presents strategies to improve efficiency, including standard operating procedures, a student-progress tracking database, and online orientation modules. It also discusses challenges such as limited internship site availability and the time required to build community partnerships and align gerontology internships with student career goals.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryResearch & Report

FormatPDF

Pages1

Reading Time3 min

AccessFree to download

Overview

Curriculum revision and recruitment strategy

Internship outcomes and projected demand

Program efficiency improvements

Implementation challenges and future plans

Innovation in Aging, 2025, Vol. 9, No. S2 871 Abstract citation ID: igaf122.2946 GROWING PAINS: THE SEARCH FOR AGING STUDIES INTERNSHIPS FOR UNDERGRADUATE MAJORS Nasreen Sadeq, Debra Dobbs, Lindsay Peterson, Sara Hackett, and Lu Norstrand, University of South Florida, Tampa, Florida, United States The School of Aging Studies at the University of South Florida recently completed a major curriculum revision of our [B.S. in](B.S. in)[ ](B.S. in)[Health Care Administration program. Formerly the B.S. in](Health Care Administration program. Formerly the B.S. in)[ ](Health Care Administration program. Formerly the B.S. in)[Long-Term Care Administration](Long-Term Care Administration), this undergraduate program was originally developed with guidance from the Florida Board of Nursing Home Administrators and remains the only program in Florida offering students the opportunity to complete a 9-credit (650 hour) Administrator in Training (AIT) internship. To increase student enrollment in our revised Health Care Administration major, we focused on emphasizing the opportu-nity to complete an internship as a key recruitment strategy. Our updated curriculum that allows students to choose between the AIT program or a 3-credit part-time internship resulted in 15 interns at 14 different internship sites in 2024, generating 4,850 service hours. We are expecting a two-fold increase in next year in the number of students needing an internship placement. Strategies implemented to improve the overall efficiency of the internship program will be presented, including the development of standard operating procedures, a database for tracking student progress, and online modules that provide students with an ori-entation to the internship program. Challenges we have experi-enced including the limited availability of internship sites and the extensive time and effort required to develop new community partnerships and to match students with gerontology-oriented internships aligned with their career goals will also be discussed. With the increasing trend of undergraduates seeking internships and field experiences, we will share our ongoing plans to continue addressing these challenges in the future.

FAQs

What curriculum change drove internship recruitment for undergraduate students?

The School of Aging Studies revised its Health Care Administration program to emphasize the opportunity to complete an internship as a key recruitment strategy, enabling students to choose either the AIT program or a part-time internship.

What were the internship outcomes in 2024?

In 2024 the updated curriculum resulted in 15 interns across 14 internship sites, generating 4,850 service hours.

How will the program improve efficiency as internship demand increases?

Planned efficiency improvements include developing standard operating procedures, using a database to track student progress, and providing online modules that orient students to the internship program.

What challenges does the program face when expanding internship placements?

The program reports limited availability of internship sites and the extensive time and effort needed to develop new community partnerships and to match students with gerontology-oriented internships aligned with their career goals.

Sep 29, 2026

Upload by Ezra