UAB’s Collat School of Business. (Photo by Jackson Hyde).
Ally Middleton – Opinions Columnist
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When people hear the name UAB, they think of diversity, leadership, and rigor. They also might think of the success rate of students and the university’s ability to constantly produce graduates who exceed their own expectations. The Collat School of Business is no exception to the theme of success at UAB, and recently, the business school has stepped its game up even more by becoming the first in the state of Alabama to require all business students to complete an internship before they can graduate.
Eric Jack, Ph.D., dean of the Collat School of Business, said that this change will provide students “experience in their field of study” as well as to ensure the students are “prepared to contribute to the workforce after graduation.”
The new requirement seems like it will overall improve the business school and the quality of students who graduate from it. Hands-on experience is one of the most important aspects of learning because it allows students to get a feel of what their work environment will be like out in the real world. It also allows them to practice their skills and identify strengths and weaknesses so they can optimize their education moving forward.
This set-up reminds me a lot of my experience as a neuroscience major. By their junior year, neuroscience majors are expected to actively be doing research under the supervision of a faculty mentor or to write a literature-based thesis. At other schools, students might not get the chance to work alongside world-renowned researchers and discover their passions as early as sophomore year of undergrad, but UAB makes this possible.
Likewise, if we weren’t required to be in a lab, many students probably wouldn’t have the resources or willingness to find a lab on their own, and they would lack the hands-on experience by the time they graduate, putting them at a disadvantage to other students applying to graduate and professional schools.
The idea for the business school is similar and offers tremendous chances for students to find their niche and make the most of their time in college. It also creates built-in networking opportunities in addition to interactive learning. UAB’s DragonTrail website is available to help students find internships and opportunities available in the area that are specific to their interests and areas of study, and the internships earn the students three hours of class credit.
However, there could be a few potential problems. For example, it is unclear in the Collat E-News article how this process works for online students. UAB’s online business school is extremely popular because the school offers several different degree paths that can be pursued 100 percent online. Most people choose to take online classes for the convenience and how it fits with their busy lives, so how would mandatory internships be incorporated into this?
Similarly, with all of these students attempting to find internships in the same area, there is a risk of not every student being matched with their ideal work setting. There will inevitably be competition and possibly more students than available internships.
Fortunately, the benefits of this new program absolutely outweigh the cons. Raizel Coiman, a business student leader at UAB, is overjoyed about the new requirement. “Requiring internships is going to be the best thing for not only students but for the Birmingham business area as well. Requiring internships is only going to prepare even stronger students,” the senior said.
This innovative process for students as undergraduates is going to revolutionize UAB’s business school even further and provide students with amazing experiences that will encourage them to grow personally and professionally. Hopefully this change will inspire other schools within UAB, and possibly other business schools in Alabama, to incorporate real-world opportunities to supplement in-class learning as part of the curriculum.
