UC Blue Ash Offers New Internship Program and Boot Camp

The University of Cincinnati Blue Ash College is launching a new internship program that includes a boot camp to help students prepare for hands-on learning opportunities outside of the classroom.

UC Blue Ash faculty and staff have helped students secure internships in certain educational programs in the past, but this is the first time a formal, standardized program has been developed by the college. The goal is to prepare students for the workplace and proactively help them find opportunities related to their field of study.

“This is a natural progression for our college,” said Dr. Cady Short-Thompson, dean of UC Blue Ash.  “Our faculty does a tremendous job of teaching our students; this program takes that education to another level by establishing new standards of real-world professional expectations for our students and providing new opportunities to really experience the concepts, ideas and theories taught in the classroom.”

The internship program was developed through a $1.3 million grant awarded to the University of Cincinnati to develop new experiential learning opportunities for students.  UC Blue Ash received a portion of the funding, and faculty and staff went to work to create the new program.

One of the first steps was creating an Internship Boot Camp that helps students learn more about developing an effective resume, interviewing skills and dressing appropriately for the workplace.

“I am excited to work with my team in sharing all of our experience in the business world with our students,” said Joyce Wagner, creator of the Internship Boot Camp and director of the UC Center for Corporate Learning, which is based at UC Blue Ash.  “We really focus on the basics, such as understanding the importance of effective communication through email, phone, social media and in person; creating effective resumes and cover letters; and participating in mock interviews. We want all of our students to have a clear understanding of professional behavior and etiquette before they begin an internship.”

UC Blue Ash currently offers the internship program for students in the Business/Economics, Electronic Media, and Graphic Communications & Marketing programs, but the plan is to eventually expand it to most of the college’s 15 academic departments.

Employers interested in learning more about the internship program at UC Blue Ash College can go online to

www.ucblueash.edu/internships

or call Angie Lucas at 513-936-1640.

UC Blue Ash College is a regional college within the University of Cincinnati.  It offers one of the best values in higher education with access to a nationally recognized UC education in more than 60 programs and degrees and tuition that is about half of most colleges and universities. The college is located on a scenic 135-acre wooded campus in the heart of Blue Ash, Ohio. To learn more, call (513) 745-5600, visit us online at www.ucblueash.edu, like us on Facebook, or follow us on Twitter.