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A
course of study designed especially for the preparation of clinicians
that
involves the supervised practical application of previously
studied theory.
The Christos M.
Cotsakos College of Business is pleased to invite eligible students
to participate in a practicum work experience which simultaneously
earns three credit hours of credit. The practicum work experience
is one of an ongoing set of numerous professional enrichment opportunities
and alternative pedagogical methodologies that the Christos M.
Cotsakos College of Business encourages all students to consider.
What
is Professional Enrichment?
The Christos M.
Cotsakos College of Business undergraduate programs are guided
by a framework that includes, among other things, the professional
enhancement, readiness, and awareness of our student body.
As such, the professional enrichment initiative encourages the
provision of opportunities for our students to meet and network
with area specialists, hear business leaders speak, become involved
in work related activities such as internships, practicum, and
job shadowing, and attend various seminars and forums that deal
with their professional development and/or contemporary work related
issues.
What
is a Practicum?
A practicum is a
guided work experience conducted within a group framework, where
groups provide dynamic consultation to small businesses or other
organizations, under the mentorship of a faculty sponsor.
Unlike internships,
where students work on an individual basis in a structured work
environment for an organization, Christos M. Cotsakos College
of Business practicum experiences involve group dynamics.
Students, in small groups, under the mentorship of a selected
faculty member, provide guided consultation to an organization/client
and seek to explore a specific work related issue or practical
business problem. The group proceeds, during the course of the
semester, to provide updates to the client’s “point person” and
the faculty mentor/sponsor.
What
are the Major Benefits of Enrolling for a Practicum?
Students who enroll
for a practicum will:
• Earn
three credits towards their curriculum credit hour requirements
,
• Gain hands-on
experience employing group and team dynamics,
• Sharpen presentation
and professional report writing skills,
• Experience a unique
work opportunity in a semi-structured work environment,
• become familiarized
with the actual decision making issues faced by organizations
and learn how to integrate academic theory and technology with
business practice,
• Develop an understanding
of how business research is conducted,
• Work on an actual
business project for a client,
• Experience the
world of business consulting, and
• Develop business
contacts and increase networking opportunities.
Simultaneously, the
sponsoring organization benefits through the opportunity to leverage
the student groups’ expertise and results to address the work issue
or business problem that is being explored. What
Type of Consultation Might be Involved?
Student groups that
participate in a practicum will become involved in consulting
activities including, but not limited to:
• Implementation
and utilization of contemporary accounting systems,
• Financial consulting
and investment analysis, integrating financial datafeeds, databases,
and software,
• Involvement in
corporate strategic planning,
• The development
of marketing plans,
• Exploration into
export markets and global business operations,
• Small business
start up and entrepreneurship
• Customer service
issues and quality improvement.
What
are the Requirements for Completing a Practicum?
Requirements
vary by work opportunity, but generally involve:
(a) Weekly
on-site visitations to the workplace to meet/consult with the
client’s point-person. These meetings offer the opportunity
for the point-person to help familiarize students with the business
world and the climate of the profession, and provide insight concerning
career development issues. Simultaneously, the student group
provides updates to the client concerning progress made on the
work related issue or practical problem being studied, information
that has been gathered, and results of analyses that have been
conducted in support of the project,
(b) Employing group
dynamics, and partitioning the workload that forms the basis for
the practicum, between group members,
(c) Providing periodical
updates to the faculty mentor, and
(d) Submitting a
written report to the faculty mentor and the client, accompanied
by a semester-end group presentation, where the end results of
the group work effort and “consultation” are reported.
How
do Students Enroll for a Practicum?
To be eligible for
a practicum, the interested student must: (a)
have a GPA of at least 3.0, both overall and in the major,
(b) have attained
junior status by the beginning of the semester that the practicum
is taken (58 credit hours earned), and
(c) completed the
core course requirement in the major area:
Accounting – ACCT 312,
Finance – FIN 320,
Global
Business – either ECON 370, FIN 400, MGT 309, or MKT 316,
Management – MGT 200,
Marketing
- MKT 210,
Professional Sales - RPS 205.
Eligible students
should submit the attached form to the office of the Christos M.
Cotsakos College of Business Dean. Hard copies of this form
are available from the Director of Experiential Learning, Dr. Campanelli-Andreopoulos (973-720-3718, AndreopoulosG@wpunj.edu)
or the Christos M. Cotsakos College of Business Dean's office. Students
may additionally/alternatively indicate their interest to faculty
members of their choice. Students who would like to work with other
particular students may indicate this on the attached form, although
groups are ordinarily constructed so as to meet the requirements
of the client and facilitate the completion of the project. As projects
materialize, interested students will be contacted by a potential
faculty mentor, a Christos M. Cotsakos College of Business department
chairperson, or the Christos M. Cotsakos College of Business Dean’s
office. =====================================================================================
I am interested
in exploring a Christos M. Cotsakos College of Business practicum
work experience. Please contact me if an opportunity becomes available.
Name: _________________________________________________________________________
Local Address:
__________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________________
Phone Number: _________________________
Potential Group Partner’s Name(s):
e-mail: _________________________________
(1) ______________________________________
Major Area of Study:
____________________ (2) ______________________________________
College of Business
Advisor: __________________________
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