Simternships - Redefining Business Education

Simternships – Redefining Business Education

Experiential learning is lasting learning, and few educational opportunities cement student knowledge the way an internship does. Most business students only get the chance to complete one internship before graduation — but what if you could give your students more? More hands-on practice, more real-world experience, and more chances to put the knowledge you’ve shared with them to work?

With Stukent™, you can give your students a simulated internship, or what we call a Simternship™. A Stukent Simternship places your students in a realistic working environment, allowing them to gain experience, build marketable skills, increase their knowledge retention, and yes, even make a few mistakes in a low-risk setting. Our Simternships pack months of role-specific training into a single semester, which means you won’t just help your students learn the material, but master it.

Read on to learn how Stukent Simternships can help you take your students’ learning a step beyond the lecture hall.

 

Why Simternships?

For decades, studies have shown that experiential learning helps students retain roughly 75% of the material they’ve learned. A 2022 survey reported that 55% of undergraduate students struggled to “remain interested in their classes,” and that one-fourth of the students surveyed suggested that lessons with real-world applications … would improve their engagement.” Additionally, “81% of students also said that it’s important or very important for institutions to incorporate … projects to mimic real-world work.”

Hands-on experience makes a skill intuitive. Stuart Draper, founder and CEO of Stukent, often illustrates the importance of hands-on experience by describing how we learn to ride a bike: 

“Someone can tell you how to ride a bike — they can describe the process to you, show you a video, or even give you an in-person demonstration of how it’s done. But you have to climb on that bike to learn to ride. You need to put your feet on the pedals, generate momentum, and find your balance.”

A Stukent Simternship helps your students find their balance with a new skill set before they enter the workforce. With a Simternship, your students can step into the roles of marketing managers, PR officers, entrepreneurs, SEO specialists, and more. Stukent offers more than 40 Simternships across the business, marketing, and communications fields, and we’re releasing innovative new Simternships every semester.

“Simternships offer a unique and exciting opportunity for students to bridge the gap between the classroom and the real world,” says Garrett Brock, Vice President of Marketing for Stukent. “Not only do they provide hands-on experience and skill development, but they also give students a glimpse into their desired industry.”

In a Simternship, your students gain valuable insights into the day-to-day decisions, tools, and expectations of a position or role. Simternships mimic real-world workspaces, which means students will need to communicate with superiors, coworkers, and customers while managing their assigned tasks.

 Most Stukent Simternships are divided into rounds, which makes it easy to pace the material across a semester. A Simternship’s early rounds will introduce students to foundational tasks and provide instant feedback on their work. As your students progress, the simulation will present them with new challenges to overcome. They will take on additional responsibilities and often manage multiple projects at once, just like they would in the real world.

Each Simternship contains unique features that help bring the simulation to life. For example, in the Stukent Professional Selling Simternship, students will hold discovery calls with AI-driven prospects; in the Stukent Supply Chain Simternship, students select warehouse locations and optimize transportation routes using a responsive map of the continental United States; and in the Stukent Marketing Principles Simternship, students will create a marketing campaign for a brand-new product.

 

Internship or Simternship?

A Stukent Simternship is meant to augment the classic internship, not replace it. With a Simternship, your students get broader, more standardized access to hands-on education, as students won’t be limited by the opportunities available locally. You can rest easy knowing that every student in your course will have a great experience with a Simternship — it’s the homework your students want to do!

 

Like an internship, Stukent Simternships allow students to:

  1. Develop their skills in a safe, simulated environment

  2. Apply conceptual knowledge to real-world situations

  3. Gain additional hands-on experience in a subject 

  4. Explore potential career paths

  5. Earn certifications and credentials

  6. Boost their resumes and ease their transition into the workforce

  7. Prepare to contribute to a workplace from day one

 
 

Professors rave about the effectiveness of Stukent’s Simternships. “I’ve had multiple students contact me post-graduation, saying that the Stukent simulation was a key factor in getting a job,” says Gregory Hoplamazian from Loyola University Maryland. “It gave them a conversation that few other students could have.”

Jack LaBaugh from Brigham Young University-Idaho agrees: With a Simternship, “students are forced to make the same real-life, scenario-based decisions that they will be using every day in their professional career.” 

 

Engaging for Students, Easy for You

A Simternship gives your students a high-quality educational experience without impacting your work-life balance. Simulations are auto-graded and provide students with instant, individualized feedback, which reduces the time you spend grading. Each Simternship pairs with Stukent’s resource-rich courseware, giving you powerful tools to teach a great course in less prep time. All Stukent’s materials — including our Simternships and our courseware — can also be integrated into your preferred LMS, making it easy to manage your course and gradebook.

“Simternships are transforming the way students prepare for their future careers,” says Garrett. “I’m confident that students and educators will be equally enthusiastic about these innovative simulations. ” 

With Stukent Simternships, your students get a powerful, resume-worthy experience, while you get a hassle-free semester. Talk to a Stukent course consultant today to see how a Simternship can transform your curriculum!

 

At Stukent, we’re here to help educators help students help the world. To learn more about our revolutionary courseware and Simternships, or to get FREE instructor access to our products, visit our website.

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