What is PRAXIS?

When UD students were asked, "what type of program would benefit you most?", the answer was: a program that provided both education and experience that would help in deciding on and starting a career.

PRAXIS is the answer to that request. PRAXIS is a formal, apprenticeship-style program that combines education with internships and leadership coaching. PRAXIS joins participants with area employers who provide 12-week experiences. It also joins each participant with a career coach whose role is to provide mentoring and assistance with career-related issues.

PRAXIS is an alumnus-sponsored program. UD alumnus Tim Fitzgibbons provided a substantial donation to the University so that you would have the opportunity to participate in a career-building program. He graduated from UD in 1965, and successfully built an entrepreneurial career based on what he learned at UD and his experiences that followed his UD graduation. In giving back to the University, he hopes that the next generation of UD graduates will benefit from the gift that he has been able to provide to you.

Program Elements
** 12-week, paid internship experience for the student.
** Competitive process to select the best students for participation.
** Core set of business courses to prepare the students in the basics.
** A career coach to mentor and develop the students professional skills.
** Facilitated placement of interns with your organization.
** Contact person to help to insure a successful internship experience.

Why do students participate in PRAXIS?

PRAXIS provides the four following benefits:
1. Work experience for which you would not otherwise have access.
2. A network of professional contacts that would be difficult to otherwise build.
3. An education that provides the basic knowledge necessary to be successful in a career.
4. Career coaching that traditionally has only been available in high-price executive MBA programs.

Which students are eligible to participate in PRAXIS?

PRAXIS is a competitive program. The eligibility requirements include:
1. Current UD students from any major with an interest in entrepreneurship.
2. Students who have two full academic years remaining until graduation (application is made during the semester prior to beginning the standard junior year of coursework).
3. A cumulative UD GPA of 3.0 or better.
4. No academic honesty violations, and no history of habitual attendance problems.
5. Submission of a competitive application.

Who are PRAXIS employers?

PRAXIS internship providers are organizations recognized for their unique business models, interesting opportunities, or contributions to the community. They include for-profit and not-for-profit organizations.

PRAXIS internship providers agree to provide a work experience opportunity that aids in the student's development. The internships are 12 weeks in duration for approximately twenty hours per week. They are offered in the Fall (September - December) and Spring (January - May) of the year. Summer internships may also be available on request.

What do PRAXIS employers agree to do?

** Provide a structured 12-week internship experience.
** Communicate periodically with the PRAXIS coordinator and the student's career coach.
** Provide an evaluation of the student's performance.
** Contribute a specified amount per intern to the PRAXIS scholarship fund, which provides equal remuneration to all PRAXIS participants during the specific semester.

What are the benefits for the PRAXIS employer?

** Priority access to the best undergraduate students seeking internships.
** An opportunity to "pre-view" a student as a potential employee.
** Priority facilitation of placement services for PRAXIS internships, and a person designated to monitor and help in the development of the intern.

What is the role of the Leadership Coach?

Each student is assigned a leadership coach who does the following:
1. Meets with the student on a weekly basis to mentor and discuss the internship experience.
2. Leads the student in a discussion of an assigned career or professional development topic for the week.
3. Monitors the student's progress by periodically following up with the internship employer.
4. Provides an evaluation of the student's progress.

What is the benefit to the Leadership Coach?

1. The opportunity to provide community service in the development of students.
2. Remuneration as an adjunct faculty member of the University.
3. Personal coaching by our UD faculty development coach.

What are the eligibility requirements to be a Leadership Coach?

1. A leadership coach has significant work experience either through a career of progressively responsible positions within organizations or through the development of successful entrepreneurial ventures.
2. Ability to commit to weekly coaching meetings with your assigned students.
3. An expressed or demonstrated commitment to the professional development of students.

More information

Coach application