News Releases

School of Business students get hands-on experience in KU's Internal Audit Department

Saturday, August 15, 2009

BY LAURA WOLFE

Four School of Business students have been selected as interns this semester in the KU Internal Audit department. School of Business interns are Jordan Bates, Masters of Accounting student and School of Business graduate in accounting in May 2009, from Hoisington, Kansas; Diana Durand, senior in accounting, from Lima, Peru; Israel Interiano, Masters of Accounting student and Business graduate in accounting in May 2008, from Wichita; and Sam Zerger, Masters of Accounting student and Business graduate in accounting in May 2009, from Wichita.

"We are thrilled with the internship program," said Kyle Wright, Internal Audit Manager and Intern Coordinator. "Our productivity close to doubled over the summer when we had two full-time interns working in our office."

Internal Audit began the program in order to provide University of Kansas students with a professional learning experience, Wright said. "We wanted to help out the Business School and make Internal Audit more of an educational department. The internship gives students a chance to see things they wouldn't see otherwise."

The Internal Audit internship is a new program that began this summer with two full-time interns, also School of Business students. Among their responsibilities, interns help assess internal controls and compliance issues, and compile working documents. The department will continue the internship program next spring, again hiring four interns to assist with cases.

Bates, part-time intern this fall, was one of the full time interns for Internal Audit this summer. "I began my internship with Internal Audit in June. This was a very busy time for the office since it was the closing out of Fiscal Year 2009," said Bates. "I was given the opportunity to immediately begin work on a current audit. I participated in client interviews, compiling work papers, and was involved in the report writing process. It was very interesting and satisfying to see my work finalized in a report and issued to top-level management here at the University of Kansas."

According to Wright, Business students have proved to be a good fit for Internal Audit. "Business students have the skill set needed to work in our office," he said, though he added there is no policy limiting the hiring to only School of Business students. "Interns need to know about accounting, finance, and how a business is run."

"Not only do I feel that this internship has given me some real world accounting experience, but it has also put me into contact with some top level managers," said Bates. "The experience paired with personal relationships will definitely help me in my future career."