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Reviews success factors for internal auditors and advocates the importance of experiential training. The recommended hands‐on project focuses on internal control, which plays a fundamental role in internal auditing. The project requires students to use not only their technical knowledge and skills but also critical and analytical thinking, written and oral communication, and interpersonal skills. Control is a fundamental role in internal auditing.

Internal audit student internship programmes are an integral part of the curriculum for Institute of Internal Auditors (IIA) target schools of US universities. The internship concept is explored ‐ how it is implemented, its characteristics, and its advantages and disadvantages – at six target schools. It is concluded that the benefits, to the items, employers and academic institutions, outweigh the potential disadvantages.

Two methods of enriching classroom experience in an internal auditing class are described: (1) bring “real‐world” experiences into the classroom (practising auditors as guest teachers, case studies comparing the internal audit practice of the guests′ organisations); (2) send the students out into the “real world” of practical auditing (a term project with actual “live” auditors). Both approaches are discussed in detail and conclusions are drawn on the ways in which the learning experiences have been an enrichment.

The chapter intervenes in the debate among scholars of legal impact about the extent to which law can change society. Reformers, aims are frustrated when targets of law respond with resistance to court decisions, especially where mechanisms to enforce case law are weak (Hall, 2010; Klarman, 2006; Rosenberg, 1991). Even when law’s targets abide by a law, however, other important studies have demonstrated that organizations can leverage ambiguous language to craft policies in compliance that further their aims (Barnes & Burke, 2006; Edelman, 2016; Lipson, 2001). This chapter examines a case in which a state constitutional provision banning affirmative action was written in relatively unambiguous language and one of its targets announced its intention to comply. Through extensive interviews with University officials, this chapter examines the University of Michigan’s use of financial, technological, and political resources to follow the language of the law while still blunting its impact. These findings suggest that to understand law’s impact on society, we need to reconceive compliance and not only take the clarity of the law and its enforcement mechanisms into account but also attend to the goals, resources, and practices of the groups it targets.

Examines the nature of critical thinking and its relationship to internal auditing and considers the various stages in the development of critical thinking skills. Builds on the work of Perry and Kurfiss, and identifies the four successively higher stages of thinking as: authority accepted; ambiguity acknowledged but anything goes; criteria considered; selections supported; judgements justified. Concludes that the task of the internal audit educator is to encourage and promote development of critical thinking skills at the highest level. At this highest stage internal auditors should be able to think independently and arrive at well‐justified judgements.

Discusses the importance of operational auditing and the crucial role of internal control in the audit process, providing a brief history of the beginnings of operational auditing and describing the recent report issued by the Committee of Sponsoring Organizations of the Treadway Commission (COSO) which provides a widely accepted definition of internal control. Continues to review ways of gearing an internal audit course towards operational auditing, beginning with a description of basic methods of exposing students to operational auditing: including audit reports; interaction with practitioners; and ending with an outline of how students should actually perform an operational audit.

Examines the usefulness of the case study method in the college classroom. Advocates the preparation of these cases from real‐life situations and their subsequent discussion. Suggests that this approach capitalizes on the strengths of analysing internal audit cases, and reveals some of the drawbacks of case studies. Analyses the advantages and disadvantages of the case study method. Concludes that the advantages far outweigh the disadvantages.

Society′s recognition of the importance of internal auditing has increased in recent years. This has resulted in an increased recognition of the need for improving and formalizing the manner in which internal auditors are educated. Suggests some of the forces that have led to this increased awareness of the value of internal auditing and discusses historical changes in internal auditing education. Explores recent literature on the programmes of internal auditing education in several countries and how these programmes differ from institution to institution and from country to country.

Defines critical thinking as the art of examining an issue from numerous perspectives, questioning the validity of both the premisses and the conclusions. Critical thinking skills are essential to the internal auditor’s function. A recent update of the common body of knowledge (CBOK) reflects this expectation by the internal auditing profession. Respondents ranked reasoning skills, which essentially are critical thinking skills, as the most important subject area. Discusses several definitions and frameworks of critical thinking, including a critical thinking framework that is both comprehensive and useful in describing what the internal auditor does. This framework includes affective, cognitive, and behavioural components which basically describe the attitudes, thought processes and actions that are essential to the critical thinker and to the internal auditor. The internal auditing classroom is an appropriate setting for the internal auditor to begin honing the critical thinking skills demanded by the profession. Arguments are presented for the importance of teaching in a way that encourages critical thinking in the classroom, with the goal being transferability to the workplace. Describes two assignments that have proved useful in developing critical thinking skills.