Yes. Undergraduates can complete up to nine credit hoursl graduate students can complete up to six credit hours. This can take many forms: you might register for two three-credit internships; three two-credit internships; or another combination based on your needs. Internships are considered an undergraduate exit course and a graduate level elective. To register, you'll need to have signatures from your site supervisor and faculty coordinator. You will register for COMM 3939/5939. More information.
Undergraduate students must be a declared Communication major, with a GPA of at least 2.00. Also, you need to have completed at least 15 credit hours of COMM coursework, including COMM 1011. Graduate students may enter into an internship at any time.
Typically, students enroll in a three-credit internship, which requires that you complete 135 hours of work during the course of the semester. (You can also enroll for fewer credit hours: one credit = 45 hours, two credits = 90 hours). Hours can only be completed during the semester in which you are registered. No credit for prior work can be awarded.
Yes. Six credits is the maximum allowed for any one internship, and only one internship is allowable per semester. Fall and Spring semesters accomodate up to six credits. Summer semester accomodates up to three credits.
No. You may receive credit for an internship only during the semester in which the experience is being obtained. This is to ensure you are registered for the course and are being guided through coursework that enables reflection, application, and implementation in your internship.
Students who are able to find an internship within the same organization, but with a new job description are eligible for a repeat experience at the same location. For example, in an advertising company, you might work on the creative side one semester, and then round out your experience working on the account side the next semester.
If a student obtains a job that provides exceptional experience in a particular area of the communication field, a position may be approved if there is an additional work experience created and supervised during the enrollment of the course. If you have a position that you would like considered,please reach out to Nathan Zackroff, the COMM internship advisor at the ELC, or the COMM Internship Director, Dr. Megan Hurson with the following information:
- name of company
- your title
- a description of your duties
- a description of an additional project that you will undertake during the semester in which you receive credit (must be approved by your direct workplace supervisor)
- your supervisor's title, along with a description of his or her credentials in the field of communication and willingness to provide mentorship over this project
No. Our commitment is to help students procure the very best internship experience possible. Therefore, we place our students in professional organizations or corporations, working under seasoned supervisors who will deliver excellent training, supervision and advice.
No. In an effort to avoid any conflict of interest in terms of supervision, we do not approve internships at organizations run by the student's family.