Internships and Jobs
INTERNSHIP AND PRACTICUM FAQ
Students interested in pursuing an internship or practicum for academic credit should be well versed in the posted Journalism and Digital Communication Internship Policies and Procedures before approaching faculty supervisors. Frequently asked questions appear below.
You have until the end of the first week of classes in the fall/spring semester to register for an internship. For the summer semester, the deadline is the last week of spring classes. Obviously, sooner is better.
Yes, as stated above, you have to complete the process for registration by the deadlines listed. The internship 鈥渃lass鈥 does not 鈥渇ill up.鈥 We take as many students as we have internships.
Yes and no. In semesters where there are a large number of interns, we meet as a class at least bi-weekly. When there are fewer interns, we meet individually at least four times during the semester.
An internship can be either. Most organizations will not allow students to do an internship without receiving college credit, for labor law reasons. However, some will, in addition, pay interns by the hour or with a stipend at the end. It varies.
For three credits, a minimum of 120 hours, which break down to about 8 hours per week over the course of a 15 week semester. The same number of hours applies during the summer, although the shorter term (10 weeks) means more hours per week spent at the internship. On-site supervisors must keep a running tabulation of the hours spent at the internship; the entire 8 hours does not have to be completed in a day. You could, for instance, go twice per week for 4 hours each day. The actual schedule is arranged between you and your supervisor.
First, browse the internship opportunities that are promoted via email by the department. Next, talk to your fellow students, many of whom have had or are currently engaged in an internship. Ask them about their experience and whether they would recommend it to others as a valuable learning experience. Finally, keep your eyes and ears open. Explore on your own. Pick an area of journalism/media in which you are most interested and