Internship Program

“An internship is a form of experiential learning that integrates knowledge and theory learned in the classroom with practical application and skills development in a professional setting. Internships give students the opportunity to gain valuable applied experience and make connections in professional fields they are considering for career paths; and give employers the opportunity to guide and evaluate talent.” (www.naceweb.org)

Criteria for an Experience to be Defined as an Internship

To ensure that an experience—whether it is a traditional internship or one conducted remotely or virtually—is educational, and thus eligible to be considered a legitimate internship by the NACE definition, all the following criteria must be met: 

1. The experience must be an extension of the classroom: a learning experience that provides for applying the knowledge gained in the classroom. It must not be simply to advance the operations of the employer or be the work that a regular employee would routinely perform.
2. The skills or knowledge learned must be transferable to other employment settings.
3. The experience has a defined beginning and end, and a job description with desired qualifications.
4. There are clearly defined learning objectives/goals related to the professional goals of the student’s academic coursework. 
5. There is supervision by a professional with expertise and educational and/or professional background in the field of the experience.
6. There is routine feedback by the experienced supervisor.  
7. There are resources, equipment, and facilities provided by the host employer that support learning objectives/goals.

Important considerations:

The internship supervisor must be a professional from whom the student will learn.
The internship supervisor may not be a family member or be employed by a family member.
Students may not work in the private home or home office of an internship supervisor.
Virtual office internships are allowed upon approval of contact structure and work schedule.

The department structures the internship program around two courses:

• COMM386: “Experiential Learning”
• COMM288: “Communication Internship”

COMM386 Prerequisites:

• Communication Major
• 60+ credits
• 2.5+ GPA
• Students must have completed two upper-level COMM courses with a grade of C- or higher.

COMM288 is a lower level course without prerequisites.

COMM288 credits will not apply to the communication major.

Students enroll in an academic internship course during the same semester in which they are doing the internship. Please note that if the internship occurs during the summer/winter the student will enroll in the summer/winter academic internship course and will incur tuition costs and fees applicable for courses taken during that term.

Students may earn three to six credits for a COMM386 internship or one to six credits for COMM288. Students choose a credit level based on how many hours they will work at the internship site. The standard formula is a minimum of 45 hours of work per credit (135 for 3 credits, 270 for 6 credits). Three credits of COMM386 may apply toward the communication major. COMM288 credits will not apply toward the communication major. Any additional credits may apply toward graduation requirements in the College of Arts and Humanities. The student should discuss the usefulness of these credits with an ARHU advisor. COMM386 is not repeatable. COMM288 may be repeated up to a total of six earned credits for that course.

Internship Course Resources