Internships

Internships (Comm 179) are offered to majors who plan to pursue a professional career in government, business, social services, industry, and related institutions. The program is designed to provide learning experiences in settings outside the classroom. Developed for students who have completed most of their course work, internships offer work experiences where principles of communication are applied to "real world situations." Internships are designed to be beneficial to both students and client organizations.  Students who apply for internships must be junior level or greater declared Communication majors with a B- (2.87) grade point average in the major.  Additionally, students must have a 2.0 or greater overall (cumulative) and on-campus GPA. 

Acquisition of an internship is generally done in much the same way that an initial job is obtained. Potential interns provide agencies with resumes and a letter or phone call indicating their interest. An interview is then set up to determine mutual goals and activities for the agency and student.  Upon obtaining an internship, each student works closely with an agency staff member who acts as internship supervisor. The time spent by the intern usually involves from 8 to 12 hours of work per week for the semester. Periodic reports of the intern's work are made by the supervisor to the internship coordinator in the Communication Department. Final grades are determined from these reports. Interns from the Department of Communication have been placed with a number of professional organizations, and these placements have sometimes led to full employment upon graduation.

To identify a potential internship program, you may wish to consult with Career Services.  Please download the Internship Program Packet, with the internship contracts and editable progress report forms.

Please note, the Internship Program Director will need to verify your eligibility (junior status or greater, Communication major, in good standing with the university, with a major GPA of B- [2.87] or better. You will receive a permission number once your eligibility is verified and after the Internship Program Director receives a signed copy of the Internship Contract available in the previous link.

For assistance locating a host company, you may wish to visit Career Services in Thomas Administration, room 103 (559.278.2381), or their website.

The Internship Coordinators are Courtney Sparrow (Speech Arts, room 104) and Amin Makkawy (Speech Arts, room 8).