Internships
For employers: If you are looking for talented interns, please send your announcement in pdf format to Dr. William Little and we will share the information with our students on this site. A formal announcement of the position should include (1) a clear description of the intern's responsibilities/duties, (2) a description of the skills the intern will develop and/or acquire, (3) the expected number of hours per week, (4) the length of the internship, and (5) whether the internship is paid or unpaid (if paid, the compensation amount).
For students: Internships are useful for obtaining career-related work experience, transferable skills, a notable work ethic, and may provide a competitive edge on the job market. Media Studies majors who wish to pursue internships and/or fieldwork in media for course credit may do so by applying to the department’s internship program. Dr. William Little, Director of the Internship Program, oversees this course, approves and supervises internship experience. All documentation associated with this program should be sent to him by email.
A list of companies that have offered interships to our students can be found here.
Application
Students interested in applying to the internship program must first complete an Internship Application prior to undertaking the internship. The Internship requires both the student and the sponsor’s signatures. Refer to the Media Studies Internship Expectations document for more information about how to structure an appropriate internship experience.
Enrollment
Once the application has by submitted and approved by Dr. Little, students can enroll in the 1-credit internship course, MDST 3800 on a pass/fail basis. Students must enroll in MDST 3800 in the same semester as their internship unless the internship occurs in the summer at which point students may enroll in MDST 3800 the following Fall. MDST 3800 does not count toward credit in the major and no internships will be counted for credit unless they have been approved and before the internship begins. As in the case of any other College Course, no credit will be received for internships that are not completed. Students must observe add/drop deadlines for internships in exactly the same manner as for regular coursework.
Requirements
In order to receive internship credit, students must submit a Mid-Term Progress Report, a Final Paper, a Self-Evaluation, and the internship sponsor must also submit an evaluation of the Student.
-
Mid-Term Progress Report
The Progress Report is a 400-800-word narrative submitted by the student that describes the progress of the internship, skills and competencies learned, and successes and challenges of the experience. If there are serious issues or problems, they may be addressed in a meeting or conference between the student, Media Studies, and the sponsor. Mid-term Progress Reports are due to Dr. Little on or before October 30 in the Fall Semester or March 30 in the Spring Semester.
-
Final Paper
Students are expected to complete a 2-3 page Final Paper at the end of their internship experience. This should be reflective, critical, and analytic in nature. Such a paper might address the experience of working to create a news story, establish client relations, deal with the financial or legal realities of a media environment, assess the design process of working in a group or team situation, address issues of audience and their effect on the shape of media communication, or any other aspect of the experience that allows for critical insight. Final Papers are due to Dr. Little on or before the final day of classes of the semester in which the internship was completed.
-
Evaluations
Online Evaluation Forms must be completed by both the student and sponsor. Evaluation Forms are due on or before the final day of classes of the semester in which the internship was completed. Failure to file evaluations in a timely manner will result in the withholding of credit for the internship (as in completion of work for any course).
Did the student meet the goals set in the original agreement? How well did the student perform the expected tasks? Was she/he prompt and professional with regard to time commitments and other expectations? This form of the student's overall performance is required within two weeks of the student's final date of work.
How did the internship meet the goals and expectations of the student? Evaluate the internship. Would you recommend it to another student? If so, why? If not, what would you change about the agreement you set at the outset to make this a more useful experience?