Internships
A communication internship is a semester or summer-long opportunity to work in a campus or community organization as a student employee to combine classroom concepts in your major with hands-on experience.
If you are eligible, you may also receive one to three credit hours of internship credit that apply to your degree. The number of credits you can earn depends on the number of hours spent on the job. Eighty hours of employment equals one credit. If you are currently enrolled as a full-time student, you cannot earn three credits during the fall or spring semesters (your emphasis should be on your academic education). Full-time students are eligible for one or two credits.
You can earn three credits for summer experiences if you work the required number of hours. A maximum of six credits will apply towards graduation. While working for the organization, you will apply and reinforce the skills you have learned in the classroom and develop new ones as you gain insight about a specific communication career. An internship will not only enhance those skills you have learned but also ease your transition from the academic to the working world.
Why should I seek an internship?
An internship provides you with more knowledge about your chosen field of study. By obtaining actual hands-on experience, you can discover what you like and dislike about requirements of the job. This way, your internship will help you decide whether or not your chosen field of study is right for you.
Internships also provide you with the opportunity to apply the knowledge and the skills you have learned in college. You will receive insight on how to improve your performance and learn from your strengths and weaknesses. This experience can provide a source of material to include in your portfolio and help you decide on the career that fits your abilities and interests.
The opportunities of an internship also include providing you with networking contacts. These contacts can give you feedback, constructive criticism, and support. Also, these contacts can open the doors to future employment with the company or can serve as future references and assistance in the communication field.
What types of internships are available?
Internships are available in all areas of communication. They are available at television and radio stations, non-profit organizations, corporations, newspapers, museums, public relations offices, hospitals, advertising agencies, and campus offices to name a few. Past interns have designed advertising campaigns, written press releases, researched corporate culture, and handled television and radio production. These are just a few of the many ways of obtaining hands-on experience in your field of interest. The opportunities are endless!
How can I find an internship?
Visit the Department of Communication Office, BRNG 2114 to speak to the internship coordinator or email internship coordinator. Opportunities exist at Purdue and in the Lafayette/West Lafayette area as well as Indianapolis and Chicago. There are additional internships in Indiana as well as out-of-state. Coordinator can advise you about pre-arranged internship programs and provide you with job descriptions for organizations that participate in our program. A current list of over 300 organizations offering an internship is posted on a bulletin board outside the Department of Communication.
Remember though, the most viable avenue for making contacts is through your own resources. Think about contacts you already have at your disposal -- family, friends, phone listings, trade journals, newspapers, etc. Anyone who or anything that can put you in contact with a possible employer is a contact.
Who qualifies for internship credit?
Any student who has been officially admitted to general communication or one of the eight communication concentrations (advertising, interpersonal communication, journalism, mass communication, organizational communication, public communication/rhetorical studies, public relations, or telecommunication) can earn credit. These students must have completed COM 204, 250, and 318 with at least a 3.0 average in these three classes.
Students who have not yet been admitted can still complete internships. They will NOT, however, be eligible to earn academic credit for the experience. No retroactive credit is granted.
How do I obtain credit for an internship?
Once you have found a potential internship in your field of interest, do not hesitate! Register immediately with the Department of Communication internship coordinator and your Liberal Arts advisor prior to the start of the internship. Please note that retroactive credit cannot be given in ANY case.
Steps to obtain credit for COM 490 (communication internship):
- 1. Be admitted to an upper-level communication program.
- 2. Acquire a position.
- 3. Obtain a learning agreement from the internship coordinator in BRNG 2114.
- 4. Complete the agreement and obtain your employer's signature. Make three copies of the completed agreement.
- 5. Obtain a letter from your employer describing your position and the number of hours you will work.
- 6. Obtain a progress report from SSINFO.
- 7. Bring the learning agreements, letters, and progress report to the internship coordinator in BRNG 2114. The agreement will be signed, and you will receive the assignment and deadline sheet.
- 8. Return an agreement that includes all signatures, including the internship coordinator, to your advisor and register for COM 490.
- 9. Attend the mandatory instructional meeting.
- 10. Work the number of contracted hours.
- 11. Complete assignments for the course -- classes or workshops, internship progress report paper, conference, employer evaluation and/or cover letter. You MUST meet deadlines!
- 12. You will receive pass/no pass credit after satisfactory evaluation by a faculty committee.
How should I approach the internship experience?
Approach your internship with optimism, enthusiasm, and professionalism. Give every assignment your best effort. Even the smallest tasks can lead to more challenging and responsible assignments. Offer to work on existing projects or suggest your own. Let your employer know what you can do.
Contribute 100% to your internship. Your effort will benefit that organization as well as yourself. Your dedication may be rewarded with a letter of recommendation or even an offer for a permanent job with the company.
Use this experience as a way to distinguish yourself from the numerous other Liberal Arts graduates entering the work force. Practical experience, combined with a successful academic background, will make employers take notice of what you have to offer.
Names to know
Pam Deutsch, Internship Coordinator
BRNG 2115
Phone: (765) 494-3319
E-Mail: pdeutsch@purdue.edu
Donna Wireman, Internship Assistant
BRNG 2115
Phone: (765) 494-3303
Email: dwireman@purdue.edu
Pat Rochon, Big Ten Network Internship Coordinator
BRNG 2258
Phone: (765) 494-2780
Email: prochon@purdue.edu
Jane Gibson Natt, Director of Undergraduate Studies
BRNG 2114
Phone: (765) 494-3322