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Communication 

Internships

 

 

left - photo caption We offer internships and, in many cases, professional positions, to Missouri State students because they're terrific employees. They know how to work, and work hard. They know how to do research. They understand attention to detail. They know how to operate in the challenging worlds of business and politics. And, above all, they know how to think. They are true professionals.

John Ashford, Chairman/CEO
The Hawthorn Group, L.C.
Alexandria, VA

 

Internships are opportunities for you to gain supervised practical experience. Internships can be very valuable experiences for several reasons. First, most employers value experience, and internships can give you professional experience you might lack otherwise. Second, internships allow you to apply classroom knowledge in practical settings. Third, your internship experience will let you see firsthand what it is like to work in a particular profession or organization. This may affirm for you the career path you have chosen, or it may lead you to decide on a different path. Most internships are unpaid, but there are occasional exceptions. 

Duties during your internship will vary according to the individual site and internship agreement, but a description of the responsibilities is agreed to before the internship begins. Examples of internship sites include: businesses, non profit groups, university offices, professional organizations, sports organizations, and government offices.

 

Eligibility | Structure | FAQs | Procedures | Proposal Description | Opportunities

 

Internship Eligibility

Undergraduates must meet certain requirements to receive Communication credit for an internship.  These requirements include:

1.     Junior standing (60 hours plus)

2.     Admission to your COM major or minor

3.     GPA of 2.50 or better in your COM major or minor

4.     Permission of the Internship Coordinator

 

Internship Structure

  • Internships are 1-6 variable credit hours and must be a new learning experience. 

 

  • If you are interested in an internship you should talk with their academic advisor as well as the internship coordinator to determine if and how an internship could work best for you.

 

  • For the first meeting with the Internship Coordinator you should submit a copy of your current resume as well as a one page summary of why you are interested in an internship, what kinds of internships you may be interested in, and what you hope to accomplish with an internship.

 

  • Minimally you must work a certain number of internship hours for one academic credit. Internships can be done in the Fall, Spring, and Summer semesters. Internships should be considered as part of your projected program toward graduation.

 

  • Work ahead in arranging your internship. You should apply, be accepted by your internship site, have the permission of the Internship Coordinator, and be registered for your internship significantly prior to the first day of the semester. For Summer 2008 semester the preference is to have your internship all set up by the end of the Spring 2008 semester (date is May 16). For Fall 2008 you should be all set up for your internship by the end of the week prior to the beginning of the semester (date is August 22). The earlier the better.

For more information on internships for undergraduate credit, contact

Dr. Randy Dillon

Craig 367A

Tel: 417-836-4986

Email: randydillon@missouristate.edu

Office hours: MWF 10-11am, 12noon -1pm.

 

 

Internship FAQs

  • Where do I find internships?The department posts information about a wide variety of internships on bulletin boards across from Craig 375. The department's Internship Coordinator, Dr. Randy Dillon, can give you additional information about these and other internships. The Missouri State University Career Center (Carrington 309, Phone, 836-5627, email: CareerCenter@missouristate.edu has information on hundreds of organizations and potential internships. The Career Center is also a great place to get help with your resume, cover letter, interviewing, etc. and they also offer special seminars on tips and strategies of how you can make yourself more marketable in the workplace. Many companies and organizations that offer internships publicize them on their web sites. You also may want to inquire within your own network of teachers, friends, family, acquaintances, and employers about internship possibilities. For example, if you are interested in doing a public relations internship talk with your PR professor about possible sites. Some students place a phone call or even directly visit a possible internship site.
  • Where are people doing these internships?Students are doing internships in Springfield, Kansas City, St. Louis, other parts of Missouri and around the U.S. In some cases students have even nabbed competitive internships outside the U.S. Consider nonprofits, profits, local agencies, political groups, special projects, etc. 
  • Will I get paid for my internship?Some internships are paid, and some are not. Some will provide a modest stipend to cover travel and/or meal expenses, but not pay a salary. While being paid is nice, many of the best internship opportunities are unpaid. Remember that the greatest value of an internship is in what you learn and the experience you acquire. Still, keep in mind the practicalities of a doing a particular internship (i.e. cost of living, schedules, learning experiences, etc.)
  • How much college credit will I receive for my internship?You will enroll in COM 495 Communication Internship during the semester of your internship. You may take COM 495 for a total of up to six credit hours. The number of credit hours you receive depends on how many hours per week you work. In general, internships in the fall and spring semesters are taken for three credit hours or less, while a summer internship that demands 20 hours or more per week probably would earn six credit hours.  Check with your academic advisor about how many hours you need for an internship. Paying for additional credit hours of internship when you don’t need them makes—well you do the math.
  • How is my internship grade determined?The Internship Coordinator assigns grades for internships. You will be required to submit periodic reports and prepare a final portfolio, and your supervisor on site must complete an evaluation of your work. Your grade will be based on these elements and others negotiated with the Internship Coordinator.
  • If internships are so important, why aren't they required in my major?While we strongly encourage students to complete at least one internship, making them mandatory would place a huge administrative burden on the department and might make it difficult for some students to complete their degrees. In addition, there are other ways of gaining professional experience that may suit a student's needs and abilities better, such as paid work experience, volunteering, cooperative education, study away, or service learning. The important thing is that you gain experience, and you should not limit yourself to just one type of experience.

     

Internship Procedures

  • What are the COM Department requirements for COM 495 credit?

    Requirements:

    • be a junior or senior and have completed 6 credits beyond the core.
    • have a minimum of 2.5 GPA overall and in your major.
    • have your internship proposal approved by the department internship coordinator.
    • must be officially admitted to the COM degree program by the date your internship begins.

     Limitations:

    • Credit can not be given retroactively for prior internships.
      • Sequential internships must generally be at different sites; occasional exceptions to this may be negotiated if responsibilities differ for the second internship.
      • Internships may be paid or unpaid. Internship credit is not given for most regular part-time student jobs-clothing sales, kitchen work, restaurant servers/cashiers, regular clerical jobs, etc. However, you might use your company contacts to arrange an internship with another department for the business where you are already employed. [For example, work for the Marketing Manager at special times in a company where you already have a clerical sales job; the internship would require site hours over and above your regular job.]
      • You may only take a total of 6 internship credits in your college career. They may be taken as a block for a full-time internship, or may be divided amongst several internships in different semesters if you wish.

  • What is required during the internship?

    To obtain credit during the semester of enrollment, you must:

    • complete an agreed upon number of work hours at your internship. The requirement is based on working a minimum of 48 site hours per semester for each credit hour. Site hours should be generally spread evenly throughout the semester, ending prior to exam week. The work schedule must be approved by your site supervisor and the internship coordinator as part of your approval. The following formula is applied:

                            1 credit = 48 site hours                           4 credits = 192 site hours

                            2 credits = 96 site hours                         5 credits = 240 site hours

                            3 credits = 144 site hours                       6 credits = 288 site hours

    • complete the concurrent academic requirements for the internship.
      • Keep journal and submit bi-weekly by email in regular semester or weekly in the summer term.
      • Keep accurate time sheets signed by your supervisor.
      • Write a 5-7 page internship evaluation at the end of the semester.
      • Submit a portfolio of your internship work at the end of the semester.
      • Meet with the department coordinator twice during the semester at midterm and end of term. (Twice is the normal requirement; however, if you need any sort of assistance, additional meetings will be scheduled) Special considerations/arrangements for summer semester and geographically distanced internships can be made in advance.
      • Arrange for a mid-term progress report and a final letter of evaluation from your supervisor to be sent to department internship coordinator.
  • What is the procedure for enrolling in COM 495?

    Step 1  Ask your advisor to send an email to the department coordinator that confirms the following points:

    • You are accepted into the degree program,
    • You have the required minimum grade point average.
    • An internship fits with your program.

    Step 2  Schedule meeting with your department internship coordinator to review application procedures. Bring a current copy of your resume to the meeting!

    You may either obtain an internship on your own ahead of time, or you may ask help from the internship coordinator in locating an internship. 

    Step 3  Confirm the internship you have already obtained

         OR

    Step 4  Interview at a suggested site, and gain acceptance for your internship.

    Step 5  Fill out the proposal and meet with internship coordinator to review your proposal and obtain approval for registration. Before coming to this meeting, go online, attempt to register for the course and click the request permission button.

    Step 6  Complete your registration online after receiving application approval. You are not officially registered until you complete this step.

 

Internship Proposal / Description (a.k.a. "Step 5")

  • If you have not already done so, please ask your department advisor to email a brief note to Dr. Dillon that affirms the following:
    • you are a junior or senior and are officially accepted into your degree program,
    • you have a minimum of 2.5 GPA both overall and in your major course work,
    • an internship fits with your degree program
  • Your proposal sheet should include the following things:

1.  Contact information

Student:

                        Your name

                        Local Springfield address

                        Residence during internship (if different)

                        Phone number

                        E-mail address

                        Date of expected graduation from Missouri State

                        Year in school (junior or above required)

                        Name of departmental advisor

                        Student number

 

Internship site

                        Name and address of the company/organization where you will intern.

                        General company e-mail address

                        Company website URL (if they have such a site)

                        Name and title of your internship supervisor

                        Address and phone number

                        E-mail address

 

PLEASE CLIP ONE OF YOUR SUPERVISOR’S BUSINESS CARDS TO THE PROPOSAL.

 

2.  Number of internship credits and prior internship experience

  • Number of credit hours you wish to receive for this internship _________
  • Have you previously done any internships? __________
  • If so, where and when did you do the internship? _________________________
  • How many academic credits did you receive for the internship? _____________

 

3.  Schedule data
Fill in the schedule form that includes: classes, internship times and schedule you work at other jobs. If you cannot give a definite schedule for your work hours, please indicate the job location at the bottom of the schedule and estimate the number of hours you regularly work per week.
Internships normally run from the first week of classes to the beginning of the last week of classes. (Usually 14 weeks.) The formula for calculating required hours per week is listed below. Regular internships should generally be for 2 or more credits. Check with your advisor about how many credits you need. 

 

1 credit = 48 site hours of work               4 credits = 192 site hours of work

2 credits = 96 site hours of work             5 credits = 240 site hours of work

3 credits = 144 site hours of work           6 credits = 288 site hours of work

 

Hours should normally be evenly spaced throughout the semester rather than bunched together into a few weeks. Set a fixed schedule and avoid shifting the times from week to week.

Arrange your site and class schedules so that you work at the site a minimum of 4 hours on any given day. This allows you to spend quality time on various projects. Fragmented schedules can often lead to fragmented assignments.

 

4.  Supervisor letter-attach to proposal

Once you have gained acceptance at an internship site, please ask your site supervisor to provide a letter on business letterhead that covers the points below.

  • A description of the internship and a list of intern’s projected duties.
  • The beginning and ending dates of the internship.
  • Agreed work schedule for days and hours of site work the intern will follow each week.
  • Whether the internship is paid or unpaid, and will expenses will be paid if the intern is asked to travel out of town or use a personal car for assigned duties during work hours.
  • Any special requirements of the internship? (For example, dress code, knowledge of specific computer software, required travel, prior knowledge of special equipment, etc.)

 

5.  Personal Performance objectives

You should list 4 or 5 significant objectives that you hope to achieve by the end of  your internship. The objectives should be performance-based rather than learning objectives and should be measurable—usually by some “product” or project produced during the internship and included in your final portfolio.

The objectives are devised by you, but you should share the goals with your internship supervisor. (Naming these objectives does not in any way limit other projects you may do; it simply means that you have identified several specific personal targets to achieve during your internship.)

 

6.  Schedule enrollment approval meeting with Internship Coordinator to review your proposal and complete registration. 

Before the meeting, please go online and attempt to register for the course. Click on the request permission button.

 

7.  After the meeting, go back and complete your registration online once your proposal has been accepted.

That simply means you go back and register again, the permission will have been granted, and this time your registration will go through. 

Don’t forget if you do not complete that last step, you will not be officially registered.


Opportunities

 

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