COM 198 Internship (Noncredit/Transcript notation)
Prerequisite: Instructor permission. Open to COM majors who want their internship recognized but do not need/want credit. This supervised internship experience provides students with the opportunity to explore career interests while applying knowledge and skills learned in the classroom to a work setting. Students must complete a minimum of 10 hours each week for 14 weeks. Students must spend ¾ of their work time onsite to be eligible for credit. The experience is noted on student transcript.
COM 298 Internship (1 credit)
Prerequisite: Instructor Permission. Open to sophomores who are COM majors or students who have expressed an intent to declare a COM major and have completed COM 130, 140, and 205. This is an introductory, supervised experiential learning opportunity with accompanying assignments designed to deepen student awareness of career options in Communication fields. Accompanying course assignments foster reflection on the experience that supports vocational discernment. Students should expect to work on-site for 10 hours per week for 14 weeks. Students must spend ¾ of their work time onsite to be eligible for credit. May be repeated once. Credits do not fulfill requirements for Communication major.
COM 398 Internship (2 credit)
Prerequisite: Instructor Permission. Open to juniors who are declared COM majors; this focused, supervised experiential learning is in a position related to the student’s intended area of study. Accompanying course assignments foster reflection to deepen student learning from the experience. Students must complete a minimum of 12 hours and up to 14 hours each week for 14 weeks. Students must spend ¾ of their work time onsite to be eligible for credit. May be repeated once. Credits do not fulfill requirements for Communication major.
COM 494 Internship (3 credit)
Prerequisites: Senior standing; 2.0 GPA; COM major; permission of internship director. Supervised and directed experiential learning in a position relevant to a major sequence of study. Course assignments will provide artifacts for enhancements of the student’s e-portfolio. Students are expected to work a minimum of two eight-hour days for 14 weeks. Students must spend ¾ of their work time onsite to be eligible for credit. CREDIT HOURS DO NOT APPLY TO MAJOR; DOES NOT FULFILL THE CAPSTONE REQUIREMENT.
COM 498 Internship/Capstone (3 credit)
Prerequisites: Senior standing; Instructor Permission; A minimum 2.0 overall grade point average. Open only to Communication majors. Permission of internship director required. Supervised and directed experiential learning in a position relevant to a major sequence of study. Students must commit to a minimum of two eight-hour (16 hours a week for 14 weeks) workdays to be eligible for course credit. Students must spend ¾ of their work time onsite to be eligible for credit.
NOTE: No ۿ۴ý University student may earn more than four internship credits toward graduation (excluding COMM 498). Students may complete more than four hours in credits but must acknowledge they understand that only four hours will count toward general elective credit for graduation.
Students planning to intern during any term should plan their classes to allow blocks of time for the internship.
- For students enrolling in COMM 494 Internship or COMM 498 Internship/Capstone, they need two full days (8 hours/day) to complete the requirements.
- Students enrolling in the zero, one, and two credit internships should block at least 4-6 hours per day that they are on site at the internship.
Before you register for an internship course, please be aware of the requirements of each internship course. These requirements include, but are not limited to hours required, number of workdays, time in the office vs. remote work, and more. See the “Internship Program Course Descriptions” section at the bottom of this page for more info. Please note that all internships must have a minimum of 14 weeks of work and you must work in the company’s office with a supervisor present. We cannot approve internships that do not meet the requirements for the course chosen.
Next, remember that The Russert Department Internship Learning Agreement must be completedpriorto registering for any of the internship courses. You can find that form
To complete , you will need:
- The job description to attach to the application for course credit
- You will also use the job description to create learning objectives for your experience. You should use the to assist you.
ALL Internship forms must be completed by the Wednesday of the first week of a semester by 5 pm. Please plan ahead and get your forms in early to avoid missing the registration deadline.The earlier you get these forms in, the better.
After you submit the form, it will be sent to your internship supervisor for review and approval.
Once your supervisor reviews, approves, and returns the form to Dr. Finucane, you will receive an email notifying you whether you are approved to register for the course in Banner or if you need to provide additional information before you are allowed to register. Act immediately!
Deadlines are firm. For fall and spring semester, you must register in Banner no later than 5 pm on the fifth day of classes. For summer internships, you must register in Banner by 5 pm on the first Friday of summer classes (the Friday before graduation).
Please plan ahead; this system takes time. Give your supervisor time to receive the information, review the form, approve and return it to Dr. Finucane. Give Dr. Finucane time to reviewit, approve it, and release you to register. Please do not wait until that last few days to initiate the learning agreement.
If you have any questions, contact Dr. Finucane at RussertInterns@jcu.edu or mfinucane@jcu.edu.
Q. Why complete an internship?
A. Internships reflect an educational pedagogy that links students’ classroom learning and professional work through a semester-long applied work experience. Through direct observation, reflection and evaluation, students gain an understanding of the internship site’s work, mission, and audience. They examine the links between the internship site’s goals and their academic study. Students engage in critical reflection of their internship experiences in a series of assignments that demonstrate their achievement of the department learning goals through their applied work experiences.
Q. How do I find an internship?
A. All Communication majors should be registered in Handshake through the Career Center. Many employers use Handshake to find students who meet their needs. We also offer majors the Russert Experiential Learning module in Canvas. Dr. Finucane posts all opportunities shared with her. You may also search Indeed.com or LinkedIn. If you have a network among family and friends, we encourage you to reach out to let them know you are looking for an internship. Be sure they understand your interests and the department requirements for what qualifies as an internship.
Q. Why does Bannerweb say there is an error when I try to register for my internship course?
A. You need to get your internship approved by Dr. Finucane first. To begin, fill out this .
Q. How many hours per week do I need to work at my internship to get credit?
A. This depends on several factors. First, how many credits are you seeking/desired internship course to take. Second, your class standing/eligibility to complete certain internship courses. See the section titled "Tim Russert Department of Communication Internship Program Course Descriptions & Requirements" aboveto learn more about the different internship courses available and their prerequisites. Don’t forget that you will need to get your internship pre-approved by Dr. Finucane before you will be able to register for any internship course. .
Q. When do I have to have my internship selected and approved by?
A. Internships should be approved by the Friday before classes begin for the term. Once approved, students should register for the course as soon as possible.
Q. Why do I have to do assignments for my internship course when I’m already working?
A. You are earning credit for the learning you demonstrate in your written work, not the work as an intern. We ask you to analyze your experience, articulate your learning, examine the relationship between theory and praxis, and in some of the courses, the focus is on vocational discernment.
Q. I haven't declared my Communication major yet, am eligible for any internship courses?
A. Yes, you are eligible to take COM 198 or COM 298. See the section titled"Tim Russert Department of Communication Internship Program Course Descriptions & Requirements" aboveto learn more about these courses. Remember, you will need to get your internship pre-approved by Dr. Finucane before you will be able to register for any internship course. .