Internships can be arranged to suit nearly any student preference and have, in the past, been arranged with a variety of private firms, government agencies, and labor unions.
Students must be in academic good standing and have received degree candidacy in order to elect an internship. No more than six internship credits may be applied to a graduate degree without written permission from the department and the graduate dean.
All ELR majors are encouraged to pursue an internship, and the department advises students that the ideal time for undertaking an internship experience is after substantial progress has been made in the program of study, but before completing coursework. However, they cannot be undertaken until a student has completed or is scheduled to complete 18 credit hours (this can include internship credit hours). Students can do an internship in any term during the academic year.
Start By Meeting with the Internship Director
The most critical step in developing an internship assignment is for the student to meet with the department’s internship director as early as possible, allowing sufficient time for necessary contacts and arrangements to be made. The primary responsibility for arranging the internship rests with the student, but assistance is available from the department’s internship director. A student planning an internship is advised to prepare a draft résumé and to review it with the internship director, Scott Decker.
Students participating in an internship are supervised by both an on-site supervisor and the department’s internship director. Students must complete a weekly log of their experience, a formal internship paper, and a portfolio upon completing the internship.
Flexible Calendars Make It Work for Your Schedule
Internships may be arranged for virtually any length of time and are not governed by the traditional university calendar. However, in calculating the amount of time a student should spend working on an internship experience, the following formula should be used as the base: A three-credit internship requires 120 hours of work, and a six-credit internship requires 240 hours. The weekly expectations are adjusted according to the duration of the experience.
Elective Credits
Students who choose to complete an internship for elective credits are required to use the following forms to document the activities they performed throughout their entire internship.