Internship Option
Students pursuing the internship option are required to complete 30 credit hours of coursework. Of this coursework, 3 to 6 credit hours must be COMM 6590: Graduate Internship. Internship projects must be supervised and approved by a committee of at least three graduate faculty members. The remaining credit hours will consist of graduate-level electives that are reflective of the student's interests and areas of specialization within the degree.
Graduate internships are not guaranteed in that the student needs to be accepted as an intern by an appropriate organization with enough oversight for the internship to fuction as a learning or training experience. In order to be considered for credit, internships must have a documented relationship with the core courses required in the MA program as well as responsibilities commensurate with individuals holding a gra+duate degree. As the department does not have a comprehensive list of providers for graduate level internships, students are responsible for networking and developing internship opportunities.
Once the student has identified an internship possibility, s/he must develop a proposal which (1) explains the relationship between the internship, the career goals of the student, and the content of the M.A. program; (2) clearly establishes the appropriateness of the internship at a graduate level, (3) delineates the specific tasks and requirements of the internship (hours, assignments, etc.); (4) identifies a mentor or supervisor at the internship location who will be accountable for verifying the student’s compliance; (5) develops the guidelines and rationale for the final project to complete the internship (e.g., paper, portfolio, etc.); (6) identifies a faculty member whose knowledge and expertise is amenable to the internship, and who is willing to serve as Chairperson of the student's committee; (7) once the proposal has been approved by the Chairperson of the student's committee, identifies two other graduate faculty who are appropriate (given the nature of the internship) and are willing to serve on the student's committee.
