Communication internships are designed to benefit both students and employers. Students receive practical experience in a communication-related career, while employers benefit from their skills and assistance, and may evaluate first-hand possible future employees.
Students must enroll in COM 3398 - Internship to receive academic credit for the internship. Eligibility criteria include:
Students qualifying for the internship program are expected to meet high standards of personal conduct and professional ethics, as well as to maintain attention to punctuality, deadlines and cooperation with others. In short, students are expected to work hard and become an asset to the organization they are serving. For grading purposes, students must complete a daily or weekly log of their activities and write a summary of their overall assessment of the experience. Both of these are due on the last official day of classes (not the last day of Final Exams).
If you have other questions regarding Communication Internships, please contact Thomas Gray (email preferred). However, office visits may also be scheduled.
Students are responsible for finding their own internships. One great source is going through Owl Link via the KSU Career Center. They have many jobs which are added and updated regularly for students and graduates to review. They can be categorized in any number of ways. If you have questions about how to use the service, please contact Ms. Margaret Browning, the Communication Department's internship education associate at the Career Center. Her email is mbrowni6@kennesaw.edu. The telephone number at the Center is 770-423-6555.
Students are not required to consider only those internships that are posted. They may also find their own. However, the work proposals will need to be reviewed and approved by the Communication Department (T.Gray) at least one week before the start of semester. If you have any questions about COM 3398 and Communication Department internships, please contact Thomas Gray via email.
The employer must meet the following criteria before an internship may be approved:
The conditions of an internship should be established with the student before he or she reports. These include the nature of the internship, supervisory arrangements, specific responsibilities of the intern, compensation (if any), and work schedules. It is expected that employers will provide a safe environment in which students can work and the materials that students need to complete their assignments (a desk, computer, etc). Once the internship begins, employers should review the students' work with them regularly and treat them as professionals. The supervisor must also complete the employer's evaluation form, due on the last day of classes.
Internships generally coincide with one of KSU's academic terms, with the internship beginning the first week of classes and ending the last week of classes, for a total duration of 15 weeks during fall and spring semesters and eight weeks during summer term. Students must work a minimum of ten hours per week during fall and spring semesters and twenty hours in the summer. Beyond this, the number of hours per week a student works is dependent on the needs of the employer and the number of hours of credit the student wishes to receive.
| A student may earn a maximum of 9 academic credits for COM 3398. However, no more than 6 academic credits may be earned in one semester in order to encourage multiple internships. In addition, a student may earn no more than 6 credit hours at any one internship location. The formula for academic credits is as follows: | |
|
15-WEEK FALL & SPRING TERMS: 10-19 hours/week = up to 3 credits 20+ = up to 6 credits |
8-WEEK SUMMER TERM: 10-19 hours/week = Not permitted 20-29 hours/week = Up to 3 credits 30+ hours/week = Up to 6 credits |
| Note: Students may receive no more than 3 credits for work at sites where their supervisor is not a communication professional, as indicated by their title. | |
Students must email the Communication Department Internship Coordinator to obtain approval to pursue an internship. This process involves a screening for GPA and class standing, approval of a job description for the internship if it is not already posted in the department, and completion of a registration form. Students need to email the Communication Department Internship Coordinator the name, address and phone number of their internship supervisor and number of hours per week they will work. (Written job description and supervisor’s business card are required for internships not already posted). If approved for Communication Internship credit, students are required to attend a Communication Internship orientation meeting held during drop/add in order to obtain paperwork for course registration. An internship contract is completed at this meeting, and then students are responsible for taking this contract to the Career Center for processing. (See "The Internship Process" for further details regarding how to register for COM 3398.)
Students may receive internship credit for their current employment if the nature of their work meets the previously stated criteria. Internship credit can NOT be granted retroactively for past work.
Students are encouraged to participate in more than one internship to gain a variety of experiences in the workforce. Students may repeat an internship for the same employer, so long as the job description continues to meet the Department’s criteria. They may earn a maximum of six hours at one location.
Internships are graded on an S/U basis (satisfactory or unsatisfactory), which does not impact GPA. Grades are determined by the employer's evaluation form and the student activity log and summary. Students who receive a “U” in an internship will not be permitted to enroll in an internship in the future.
Departmental Approval: Students are strongly encouraged to obtain departmental approval and complete the necessary enrollment paperwork before the last day of classes in the term PRIOR to the term the internship will be completed. However, internships may be added as late as one week prior to the drop/add period.
Deadline for grading: The employer's evaluation form and the student's log and written assessment are due no later than the last day of classes in the academic term of enrollment.
KSU Communication major interns are required to document their internship experience through (1) a daily or weekly log of activities, (2) a 2-3 page typed summary, and (3) a couple of work samples. These, along with your supervisor's evaluation of your work, will determine your grade.
Please turn in a file folder with your name on the tab, including only stapled, typed pages – NO folders, binders or notebooks. Supervisors' evaluations should be sent to me separately, directly by your supervisor.
The Activity Log is a bulleted list of what you did each day and/or week on the job. List each specific task, for example:
The Written summary is a subjective analysis of your experience. Give your opinion and write in first-person about what you learned and what you found most and least valuable. The following are suggested as some of the areas you may wish to discuss in your report.
You are required to submit samples of your work with your report. If your internship involved writing or creating written materials or reports (i.e., news releases, articles, training materials, invitations, brochures, etc.), be sure to include this information as supporting materials when you hand in your assignments to meet the requirements of the course.
All documents must be turned in to Thomas Gray, Communication Internship Coordinator, Social Sciences Building, # 5101, no later than noon on the last day of classes. Reports turned in early are appreciated. If Mr. Gray is out of the office, slide your documents under the door or give them to a representative in the Department of Communication office.
Student activity logs and summaries and supervisor's evaluations not received by 12:00 noon the last day of classes are subject to the following penalties:
Thomas Gray
Office: SO 2042
E-mail: tgray17@kennesaw.edu
Phone: 678-797-2073
Fax: 770-423-6740
