DMCA 499 Internship

An internship is designed to allow upper level students (Junior or Senior status with at least 24-hours in their major completed) to experience the professional world while they are still involved in their academic training. This provides them with both an understanding of the relationship of their academic preparation to their career aspirations and the demands that will be placed upon them in the professional world.

Internships with professional organizations are designed to help upper-class communication students build a bridge between the academic and the professional worlds. Internships provide students with opportunities to enlarge their knowledge and sharpen their skills learned in academic courses by applying them in real-world professional situations. Internships also provide students with valuable practical experience to include on their resumes to assist them in obtaining professional jobs after graduation.

Course Requirements Checklist

After reading the Course Syllabus and Student Expectations, the student will complete the related checklist found in the Course Overview.

Daily Log Assignment

The student will maintain a daily Log of activities, including daily hours worked and a description of specific activities learned. Each day the student will write a short paragraph (5 sentences minimum) in the log (under New Skills Learned) describing what the student learned that day. The student may use the provided template as a guide. The student is welcome to use Excel or a Word document to create the Daily Log. The Daily Log is to be completed as the internship progresses and then turned in on the date designated by the instructor.

Supervisor’s Evaluation Assignments (2)

The on-site Internship Supervisor in the professional organization will provide: Two (2) evaluations to the Faculty Internship Advisor after the supervisor has shared the evaluation with the student, using forms provided under Course Content on Canvas in this course. The internship supervisor MUST sign the evaluation(s) to be counted as valid. Electronic signatures will count. Typed names in lieu of a signature will not count.

Final Paper Assignment

At semester’s end, the student will submit a paper of at least 2 pages (for 180 hours of work), 3 pages (240 hours of work), 4 pages (300 hours of work), and 5 pages (360 hours of work, which also would include the Washington Semester students). The concept of this paper is for the student to compare theory to practice during the course of the internship. By way of example, consider such questions as the following:

• How did your internship experience compare with your classroom training?
• Was the internship experience what you believed it would be?
• In what ways was the internship experience better than the classroom training you received?

The written paper must follow current APA format and include a minimum of:

• Three (3) outside sources (for 3 credit hours) in the works cited section.
• Four (4) outside sources (4 credit hours).
• Five (5) sources (5 credit hours).
• Six (6) sources (6 credit hours).