Undergraduate | Internships

To help students to connect their coursework with the professional world, the Department has developed C382: Internship in Communication and Culture. Through internships, students make practical applications of their skills, learn new skills, and start to build professional networks in the field of their choice. CMCL majors have held a multitude of internships at a wide variety of both national and local organizations. As always, if you have any questions regarding C382, please contact an undergraduate advisor.

Overview

Supervised work, of a professional nature, in a communication field related to student's academic and career interests.
Student must write a critical analysis paper and be evaluated by internship site supervisor.
Student must evaluate site for future student reference.
May be repeated for up to 6 credits, but a maximum of three credit hours will apply toward the 30 credit hours required for the major. S/F grading.

Objectives

Students will make practical application of the skills, vocabulary, and habits of thought they have developed in their coursework in the Department of Communication and Culture.
Students will develop new knowledge and skills as a result of their internship experiences.
Students will begin the process of building professional alliances and relationships, thus initiating an essential element for continued success.
Students will evaluate a profession, career or industry for application to their personal career exploration and understanding.

Eligibility

Student must have officially declared a major or minor with the Department of Communication and Culture.
Student must have achieved junior or senior standing, with at least 12 semester hours completed in the Department of Communication and Culture.
Student must meet with the Academic Advisor in the Department of Communication and Culture and they must agree upon the details of the students specific internship experience before the student can register for the internship course. The details will be agreed upon in the students Application for Internship Course Credit.
Acceptance of internship for credit will be dependent upon: the presence of proper on-site supervision, the professional nature of the duties the intern is asked to perform and the intern working the required number of hours.
Under no circumstances will credit be given for internships in which a formal application was not made to the undergraduate Academic Advisor before the experience begins. Make all arrangements with the department in advance of beginning the internship if you want course credit for it.

Application Process

Click on “Apply Online for Internship Course Credit” near the top of this page. At the completion of the Internship, students will receive an on-site evaluation from their supervisor and be expected to turn in a critical analysis paper per arrangement with the faculty internship supervisor. The Director of Undergraduate Studies will assign a final grade of pass/fail.

Responsibilities of the Student

Utilize existing resources provided by the University, the College of Arts and Sciences, the Career Development Center and the Department of Communication and Culture, to seek out and secure an appropriate internship position.
Develop learning objectives for the internship experience as directed by the departmental Application for Internship Course Credit.
Provide the undergraduate academic advisor all information, documents and assignments requested.
Follow all policies and fulfill all expectations of the Communication and Culture Internship Program.
Maintain periodic contact with the Academic Advisor throughout the internship experience.
Conduct themselves at all times in a professional manner as a representative of Indiana University and the Department of Communication and Culture.

Responsibilities of the Academic Advisor

Ensure that the student's internship experience upholds the integrity, spirit and intent of the Communication and Culture internship program.
Provide consultation regarding procedures for securing an internship.
Evaluate materials produced by the student and by the student's internship site supervisor and submit appropriate grades to the registrar.

Deadlines

Students must apply for credit before the internship starts. Under no circumstances will credit be given for internships in which a formal application was not made to the undergraduate Academic Advisor before the experience begins.

Obtaining Internships

The undergraduate blog (http://communicationandculture.blogspot.com) includes information about past internships held by CMCL majors. These are actual internships that CMCL majors completed over the past 10 years or so, and each entry includes contact information for the company/organization. All entries are tagged by location (e.g., Chicago, New York, Bloomington) and by type of internship (e.g., public relations, event planning, marketing). On the blog, look under the Labels section for all of the related tags (all of the tags start with “past internships” to differentiate the entries from specific current internship opportunities, which are just marked with the tag “internships”).

The Arts and Sciences Placement Office in the Career Development Center, located at 625 N. Jordan Ave., has additional resources and trained staff to assist you in your search for an internship.

Sample of CMCL internships

Buena Vista Pictures Distribution	MTV Networks
Pittsburgh Filmmakers	Bulgari Retail USA
Russland Development Group	Fox Sports Net
Milldam Public Affairs	ABC
Creative Street Media Group	Rock Paper Scissors
IN Commission for Higher Education	B 97 Radio
Make-a-Wish Foundation	Eiteljorg Museum
Reader’s Digest Home & Garden Group	Geddes Talent Agency
Braden Business Systems	Fine Light Inc.
Indiana Legal Services	Warner Brothers
Ambassadair Travel Club	Rhino Records
Children’s Museum of Indianapolis	Red Lizard Creative
American Cancer Society	AmeriCorps
Children’s Home of Detroit	Faconnable Boutique
Across the Nation Promotions	Cinephile
Indianapolis 500 Festivals Inc.	Livingston Designs
Newport Aquarium (public relations)	Clear Channel Radio
Heartland Film Festival	Ryder Film Series
Wishard Health Services	Enterprise Rent-A-Car
JIST Publishing/Kids Rights	Bloomington Speedway
Barack Obama Presidential Campaign	Major League Baseball