Internships
An internship is an extension of the classroom into the workplace. It is designed to give juniors and seniors the opportunity to test what they have learned in the classroom and to continue to learn in the workplace. An internship is not a regular job but an educational situation. Indeed, the main responsibility of an intern is to learn rather than to produce.
In some instances, students will work in one area or department within an organization; in others, they will spend time in a number of areas. An advertising intern, for example, might spend several weeks each with an account executive, a media buyer, a copy-writer, and a creative person; a newspaper intern might be assigned to the metro desk, then to the sports desk, then to the copy desk.
Whatever the arrangement, the internship supervisor should be a teacher to the intern rather than a boss and should look on the intern not as an employee who is expected to turn out polished work with little or no supervision but as a student who is not yet fully prepared. He or she will guide, not direct, the intern, and will be someone to whom the intern can turn for advice, criticism, and the like, as the student would a teacher.
Is it possible to earn credit for an internship at Loyola?
Yes, you can earn up to three hours of communications elective credit
for an internship. However, you must first meet the prerequisites, have
an approved Internship Application on file in the school office and
be formally enrolled. Credit will not be given retroactively for an internship
you may have already completed or for one you began before completing an application.
What qualifies as an internship?
Work supervised by a professional in the field in which you are working.
For example, a position with a social service organization working under
a qualified public relations practitioner would be an internship; a position
in which you would be the only person doing public relations, supervised
by someone with little or no public relations experience who simply needs
public relations help would not qualify as an internship.
What are the prerequisites?
You must be a junior or senior communications major or minor in good standing
at Loyola. You must demonstrate knowledge in the area in which you wish
to intern by completing course requirements, as specified below, before
you begin your internship.
By faculty vote, there can be no exceptions to the listed prerequisites.
| Internship type | Prerequisite courses |
| Newspaper Reporting | CMMN-A250 Beginning Reporting |
| Advertising | CMMN-A310 Advertising |
| Public Relations | CMMN-A316 Public Relations |
| Graphics | CMMN-A260 Introduction to Layout and Design |
| Photojournalism | CMMN-A368 Photojournalism |
How do I get an internship?
Newspapers, radio and television stations, advertising and public relations
firms, and other organizations with communications departments frequently
call the School of Mass Communication to request interns. Notices are posted on the bulletin
board just outside the school office. There is also a binder in the
school office that you can look through for more information. Faculty
sometimes announce internships in classes. They recommend certain internships
to the most qualified students. Word of some internships is passed on
from student to student. Many students create their own internship opportunities
by knocking on doors. Visiting the Career Counseling Office or its website
is another source of information on internships.
How do I enroll?
You and the person who will supervise your internship should complete
the Internship Application below. Submit it to the school director along
with a completed Independent Study Registration form which you can get
in the school office. If the internship is approved, you can then
register for the internship for credit. Be sure to check back with the
School of Mass Communication office to find out if your internship is
approved and if it is, to pick up your signed Independent Study Registration
form to take to the Office of Student Records.
How will I be graded?
There will be three meetings during the course of the semester that you
need to attend. These meetings are to help monitor your progress and share
what you are learning in your internship. Your faculty instructor may
also arrange a site visit of your internship to meet with you and your
on-site supervisor. Toward the end of the semester, your faculty instructor
will ask the person who is supervising you on-site to complete an evaluation
of the quality of your work and of your performance in terms of attitude,
initiative, reliability, and punctuality. Your grade – either Pass
or Fail – will be based on that evaluation.
How many hours do I have to work to receive credit?
A student should spend about 10 hours at the internship each week of the
semester for three hours of credit, or a total of 140-150 hours during
the semester. You can enroll for fewer credits, of course, and work proportionally
fewer hours.
Will I be paid?
Some organizations pay and some don’t. The school feels the
question of pay has no effect on the validity of the internship.
Can I add an internship after the semester starts?
You can add the internship during the add/drop period just as you would
any other course. You can drop the course, too, during the drop or withdrawal
periods.
Can I work at an internship during the summer but enroll for
credit in the fall?
Yes. However, you must have the Internship Application completed and on
file in the school office before starting the internship.