Internships

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Internship Requirements:

As a student in the School of Media and Communication, it’s more than just a good idea to plan to do one or more internships during your college career. Employers in all emphasis areas look favorably on students who come to them with real-world work experience. Those same employers often hire graduates who have internship experience instead of those who do not have that experience.

There are two kinds of internships you can do as a student:

1. If you do not want class credit for your internship, you can gain valuable experience, learn more about your chosen field of study or shadow a professional for a few days or weeks by working with those who are in that field. You are in charge of arranging and managing this kind of internship independently. You often can use these types of experience to generate portfolio materials, gain needed experience and network within your chosen field.

2. If you want class credit for your internship, you can earn up to six hours class credit for two different internships done during two different semesters. You are still in charge of arranging the internships but you also must comply with these requirements:

Have a 2.0 or better GPA.
Attend an internship information session to get instruction on how to pursue and acquire an internship. It is recommended that you attend an internship info session in the semester prior to starting a for credit internship.
Obtain permission from your academic adviser (see Internship packet, page 4)
Submit an internship application (see Internship packet application, pages 5 and 6), including your adviser’s permission form, to the internship coordinator no later than that semester’s last day to add/drop full term classes without a grade of W.
Internships must be approved in advance. Academic credit will not be given retroactively.

Planning is essential to either kind of internship experience. It’s a good idea to talk with your adviser about internship opportunities during your fall and spring advising sessions. It’s an even better idea to arrange your internship prior to the beginning of the semester in which you plan to do the internship.

For additional information, contact Carlton Wade (carlton.wade@usm.edu), the coordinator for all internships in the School of Media and Communication.

Click the link below to download the current internship application:

Internship Application (Word)

Click the link below to complete the required internship evaluation:

Intern Evaluation (Note: Completed online by student's internship provider at midpoint and completion of the internship.)

Click the link below to print and complete the required time log:

Internship Time Log (PDF)
Internship Time Log (Word)