Internship Guidelines

    One internship is required of every journalism major.  In many ways the internship is a key part of the major, so it demonstrates the student's ability to apply the knowledge and theory he or she has learned in other courses.  For the student, the internship may help to make decisions about further career moves.

    It is never too early to start thinking about internships, even though internships are taken traditionally between the start of the junior year and the end of the senior year.  Internships are often arranged up to a year in advance.  At the very least, you should have a good idea of the kind of internship you would prefer: whether print or electronic, newspaper, or magazine, public relations or advertising.

    One great advantage deriving from the location of Augustana College is that internships may be arranged for fall, interim, and spring terms, as well as for the summer.  With many participating agencies available locally, students may take part-time internship along with other courses.  Nevertheless, the full-time summer internship is usually regarded as being the most beneficial.  You may elect to take more than one internship, although only one may be applied to your major.

    Either the student or the internship adviser may make the first contact with the agency.  Normally, it is best for the student to make the contact, especially with local firms.  The purpose of the initial contact is to determine (1) if there are any internships available with the agency during the time desired, (2) the nature of any internships available, and (3) how the student may go about applying for available internships.  Usually the company supervisor will request an interview with the prospective intern.

    Internships need not be limited to agencies in or near Sioux Falls.  Summer internships have been arranged in locales as far away as Alaska, Washington, D.C., and San Francisco.  Majors have taken part in several internships in the Minneapolis-St.Paul area.  Out-of-town internships should probably be arranged by the internship adviser.  If you have a wish list of publications or of television stations you would like to intern for, give the list to the internship adviser.  The adviser will contact the agencies on your available.  Good results have come from form letters sent out to several agencies at the same time.

    Once it has been established that an internship opportunity exists with a particular organization, the student should go about applying for the internship just as though applying for a job.  Prepare a letter of application, a resume, and a portfolio of choice clips from publications or newscasts.  Ask your adviser for help with these materials, if you need it.  Local organizations often want to have an interview with the applicant.  Among other things, an internship is good preparation for getting that first job after graduation.

    Here are some points to keep in mind when setting up an internship:

• Kinds of Work: The aim of the internship is to give students experience in the fields of their choice.  In most cases, they will have had basic preparation in academic courses.  Supervisors may expect students at first to need rather close guidance in given assignments.  If possible, opportunities should be given for students to try their hands at many different assignments and thus to learn as much as possible about the job.  The student's work should not be limited to menial chores.
• Payment: Since the student is receiving course credit for the internship, the school does not require or expect additional payment to the student by the supervising agency.  Nevertheless, some agencies prefer to pay interns in order to have more direct control over their performance.
• Supervisor Responsibilities: One person with the agency with the agency is to be identified as the supervisor of the internship.  That supervisor is asked to keep track of the activities of the intern and to keep a running evaluation of the intern's performance.  The supervisor is required to evaluate the intern at the end of the internship period and to suggest a grade for the internship.  In addition, the academic director of the internship may contact the agency for reports on the intern's progress during the internship period.
• Intern Responsibilities: The intern is to keep a log of his or activities during the internship period.  In addition, the intern is to keep samples of his or her work and to provide a written assessment (about two pages) of the internship experience.
• Grading: The grade for the internship will be determined by the academic supervisor on the basis of the intern's log, work samples, and assessment, in addition to the supervisor's evaluation.

http://www.augie.edu/dept/engl/Journalism/coursedescript.html
Click here for some internship sites