Think about what kind of job you want when you finish school. What internship setting can give you the necessary skills? (Often small organizations will let you do more.) Where will you learn more about the industry? What organization will give you tangible “products” (videos, press releases, advert copies, etc.) that you can use in a “portfolio” when you job hunt? Where can you make contacts that will help you get a job after graduation? (If you want to work in a specific organization, make those contacts now.) Is it possible that the internship can turn into a job later? What will be impressive on your resume?

If you are unsure of what you want to do, pick a career track to “test” and do an internship at that type of organization. Finding out that you DON’T want to go into an area of communication is as informative as finding out that you love it; it is easier to switch career tracks now than later. Remember, you can do a second internship later for a new experience.

Many students will use their personal contacts (especially parents’ acquaintances) and network of friends to find organizations close to home.  A significant resource for all things career related is available to all UConn students: the Center for Career Development (CCD).  In addition to career prep resources, the CCD website connects students to employers through HuskyCareerLink, as well through national search engines that are available once you are ready to enter the workforce. UConn interns have worked for financial and insurance institutions (Travelers, Merrill Lynch), public relations firms and event planning organizations, non-profits, fashion houses and design firms, and in broadcasting and film production—including internships at NBC, MTV, and ESPN.  We have had interns in almost every industry.

The important criteria for an internship sites are: (a) your duties are significant and communication-related (not more than 20% of your duties consist of sales, clerical/secretarial, or phone reception); and, (b) your supervisor is qualified and willing to mentor and teach you important industry- and field-specific skills.

To receive COMM credit for an internship in a COMM-related field, students must enroll in a course, COMM 4981 Internship in Communication. To enroll in the course, students must complete an Internship Application form (see What are the steps to receiving COMM credit).

The course is open to students who have completed at least 12 credit hours of Communication courses at the 2000 level or above. The internship may be repeated once, earning you a total of 6 credits, but the internship must have different job duties and/or a different supervisor.

Through COMM 4981, an intern may earn up to three (3) credits for an internship, based on the number of hours worked:

• 3 credits, for a minimum of 126 hours worked during a semester
• 2 credits, for a minimum of 84 hours worked during a semester
• 1 credit, for a minimum of 42 hours worked during a semester

It is the intern’s responsibility to arrange a work schedule with the intern supervisor that will meet the minimum number of hours required for the credit value the intern expects to earn for the internship.  Students may earn a MAXIMUM of 6 credits, total, by taking COMM 4981 twice, in different semesters/terms.

1. Find a suitable internship. It is the student’s responsibility to secure an internship, to complete the necessary application procedures, and meet the acceptance requirements of the internship.  An introductory letter for supervisors is available from the COMM advising office, ARJ 245. Internship supervisors will be expected to sign an Internship Supervisor Agreement, which will be mailed to supervisors when the internship has been approved by the course supervisor for COMM 4981. The internship supervisor will also be required to complete a brief evaluation of the intern at the conclusion of the internship.
2. Complete the Internship Application to Enroll. In order for the course supervisor to properly assess the educational value of the internship, the student must complete the COMM 4981 application. Upon submission, the form will be routed to the course supervisor for approval. The form asks for a description of your internship objectives and proposed internship duties as well as the correct names and addresses for you and your supervisor. (Credit for the internship is DEPENDENT on approval of the internship as a COMM internship, and therefore REQUIRES that the Internship Application be approved by the course supervisor of COMM 4981, in order for you to receive COMM credit.)
3. Ensure that all relevant fields on the application form are complete and convey sufficient detail, especially the following:
   1. Supervisor Position/Title and Relevant Qualifications -- Your supervisor must be a trained communication professional. A trained communication professional has the ability to be a mentor. This should be a mentoring experience. Be sure to ask your supervisor all of his/her relevant communication qualifications and list them on the application.
   2.  Description of Internship Duties -- It is acceptable for you to do some clerical work, but typing, filing, and phone reception should not be your primary duties. Those tasks should compromise no more than 20% of your internship experience. The majority of your time should be spent getting practical communication-related work experience.
4. Obtain permission to enroll in COMM 4981. Once the internship has been secured (or the student is close to doing so), the course supervisor will email the student a permission number to enroll.  As with all other courses, the student may enroll in COMM 4981 until  the 10^th day of the semester.  If the internship is secured only after the 10th day of the semester,  students may still request enrollment, but the procedure for enrolling will follow the Registrar’s normal procedure for late enrollment.  NOTE:  Internship credit CANNOT be earned after the internship has already been completed.

Important Note: Be sure to do your paperwork in a timely fashion. If your site is not approved early enough, you may not have the time to select another internship site, or to register for another course to replace COMM 4981.

By the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences rules, you will be assigned a grade of “S” (Satisfactory) or “U” (Unsatisfactory) for the internship. This grade will not be used in computing your GPA, but the credits will count toward graduation. At the end of the semester your internship supervisor will be asked to fill out a FINAL EVALUATION form, to evaluate your performance at the internship. This will be the primary evaluation that you will receive.  You will also be required to complete assignments posted on the HuskyCT site for COMM 4981, which are designed to help you make the most of your internship experience.  If you receive an “Unsatisfactory” evaluation from your supervisor, you will be asked to discuss the evaluation with our Internship Coordinator. The final grade will be assigned by our Internship Coordinator, after taking into account both the site supervisor’s evaluation and your comments.

There are no in-person class meetings during the semester of enrollment in COMM 4981.  A meeting during the first week of the semester may be held in order to orient students to the internship experience and explain course requirements. This will be the only meeting for the semester.