Skip Navigation

College of Communication

Rowan University College of Communication

Internships

Are you an employer with a job or internship opportunity? Click here for information about posting your position offerings with Rowan University's Career and Academic Planning Center.

GENERAL DESCRIPTION
An internship is a course undertaken outside the classroom in which students, under supervision, perform tasks, test theories, and exercise skills learned in the classroom.

Internships are typically performed in a commercial setting, where a student trains under the guidance of a professional mentor.

GENERAL INTERNSHIP OBJECTIVES*
Not every student will achieve every objective in a particular internship. However, students should realize a number of the following objectives.

Internships will provide students with opportunities to

* Adapted from the Management Internship Site of Minnesota State University at Mankato.

See department websites for more specific objectives and requirements.

CREDIT
1. Each 3-credit course requires students to perform 120 supervised hours of work. Where 6-credit internships are available, they require 240 hours of supervised work.

2. Each student is generally limited to 6 credit hours (240 on-site hours) of internship. In special cases, with a faculty advisor's consent, a student may apply for an additional 3 hours.

ENROLLMENT REQUIRMENTS
In order to register for an internship in the College of Communication, students must meet the following requirements:

  1. Be an official major of a program in the College.
  2. Have completed 75 hours of undergraduate credits.
  3. Have a minimum 2.5 Grade Point Average in their major.
  4. Meet additional departmental requirements for coursework, etc.
  5. Have pre-approval from their campus advisor and have completed the enrollment process.

INTERNSHIP ENROLLMENT PROCESS
In order to complete a credit-bearing internship, students should complete the following process:

1. Meet with their advisor to determine if:

  • The internship is appropriate for their professional development.
  • They will have completed 75 credits by the time the internship begins.
  • They have a 2.5 or higher GPA in the major.
  • They have completed the required prerequisite courses.

2. Seek out an internship opportunity through one or more of the following:

  • Experience eRecruiting (an employment site hosted by the Rowan CAP Center)
  • The Rowan CAP Center (a site with additional opportunities)
  • Instructors’ leads
  • Students’ own contacts
  • The Internship Bulletin Board in Bozorth Hall (next to the Boz. 105 office complex)
  • The College of Communication internship database (available through advisors or internship coordinators)

3. Obtain the advisor's approval and signature on the appropriate Application & Approval Forms.

  • Communication Studies - Click here to download a copy of the forms.
  • PR/Advertising majors - Click here for a copy of your form.
  • Journalism majors - Click here to dowload the form.
  • RTF majors - click here and here to download your forms.
  • Writing Arts majors - please contact Dr. Jeff Maxson (maxson@rowan.edu) about internship opportunities.

4. Obtain job details and signature from the host supervisor on the appropriate Approval Forms (see above). Be sure to include a written agreement with the internship host concerning:

  • Responsibilities of the job and duties to be performed
  • Number of work hours
  • Beginning and ending dates of the internship

5. Submit the completed form to the current faculty internship coordinator or department chair of the department granting the internship credits, or to the individual indicated upon the form.

The department chairs are as follows:

These are the faculty coordinators for Fall 2011:

6. Register for the course. Students must be registered for the course during the semester in which they are interning—not the semester before or after. In some cases, you will need a signature to register, so the other items should be completed and approved before you register.

7. Attend the internship orientation session for your program as notified.

EVALUATION AND GRADING
A grade for the internship will be determined after the student has provided:

1. An accurate log of on-the-job hours signed by the on-site supervisor.

2. A portfolio of representative work, including items such as articles, news releases, brochures, newsletters, script copy, audio-visuals, flyers, strategies, etc.

3. A final written critique (3–5 typed pages), in which the student thoroughly evaluates the internship experience, citing its strengths and areas for improvement.

4. The supervisor's evaluations of the student’s internship performance and the internship process completed by the on-site supervisor. The on-site supervisor's evaluation forms (click here to download two forms) must be returned to the on-campus faculty coordinator. The student must supply the site supervisor with the name and address of the faculty internship coordinator for return of the materials.

5. An internship site evaluation completed by the student. Click here to download a copy. This form should be returned to the faculty internship coordinator.

All these materials must be submitted to the Internship Coordinator in charge of the course after the internship is completed.

SITE SUPERVISION
On-site supervisors will be requested to:

1. Sign the Internship Application & Approval Form, in which the responsibilities of the internship are detailed. This form will be provided by the students.

2. Work closely with students on the job and respond to inquiries from faculty supervisors.

3. After the internship has ended, fill out an evaluation of the student’s internship: a Final Internship Evaluation Form and a General Evaluation of Hosting a Rowan Intern. These forms will be supplied by the student intern, along with information regarding return of the forms.

EARLY ENROLLMENT
Students wishing to undertake an internship prior to earning 75 credit hours must

1. Submit a written explanation of reasons for early enrollment.

2. Submit a letter of approval from the student’s academic advisor.

3. Submit a letter from a professor in the specialization verifying the student’s preparation for the internship.

4. Send the above to the Internship instructor assigned to the course in which the student will enroll.

For specific information about internships in each program, please contact the respective department chairperson. For general information about the college and the internship programs, contact
Lorin Basden Arnold, Dean
Rowan University
213 Hawthorn Hall, arnold@rowan.edu
856-256-4290