A Program to Support You as You Take the First Steps into Your Future
An academic internship through the School of Communications is your chance to dive into your chosen field and gain valuable experience. It's an opportunity that bridges the academic and professional worlds that shouldn't be missed.
A Strong Start to Endless Opportunities
Each year, the Internship Program assists more than 150 undergraduate students in more than 15 different majors to secure internships across the country. Internships are available in production houses and studios, agencies, health care, sports entertainment, nonprofit organizations, educational environments, commercial studios, publications, radio, television, corporate settings and cultural institutions. Internships can be paid or unpaid, depending on the organization. Each year the School of Communications invites a sampling of these groups and organizations to the St. Louis campus for an Internship Expo where students can meet a variety of professionals, begin networking and hopefully, obtain an internship.
Students may complete internships in all three academic semesters (Fall, Spring and Summer). To ensure students are prepared for their internship, the Internship Program works hard to:
- Provide career path advice to students.
- Match students with internships based upon skill set and interest.
- Provide students with the resources necessary to achieve success.
All undergraduate students who participate in a School of Communications-approved, credit-bearing internship by partnering with the Internship Program will:
- Intern under the supervision of an intern supervisor or mentor who is an established professional in the field or industry and who has significant professional experience and preferably a degree or certification in the student's area of study.
- Gain opportunities to apply knowledge learned in the classroom and engage in projects and tasks that contribute to students' professional development.
- Perform a minimum of 150 hours during internship and meet the course requirements for MDST 4950 Internship, including monthly seminars.
- Receive a grade-based 50% on academic work and 50% on evaluation from the internship supervisor.
Apply for an Internship — The Process for Communications Student Interns
- Ensure you meet the prerequisites — per your academic major.
- Be at a Junior or Senior status
- Pass portfolio review and/or a specific course if required by your major.
- Meet with your academic advisor to determine the prerequisites (per major) and best semester to do an internship.
- Schedule a student appointment.
For more information contact the Director of the School of Communications Internship Program at socinternships@webster.edu.
It's best to begin preparing for your internship search the semester before you plan to complete your internship. If you are are outside the St. Louis area, we recommend you begin preparing two semesters prior. Internships follow academic semesters (i.e., a fall internship takes place Aug.-Dec.; spring, Jan.-May; summer, June-July). This may vary slightly depending upon the organization and the hours worked per week. - Attend the meeting. Some items you may discuss include career paths that interest you, possible organizations at which you could apply for an internship and how to prepare application materials (including resume, portfolio, cover letter, correspondence, etc.) Make sure to bring the draft of your resume and any other materials you have prepared to this meeting.
- After the meeting, complete application materials. Make sure to review and proofread these materials before sending them out.
- Begin applying for internships. You will be given leads for SOC-approved internship opportunities that align with your major. Keep in mind that internship opportunities are not limited to the organizations with which the Internship Program has established partnerships. Internships must be completed under the supervision of an expert in your field of study and must offer relevant entry-level professional experience. If you find an internship opportunity on your own, and the position is outside of the Internship Program's network, it must be reviewed and approved by the Internship Director before you can intern there for credit.
- Begin the interviewing process. Use the Career Resources materials to view the applying, interviewing, correspondence tips and suggestion documents.
- Accept an offer and finalize your internship. Communicate this update to your Internship Program supervisor as soon as possible.
- Talk with your internship supervisor to get started. You can reach out to the Director of the School of Communications Internship Programs at socinternships@webster.edu.
- When creating your schedule, keep in mind that you will need to complete a minimum of 150 work hours during your internship, which will fulfill three academic credit hours (64 hours of working equals one credit hour).
- To receive academic credit for an internship and meet the requirements for graduation, you must earn at least three credit hours. We encourage you to do a second internship for credit as long as the total number of credit hours does not exceed eight.
- Email the Director of the School of Communications Internship Program at socinternships@webster.edu to enroll in the course, MDST Internship, cross listed with ART 4800.
- Begin your internship. Show up on time, dressed professionally and ready to take on projects. Your grade will consist of 50% input from your internship supervisor (through a mid-term and/or a final evaluation). The Internship Program will send the evaluation directly to the internship supervisor.
- Participate in the Internship course because 50% of your grade will be based on your participation and your academic assignments.
- You are required to secure a SOC-approved internship, submit your Internship Approval Form and internship description and be enrolled in and complete MDST 4950 Internship (formerly MEDC 4950 Practicum) (please follow steps in the order listed) to receive academic credit for your internship.
Internship Frequently Asked Questions
For more information, contact the Director of the School of Communications Internship Program at socinternships@webster.edu.
It's both. The School of Communications internship program is a blend of early field experience and the academic work that supports this experience. The program is listed as MDST 4950 Internship (formerly MEDC 4950 Practicum).
Start early. Plan to begin at least one semester prior to the time you plan to start your internship and two semesters prior if you would like experiences outside St. Louis. Make sure you read about the internship application process.
Begin networking and stay current in your field. Use the career resources page to find lists of websites related to your industry that may help you during your search process.
Become a professional online:
- Google yourself and check your social networking sites. Make sure they are set to private and/or that you don't have any photos or information posted that is not appropriate for a potential employer to view.
- Consider your email address. Make sure it is professional and easy (such as your first and last name). If you'd like to have a creative or unique email address, that is OK for some industries, but make sure it is still professional.
- Get connected. For example, create a LinkedIn page. Using online outlets such as this is a great way to network.
Brand yourself. Everything that a potential employer sees needs to be branded. This includes your resume, cover letter, business cards, reference page, online and physical portfolio, etc. You should use the same fonts, design, headers and footers and contact information (i.e., give the same email address and phone number on all pieces).
Apply to multiple positions. As you apply to positions, you get your name out there and learn more about different organizations. The more you apply the more you begin networking professionally.
Apply through email: Most organizations will ask you to send your resume and cover letter through email. When applying for an internship this way, remember to be professional and use the right tone. We tend to be much more informal on the web. Don't take this attitude too far when applying for an internship.
Applying through an online application program: When applying to a larger company you may be asked to fill out an online application and send your materials through a database. Have your application materials ready to go to make this process smooth.
No matter which way you apply (through an online program, email, mail, etc.), remember to keep your application formal. It is important to ALWAYS follow the directions stated on the position description in regard to application.
Treat the internship like you would any job. Show up on time every time you are scheduled to work, dress appropriately and professionally and behave maturely and responsibly.
Show enthusiasm, passion and stay positive. Show your supervisor and other people in the organization that you are excited to be there working with them. Smile and say thank you when given new projects and opportunities. Every task you are given is experience for you to add to a resume or portfolio to gain knowledge.
Work independently. Be ready to ask questions as opposed to completing a task incorrectly.
Be self-disciplined and meet all deadlines on or ahead of time. Sometimes you may be juggling multiple projects. Figure out which one is most important and ensure to get them all completed when needed.
Communicate! You must talk with your supervisor about projects, time management, priorities and your performance.
Be a self-starter. If you have down time, seek out projects. Ask your supervisor first, then see if it is OK to ask others in the organizations if they could use your assistance. While you wait for projects to come in, explore the organization's website, marketing materials, etc., in depth.
Network. Now is your chance to network with not only your supervisor, but every other employee with a related field in the organization. Talking to people and letting them know your interests and goals will allow them to get to know you better and may lead to a new opportunity. Set up networking opportunities with people in the organization and be social, in general.
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