An internship is not required for the communication major plan of study, but it is highly recommended. Among other advantages, internships provide:  

• Practical working experience.  
• Skills in writing and in operating communication technologies and current software packages.  
• Networking opportunities. 

Internships can also provide insight into career decision-making — often helping to confirm or rule out certain career paths. Learn more on our Jobs and Career Resources page.   

Think about what kind of job you want when you finish school. Then, ask yourself the following questions: 

• 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 provide tangible “products” (videos, press releases, advert copies, etc.) that you can include in a portfolio when job hunting? 
• Where can you make contacts that will help you get a job after graduation? (If you want to work for a specific organization, start making those contacts now.) 
• Is there a chance the internship could turn into a job later? 
• What will look impressive on your resume? 

If you are unsure what you want to do, pick a career track to test and do an internship at that type of organization. Discovering that you don’t want to pursue a specific area of communication is as valuable as discovering one you love — it’s easier to switch tracks now than later. 

Remember, you can always do a second internship later to gain a new experience. 

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

• Three credits, for a minimum of 126 hours worked during a semester.  
• Two credits, for a minimum of 84 hours worked during a semester.  
• One 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 COMM 4981 Enrollment Request Form. To receive course credit for your internship, the COMM 4981 course supervisor must approve your internship and enrollment request. The COMM 4981 Enrollment Request F allows the course supervisor to assess the educational value of your internship. Once submitted, the form will be sent to the course supervisor for review and approval. Please ensure that all relevant fields on the application form are complete and convey sufficient detail, especially the following: 
   • 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 about their relevant communication qualifications and list them in the application.  
   • 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. Most of your time should be spent getting practical communication-related work experience.  
3. Obtain permission to enroll in COMM 4981. Once you have secured your internship or you are close to doing so, the course supervisor will email the student a permission number to enroll.  As with all other courses, you may enroll in COMM 4981 until the 10th day of the semester. If you secure your internship after the 10th day of the semester, you may still request enrollment, but the procedure for enrolling will follow the Registrar’s normal procedure for late enrollment.  

Important notes:  

• You cannot earn retroactive course credit for an internship you have already completed.  
• Be sure to complete the steps outlined above 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. 

According to the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences Internship Policy, 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 assess 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.

During the internship, if you find yourself being unfairly treated because of race, gender, religion, national origin, political view, or any other illegitimate reasons, you should contact the course supervisor for COMM 4981 or the internship coordinator in the advising office immediately. You should wait for a response from the course supervisor before continuing the internship.  

For on-campus internships, you may contact the Office of Institutional Equity directly or seek assistance from any of the institutions cited in the Policy Against Discrimination, Harassment, and Related Interpersonal Violence.  

If you feel your supervisor’s evaluation performance is not fair (such as based on inadequate information), you can appeal to the course instructor. Your supervisor’s evaluation is suggestive in determining your grade, and the instructor will not alter that part of the grade unless there is evidence of unfairness.  

If it is simply a matter of not liking your supervisor or some of your particular internship duties, you may wish to remain with the internship for the duration of the semester and learn what you can. Even a ‘poor’ internship experience (so long as it is not abusive or dangerous) may prove to be helpful in the long run, as it may supply you with valuable experiences that may only be learned through trial and error. Failure and setbacks are learning opportunities, when assessed for what they might teach you—rather than merely for how they failed to measure up to an ideal.  

COMM 4981 may be repeated once; so, try another internship, perhaps with a different focus or a different organization. Just don’t give up! The internship has the potential to enhance and enrich your plan of study, by supplying the invaluable experiential component of your communication education.