Internship Opportunities
BGSU requires each student to complete an internship in order to graduate. As an intern, you can gain supervised, practical experience in a professional setting. You can earn credit for an intership (S/U only) under TCOM 489: Internship in Telecommunications.

It is the student's responsibility to contact employers and apply for internships. While the Telecommunications Department does make various internship information available, it does NOT arrange internships for individual students. For more information about available internships, visit the Office of Telecommunications in West Hall, or the BGSU Career Services.

Internship Requirements
In order to be eligible for graduation, students must complete the internship by adhering to the following guidelines:

1. TCOM 489. A student must complete one credit hour of TCOM 489 (a maximum of six (6) counting towards graduation). One credit hour requires 100 hours of internship work. Credit is usually earned in the term of internship service, but may be granted in the following term, especially if an internship extends over two terms. Credit for summer internships may be granted in the following Fall term, unless the student is graduating during the summer. Please visit the BGSU Course Descriptions page fora description of TCOM 489.

2. EDUCATIONAL VALUE. The internship is a structured experience which must have demonstrated educational value. The professional supervisor will guide the student on the job, maintain appropriate contact with the Internship Coordinator, and provide written evaluations of the student's work and learning achievements. The department requires each supervisor to complete an evaluation of the student's performance near the middle and end of the internship. Supervisors may request evaluation forms by contacting the TCOM department.

3. COMPENSATION. Interns may be paid a salary, expenses only, or served voluntarily depending on the standard practice of the organization being served.

4. ADVANCED APPROVAL. All internships must br approved by the Internship Coordinator IN ADVANCE of the internship to ensure proper guidelines and credit. Department policy does not permit credit retroactively for internships.

5. APPLICATION FOR INTERNSHIP. The student and the professional site supervisor must complete an Application for Internship, which is available in the Telecommunications office.

6. INTERNSHIP REPORT. Each student is required to furnish an Internship Report detailing the learning experience.

Note: Credit is earned when the internship is complete and the professional site supervisor's evaluation is obtained.

Internship Application
The student and the professional site supervisor must complete an Application for Internship, which is available in the Telecommunications office. Return completed form to the Telecommunications office. After completing the application, the student may obtain a section number from the Internship Coordinator, then register for the course.

Internship Report Guidelines

* Each student is required to complete an internship report detailing the learning experience gained from the Internship.

* The report is due at the end of the semester in which the student completes the internship (not the semester in which the student is registered for the internship, if this differs).

* Students may submit their report either as an e-mail attachment or hard copy to the Internship Coordinator.

* This report should consist of an essay reflecting the student's experience AND other pertinent material produced during the internship (e.g., TV script, press release, advertising copy).

* The essay should be at least 500 words and no more than 2000 words about the students experience with the company/organization as well as the students view of the industry after the internship experience.

* Include each of the following in your Internship Report:

• Corporation Information
  + Name of the company
  + A brief description of the business
  
• Tasks and Internship Structure
  + List the tasks assigned to you during the internship
  + Explain the internship structure. For example, does this company have a training program especially designed for interns or did you work under a person with no specific structure?
  
• Observations and Comments
  + The industry
  + The company
  + The job the you were assigned to do (for example, if you worked for a local TV station, your observations should reflect the local TV industry, the TV station itself, and your job as a production assistant. It may include human relations issues, business issues, production issues, etc.)
  + Describe the best moment during your internship
  + Describe the worst moment during your internship
  
• Describe what you have learned from your supervisor
• Define your future career plans after this internship
• Appendices (materials that show your work during the internship)