Internships

You are required to take English 489, Internship in Technical Communication. This course is designed to give you opportunities to work as a technical communicator, to apply the skills you have learned in your courses, and to learn new skills from an industry environment. The course instructor is your academic mentor and supervisor.

Though it is your responsibility to secure an internship, the S&TC programs faculty members and the University Cooperative Education Office are always ready to assist and advise. The internship can be completed both on-campus and off-campus. You must take at least 3 credit hours to fulfill the internship requirement, but you may take up to 9 hours of internship credit. Typically, 50 hours of work time equals 1 hour of academic credit. The internship can last for more than one semester. English 489 is graded using the S/U option.

During the semester you complete your internship, you are expected to inform the instructor about the work you are completing on a bi-weekly basis. Every two weeks, e-mail your advisor, informing him/her of your progress and any questions you have.

After completing your internship, submit a final report to the instructor. This final report, which will benefit your portfolio, must contain the following elements:

• An updated résumé including pertinent information from the internship
• A summary of the skills you have acquired and can offer to a future employer
• A collection of the internship documents that represent your work and skills learned

The registration process for internship hours differs from the process of registering for other courses. To register for internship hours, you must get a Registration Form from the Undergraduate Programs Secretary, Mary Jo Smith (212 East Hall). The Director of S&TC Programs’ signature is needed to have the internship recognized by University Registration and Records.