Marist College – School of Communication
Communication & Media Studies Internship Syllabus
Internship Director: Prof. Gerry McNulty
Phone: 845 575-3655
Office: Lowell Thomas 150
Office Hours: Schedule posted outside office door
Email: gerald.mcnulty@marist.edu
Web: www.marist.edu/commarts/comm/internship/
(revised – November, 24, 2015
Objectives
The main objective of the Communication Internship is career education and personal development through a
combination of work in a professional setting and reflective analysis. Students will spend a limited time in a
workplace, working under the supervision of media professionals. Students will have an opportunity to learn skills
unique to their field; they will gain valuable insider knowledge about their industry and meet the people who may
someday be their co-workers and/or supervisors, gaining advantage in the job market. Simultaneously, student will
engage in reflection-analysis, thus testing and enhancing their personal development.
Prerequisites
In order to qualify, a student must meet these requirements:
• Earned GPA of 2.5 or above
• Passed the 1-credit course CRDV 100N Employment Practicum prior to the start of internship.
• Earned 60 or more credits (transfers students must have earned at least 12 credits at Marist)
Definition of ‘Communication or Media internship’
The term “internship” is often used to mean a variety of things. The Communication/Media Studies Internship
Program defines internships as a specified amount of time spent by the student in a professional work setting, with
the student receiving feedback from a designated media professional. The amount of time spent in the work
setting, the type of work produced and the student’s academic assignments determine the number of credits the
student may earn. The main goal is that the student gain practical “real world” experience and make key contacts in
his/her chosen field. An internship may be a paid position or an unpaid position. The student intern must be
enrolled at the start of the semester during which the work experience occurs and is therefore a candidate for
college credit. Internships are often referred to “experiential learning” opportunities. To be effective, experiential
learning requires the student intern to engage fully by integrating the “concrete experience” of the workplace with
“reflective observation,” which leads successful students to “abstract conceptualization” about the work
experience. A series of written assignments and interactive discussion blogs are required as part of the reflection
process. College internships are governed by federal law. Both sponsoring employers and students face restrictions
under that law. (See http://www.dol.gov/whd/regs/compliance/whdfs71.htm )
The 3-way-partnership
The credit-bearing internship requires a three-way partnership: College-Student-Employer. The student
is at the center of this arrangement in which he/she is benefiting from opportunities offered by both the
school and the employer. The college offers credits and official support; the employer gives the student an
opportunity in the “real world.” Ultimately, the student is responsible to balance the needs of two
“bosses.” The most successful students are those who bring a mature and responsible attitude and remain
flexible and realistic, seeking ways to balance the sometimes conflicting needs of school and internship
schedules.
Course Offerings & Registration
Internship courses are offered during the traditional 15-week Fall, Spring and Summer terms. No winter break
internships are available. All internship registrations are subject to the approval of the internship director
prior to the start of the internship. No retroactive credit is available; students must be enrolled at the beginning
of each term (Fall/Spring/Summer) in order to receive credit in that term. A wide range of credit options are
available (see chart). However, there is a cap – student may earn a maximum of 14 internship credits during
their undergraduate careers. Only those students concentrating in Sports Communication have an internship
requirement (3 credits). For all other Communication concentrations and for Media Studies/Production majors,
internship credits are General Elective credits which count toward the diploma, but DO NOT fulfill any
requirements. For example, internships DO NOT fulfill the Upper Level Communication Elective requirement.
Internship Schedules
Internship
Credits
*Minimum
**Total
Students should review the
Course #
Attempted
Hours
Hours Per
chart at right to calculate
Per
Week
Term
minimum hours per credit
sought. Remember, this chart
1
3
45
COM 306N/MDIA 360
is focused on the “credit
2
6
90
COM 404N
bearing” requirements. For
example, a student enrolled in
3
9
135
COM 308N/MDIA 361
a 3-credit internship must work
4
12
180
COM 360N
a total of 135 hours over the
5
15
225
COM 405N
term, or an average of 9 hours
per week. Students MUST
6
18
270
COM 309N/MDIA 362
complete internship work
7
21
315
COM 361N
hours WITHIN the specific
semester in which they are
8
24
360
COM 362N
registered. However, students
9
27
405
COM 406N/ MDIA 460
should also note the above
mentioned hours are the
10
30
450
COM 450N
MINIMUMS; it is perfectly all
11
33
495
COM 451N
right to work more than the
minimum if a student wishes to
12
36
540
COM 408N/ MIDA 461
do so. Ex: Enroll in 3-credit
internship, but work 2 days per week rather than 1. It is best to discuss scheduling with the Internship Director
prior to the start of the internship. We measure time by hours worked “on the job.” Travel time does NOT count
toward internship hours. The Learning Contract form, filled out and signed by student and employer/supervisor
via the FoxQuest system at the start of the internship, is the document used to formalize scheduling.
Required Forms
Interns must complete and submit 3 required forms:
•
•
The Learning Contract Form, which specifies a student’s work schedule and job description, must be
completed and signed by both student and immediate supervisor. The Learning Contract form is due prior
to internship registration. It is submitted via the FoxQuest system.
An Evaluation Form will be sent via email directly to the student’s immediate supervisor near the end of
the term. Students should ask the supervisor to discuss the Evaluation. This form is housed in the Foxquest
system and is viewable by students.
Resources
There are numerous resources available to students seeking internship. First, the pre-requisite class, CRDV100,
offers instruction in resume writing, cover letter writing, job searching, interview preparation and other skills and
techniques. FoxQuest, the Marist College jobs/internship data base, lists thousands of opportunities. Students are
not limited to these contacts, but may seek an internship with any company or organization engaged in mass media
enterprises. Please note that ALL credit-bearing internship placements are subject to pre-approval by the internship
director. Numerous books and trade publications available in the Internship Program Office and at Center for
Career Services located in the Marist Library provide a great deal of information about careers and employers
Instructional formats
This course consists of fieldwork and written assignments. Professionals at each site supervise interns in the
workplace environment. Students establish the details of their internship job description and work schedule in
collaboration with workplace supervisors. The College reserves the right to approve all schedules in advance. Also,
the Internship Director reserves the right to conduct status checks via telephone, email or in-person.
Internship Assignments
Students are required to submit a series of writing and blogging assignments:
• Writing assignments in the form of reflective and/or analytical reports are to be submitted to the program
staff. The number of assignments varies by number of credits attempted. Ex: 1-credit interns submit 4
reports; 6-credit interns submit 8 written assignments. (For details, see “Assignments” in your iLearn
course shell). All written assignment topics are posted on the iLearn (online) system. All students are
required to use their Marist accounts to access this system.
• Forum/Discussion posts in iLearn /Forums are required during the course of the semester. Students will be
instructed as to topical areas as well as deadlines. Blog posts have a dual purpose: to report on the
internship experience as well as to learn about what peers are experiencing.
• A Final Paper is due Final Exam Week. The paper should be an analysis of the internship, reflecting on the
range of duties performed, lessons learned. As per the stated instructions, the Final Paper should explore
how the internship experience compared/contrasted with theories taught in class. The student should
explain the value of the internship experience as a supplement to classwork. (see instructions for details)
WARNING: LATE assignments/final papers WILL NOT BE ACCEPTED.
Late assignments are grounds for failing the internship course.
Student Conduct & Attendance
Students are expected to demonstrate mature, responsible behavior in their internships. They are expected to fulfill
their work schedules as planned (See the Learning Contract form). They are expected to behave in a professional
manner, treating all co-workers with courtesy and respect at all times. Problematic behavior will be considered
grounds for failure of the internship course.
In addition, excellent attendance is critically important. Students whose attendance is questionable or who have
substantial absences risk failing the internship course. The internship credit chart (above) denotes minimum hours
that must be worked to reach each credit threshold. Students should keep their employer/sponsor fully informed
regarding any illness or personal issues that prevent them from attending the internship as schedule. Also, students
should inform the internship director in the event they face an extended absence of more than a few days.
Outcomes & Evaluations
The Internship Director uses the following methods for outcomes evaluation.
1) Calculation of number of hours student worked at internship site, verified by supervisor
2) Assessment of the quality of the written assignments,
3) Review of the employer’s evaluation of the student and,
4) Exit interviews with the student intern and/or the internship employer supervisor. The internship program
retains the right to conduct a “site visit” to evaluate the student’s progress or conduct a telephone interview
for evaluation purposes.
Grades
Internships are graded Pass/Fail. In order to obtain a passing grade, students must:
• Complete the required number of hours/per credits enrolled
• Turn in written reports and your Final Paper in a timely manner
• Obtain a satisfactory evaluation from their supervisor
- Students who do not meet these requirements risk failure
Internship Course Registration
All internships are registered directly through the authority of the Internship Director.
• To register, login to FoxQuest: http://marist-csm.symplicity.com/sso/students
• Click “Add New Experience”
• Complete required information to create your Internship Learning Contract form
• The Learning Contract form will reviewed by Internship Director, forwarded to Employer for confirmation
and then given final approval and sent to the Office of Registrar.
Internships Subject to Academic Approval
All internships are subject to review and approval by the Internship Director. The Director reserves the
right to refuse or decline internship requests for cause. The Director reserves the right to reject internship
credit requests based upon a student’s academic performance, previous internship performance or for
other reasons related to educational quality and value.
Withdrawals & Terminations
In rare instances interns may elect to withdraw from an internship, or will be terminated by an employer/sponsor.
Withdrawals or terminations place the student at risk of failing the internship course. Any such instance will come
under the direct review of the internship director and will be handled on a case by case basis.
*Future Internship Eligibility: Any student who either withdraws or is found to have been justifiably
terminated will NOT be eligible for internship placement for a period of two consecutive semesters of
future internships. Students may request relief of the two-semester probation by writing a letter of appeal
to the Internship Director.
SUMMARY
Number of
Credits
Varies by number of hours worked. Consult the credit chart or speak with
Internship Program Staff
Internship
Required by Major/
Concentration
Sports Communication – Yes
Registration
Required - At start of each semester.
All registration is personally approved by the Internship Program Office Staff. No
internships will be authorized without approval by academic staff.
Retroactive credits
None available. No internship credits will be granted “after the fact” or after the
field experience has been completed.
Prerequisites
60+ credits completed (Transfer students – see Internship Program Staff)
2.5 or above GPA
Passing grade in CRDV100 Employment Practicum
Required forms
Learning Contract form
Evaluation Form
Grades
Pass/Fail
All Others – No