MARIST COLLEGE
COMMUNICATION & MEDIA STUDIES INTERNSHIP
PROGRAM
Lowell Thomas 150, Marist College, Poughkeepsie, NY 12601
845 575-3655
Dear Prospective Internship Employer/Sponsor,
Thank you for your interest in hosting an undergraduate Communication/Media Studies intern from Marist College.
Please review the following information regarding hosting credit-seeking college interns:
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Purpose of a Communication/Media Studies Internship: Marist supports credit-bearing internships for the primary
benefit of a student’s education. The college believes that the internship arrangement is a 3-way partnership:
College-Student-Employer. The college recognizes that the internship also benefits the employer, which can test
the skills of prospective employees. It is important to note that under federal law the main purpose of an
internship is education. (See U.S. Department of Labor Wage and Hour Division Fact Sheet #71: Internship
Programs Under The Fair Labor Standards Act – April 2010)
http://www.dol.gov/whd/regs/compliance/whdfs71.pdf
Nature of internship work: Students should be assigned reasonably challenging work, suitable to the specific
needs of the individual company or organization and appropriate to the student’s capabilities. Please note: Marist
cannot award internship credit for a majority of work that does not advance the student’s education and/or that is
largely superficial in nature. The best internships expose students to a range of career-related tasks and duties.
Eligibility: Employers/sponsors must offer work in a professional office or studio or similar setting. Scheduling
can vary widely, but employers are asked to avoid asking students to work a high number of hours each week or
concentrating internship hours into a very short period of days or weeks. For education purposes, it is best for
students to be exposed to a work setting for 10-14 weeks.
Approval & registration: Marist retains the right to approve and reject, at any time, all internship
employer/sponsor host sites. Students must be “registered for credit” with the college. Credit registration is the
responsibility of the student; only students who are properly registered can earn internship credits. All registration
must take place no later than 14 days after the start of a given semester. There is no retroactive internship credit.
Academic term/semesters: Students are academically eligible to perform work at internship sites during three
terms of our academic year: FALL (September-December), Spring (January-May) and Summer (May -August).
Mutually Arranged Work Schedules: Schedules can vary and are negotiable between student and intern employer.
To earn college credits, students must work a minimum of 45 hours per credit, ranging from a minimum of 1
credit (45 hours) to a maximum of 12 credits (540 hours). Work must be started and completed within a specified
academic term (see above). Marist requires that the Student and Employer stipulate the work schedule at the start
of the semester, documented by the Learning Contract Form and verified at the end by a Time Log form.
Provide Feedback To The Student: Students engage in internships to learn about a given industry. They need
regular and detailed feedback from employer supervisors in order to succeed in their internships.
Provide Final Evaluation: The College requires the Employer to fill out, sign and return a 1-page Evaluation Form
at the conclusion of the internship and/or semester. It is best if the employer personally conducts the evaluation
with the student, providing feedback on the student’s performance.
We look forward to working with you as a partner. Contact us with any questions.
Sincerely,
Gerry
Prof. Gerald McNulty
Gerry McNulty
Communication Internship Director
Gerald.mcnulty@marist.edu
845 575-3655