Internships

Spring Semester 2025 Internships

The deadline to complete the necessary materials to earn academic credit for internship for spring has been established. Students must complete filling out required forms by Friday, January 3rd and attend a mandatory orientation. All preliminary materials need to be finalized by orientation.

In order to be eligible to earn academic credit for internships, students must be a declared SOCM major, have completed at least 60 hours toward graduation by the end of spring semester and have at least a 2.5 cumulative GPA.

University policy requires that internships run commensurate with the school’s academic calendar. That means spring semester 2025 internships should start January 6th and run through April 28th. Students wishing to earn three hours of academic credit must work 10 to 19 hours per week in an approved internship and students wishing to earn six hours of credit must work at least 20 to 30 hours per week.

In order for students to receive three hours of academic credit students must work 150 hours by the end of the semester and 300 hours to receive six hours of academic credit.

Questions and materials related to earning academic credit for internships should be directed via email to Ms. Stella Payne at spayne66@kennesaw.edu.

Please see our SOCM KSU blog for available SOCM Internship positions https://ksucominternships.wordpress.com

Goals of Internships

SOCM internships are designed to benefit both students and employers. Students receive practical experience in a communication-related career, while employers benefit from their skills and assistance, and may evaluate first-hand possible future employees.

Student Eligibility and Expectations

Students must enroll in COM 3398 - Internship to receive academic credit for the internship. Eligibility criteria include:

Students must be declared major in the School of Communication and Media
Students must have 60 hours of undergraduate credit completed toward one's degree.
Students must have a minimum 2.5 cumulative GPA.
Students must have been enrolled at KSU for over one semester prior to enrolling in an internship.
Students must have completed Journalism, Media & Entertainment, Organizational and Professional Communication or Public Relations coursework at KSU prior to enrolling in an internship.

Students qualifying for the internship program are expected to meet high standards of personal conduct and professional ethics, as well as to maintain attention to punctuality, deadlines and cooperation with others. In short, students are expected to work hard and become an asset to the organization they are serving. For grading purposes, students must complete a daily or weekly log of their activities and write a summary of their overall assessment of the experience. Both of these are due on the last official day of classes (not the last day of Final Exams).

The Internship Process:

Read thoroughly the eligibility for an internship in Journalism & Emerging Media, Media and Entertainment, Organizational and Professional Communication or Public Relations. It would be advisable to contact the School of Communication & Media Internship Manager, Ms. Stella Payne, to ensure you meet the required prerequisites to earn academic credit. He may be reached via email at spayne66@kennesaw.edu.
If you meet internship requirements, you may search for employers to interview for internship positions going through Handshake via the Department of Career Planning and Development. You may also search for opportunities that are not posted. Once you find an internship that appeals to you, contact the company and identify yourself as a SOCM Major from Kennesaw State University. Ask the contact person how you apply for their internship.
Apply for the internship just as you would a regular job.
Once a company has approved you for an internship, you need to contact the Internships and Engagement Manager, Ms. Stella Payne by email (spayne66@kennesaw.edu) to confirm that you meet the requirements of COM 3398.
Once Ms. Payne has approved you for an internship (by email), you will complete specific paperwork with Ms. Payne to register you for the course. All interns register for COM 3398 at Internship Orientation/Registration Meeting.
To complete the necessary paperwork for COM 3398 registration, you must bring the following items to the Internship Registration Meeting:
- A recent Owl Express record
- An email confirmation that Ms. Payne has approved you for COM 3398
- A job description of the internship
- All site supervisor contact information (including a mail address, his or her email address, and a phone number)

If you have other questions regarding Journalism & Emerging Media, Media & Entertainment, Organizational and Professional Communication or PR internships, please contact Ms. Stella Payne (email preferred). However, office visits may also be scheduled.

Finding Internships:

Students are responsible for finding their own internships. One great source is going through https://ksucominternships.wordpress.com and another is Handshake via the Department of Career Planning and Development. They have many jobs which are added and updated regularly for students and graduates to review. They can be categorized in any number of ways. If you have questions about how to use the service, please contact Ms. Lizy Hurland, the Humanities and Social Sciences college internship education associate at the Department of Career Planning and Development. Her email is ehurland@kennesaw.edu. The telephone number at the Center is 470-578-6555.

Students are not required to consider only those internships that are posted. They may also find their own. However, the work proposals will need to be reviewed and approved by the School of Communication & Media (S. Payne) at least one week before the start of semester. If you have any questions about COM 3398 and School of Communication & Media internships, please contact Ms. Stella Payne via email at spayne66@kennesaw.edu.

Employer Eligibility and Expectations

The employer must meet the following criteria before an internship may be approved:

The employer must offer an opportunity for the intern to apply, practice and develop skills and knowledge emphasized in the Journalism, Media & Entertainment, Organizational and Professional Communication and Public Relation's majors.
Work is expected to be substantive and varied, not clerical or “gopher” duties, and must be related to the Journalism & Emerging Media, Media & Entertainment, Organizational and Professional Communication or Public Relations curriculum. Typically, this means work in media, public relations, employee training and development, or human resources fields. Sales positions, telemarketing, and staff or management positions in non-communication related fields are not eligible for credit through the School of Communication & Media.
Because the School encourages students to seek positions where they will have a professional mentor and networking opportunities in the communication field, in cases where a student’s supervisor does not have an academic or professional background communication, media, public relations or human resources, students may be limited to a maximum of three, non-repeatable credits.
Students may not intern in a location where a family member ultimately supervises the department where the student is working or has ownership in the business.
Students and employers are expected to cooperate with the KSU Career Center when information or visits are requested during the course of the semester.
Students can complete a virtual internship. A virtual internship is a work experience placement that students can complete from home.
If you currently hold a full-time position your case will need to be reviewed by the internship coordinator well in advance of the deadline. For internship credit you need to demonstrate new learning or Professional Development in your current employment. If you would prefer prior learning credit a portfolio of your work will be evaluated by a committee of faculty in your major.

The conditions of an internship should be established with the student before he or she reports. These include the nature of the internship, supervisory arrangements, specific responsibilities of the intern, compensation (if any), and work schedules. It is expected that employers will provide a safe environment in which students can work and the materials that students need to complete their assignments (a desk, computer, etc). Once the internship begins, employers should review the students' work with them regularly and treat them as professionals. The supervisor must also complete the employer's evaluation form, due on the last day of classes.

If you currently hold a full-time position your case will need to be reviewed by the internship coordinator well in advance of the deadline. For internship credit you need to demonstrate new learning or Professional Development in your current employment. If you would prefer prior learning credit a portfolio of your work will be evaluated by a committee of faculty in your major.

Duration, Work Hours and Academic Credits

Internships generally coincide with one of KSU's academic terms, with the internship beginning the first week of classes and ending the last week of classes, for a total duration of 15 weeks during fall and spring semesters and eight weeks during summer term. Students must work a minimum of ten hours per week during fall and spring semesters and twenty hours in the summer. Beyond this, the number of hours per week a student works is dependent on the needs of the employer and the number of hours of credit the student wishes to receive.

A student may earn a maximum of 9 academic credits for COM 3398. However, no more than 6 academic credits may be earned in one semester in order to encourage multiple internships. In addition, a student may earn no more than 6 credit hours at any one internship location. The formula for academic credits is as follows:
15-WEEK FALL & SPRING TERMS: 10-19 hours/week = up to 3 credits 20+ = up to 6 credits	8-WEEK SUMMER TERM: 10-19 hours/week = Not permitted 20-29 hours/week = Up to 3 credits 30+ hours/week = Up to 6 credits
Note: Students may receive no more than 3 credits for work at sites where their supervisor is not a communication professional, as indicated by their title.

Registration for Internships

Students must email the School of Communication & Media Internship Coordinator to obtain approval to pursue an internship. This process involves a screening for GPA and class standing, approval of a job description for the internship if it is not already posted in the school, and completion of a registration form. Students need to email the School of Communication & Media Internship Coordinator the name, address and phone number of their internship supervisor and number of hours per week they will work. (Written job description and supervisor’s business card are required for internships not already posted). If approved for Journalism & Emerging Media, Media & Entertainment, Organizational and Professional Communication or Public Relations internship credit, students are required to attend a Internship Orientation meeting in order to obtain paperwork for course registration. An internship contract is completed at this meeting, and then students are responsible for taking this contract to the Career Center for processing. (See "The Internship Process" for further details regarding how to register for COM 3398.)

Internship Credit for Current Employment

Students may receive internship credit for their current employment if the nature of their work meets the previously stated criteria. Internship credit can NOT be granted retroactively for past work.

Multiple or Repeated Internships

Students are encouraged to participate in more than one internship to gain a variety of experiences in the workforce. Students may repeat an internship for the same employer, so long as the job description continues to meet the School’s criteria. They may earn a maximum of six hours at one location.

Grading

Internships are graded on an S/U basis (satisfactory or unsatisfactory), which does not impact GPA. Grades are determined by the employer's evaluation form and the student activity log and summary. Students who receive a “U” in an internship will not be permitted to enroll in an internship in the future.

Important Deadlines

School Approval: Students are strongly encouraged to obtain approval and complete the necessary enrollment paperwork before the last day of classes in the term PRIOR to the term the internship will be completed. However, internships may be added as late as one week prior to the drop/add period.

Deadline for grading: The employer's evaluation form and the student's log and written assessment are due no later than the last day of classes in the academic term of enrollment.

Guidelines for Written Summary of Internship Experience

KSU SOCM major interns are required to document their internship experience through (1) a daily or weekly log of activities, (2) a 2-3 page typed summary, and (3) a couple of work samples. These, along with your supervisor's evaluation of your work, will determine your grade.

Format

Please turn in a file folder with your name on the tab, including only stapled, typed pages – NO folders, binders or notebooks. Supervisors' evaluations should be sent to me separately, directly by your supervisor.

Activity Log

The Activity Log is a bulleted list of what you did each day and/or week on the job. List each specific task, for example:

January 31 -- Orientation to job with supervisor (1 hour) Read background material on the company (2 hours)
February 1 -- Brainstormed for articles for employee newsletter (2 hours) Attended staff meeting with supervisor (1.5 hours)
February 2 -- Met with supervisor to review assignments (1 hour) Heard CEO give speech to employees (1 hour) Wrote fact sheet on new program (1.5 hours)

Written Summary

The Written summary is a subjective analysis of your experience. Give your opinion and write in first-person about what you learned and what you found most and least valuable. The following are suggested as some of the areas you may wish to discuss in your report.

Activities

Summarize what you spent most of your time on - major projects and tasks Did you gain any new skills?
Were your assignments substantive and meaningful?
Were you exposed to a range of activities?
Were there any skills you feel you need to brush up on to perform in this career field?

Relationships with Employer

Were you treated as a professional?
Were you provided with adequate instructions and guidance?
How did your supervisor provide feedback?
Were the employer’s expectations of work load and quality In line with yours?

Impressions

Did your coursework at KSU prepare you for the internship?
Was the experience what you expected?
What did you learn about the career or industry?
What was most and least valuable and enjoyable about the experience?
Has this experience influenced your career choices?

Work Samples

You are required to submit hard copy samples of your work with your report. If your internship involved writing or creating written materials or reports (i.e., news releases, articles, training materials, invitations, brochures, etc.), be sure to include this information as supporting materials when you hand in your assignments to meet the requirements of the course.

Deadline

All documents must be turned in to Ms. Stella Payne, Internship Coordinator and Engagement, Social Sciences Building, # 5107, no later than noon on the last day of classes. Reports turned in early are appreciated. If Ms. Payne is out of the office, slide your documents under the door or give them to a representative in the School of Communication & Media office.

Reminder for all Interns

Student activity logs and summaries and supervisor's evaluations not received by 12:00 noon the last day of classes are subject to the following penalties:

FAILURE TO TURN IN DOCUMENTATION: If none of the above documents are received by 12:00 noon on the last day of classes...
The student will receive a grade of "U" - Unsatisfactory - for the course grade.
TURNING IN PARTIAL DOCUMENTATION: If either the students' work or the supervisor's evaluation has not been received by 12:00 noon on the last day of classes...
The student will receive a grade of "I" - Incomplete - for the course grade.
STUDENT LOGS AND SUMMARIES MUST BE TYPED. Handwritten documentation will not be accepted.
STUDENT SUMMARIES MUST, AT A MINIMUM, ADDRESS THE ISSUES DESCRIBED IN THE INTERNSHIP HANDOUT.
LOGS AND SUMMARIES SHOULD BE STAPLED SEPARATELY AND ENCLOSED IN A FILE FOLDER WITH YOUR NAME ON THE TAB.
EXAMPLES OF WORK COMPLETED SHOULD BE INCLUDED.
IT IS STUDENTS' RESPONSIBILITY TO REMIND THEIR SUPERVISORS TO RETURN THEIR EVALUATION FORMS BY THE LAST DAY OF CLASSES.

Internship Coordinator

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