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English Internship Instructions

Instructions

To get credit for your internship, you must complete and submit these documents in relation to completing the work:

  • Internship Proposal
  • Internship Contract
  • Internship Final Report

In addition, because of the importance of the internship to your program, please consult with your graduate faculty advisor while making your plans. Interns reflect directly on the quality of our program. To ensure that sponsors get qualified interns, the graduate committee will withhold internship requests until you have demonstrated the requisite skills and professionalism through the quality of your coursework and record of attendance in this program.

Before applying for your internship, select a field site and negotiate entry by talking with the director of personnel, editor, manager, or the appropriate decision maker. You should then work with that person to determine if an internship would be mutually beneficial. Once the organization has agreed to sponsor you, discuss your projected responsibilities with your assigned on-site supervisor, and your graduate advisor. Then write your proposal. Proposal guidelines are below. Submit your proposal and contract for signatures to your supervisor, graduate advisor, and the Graduate Program Director.

Once you begin your internship, you are responsible for fulfilling your contract. If you have no compelling reason for an incomplete internship, you will receive an “F.” If you have problems at the site, discuss them with your advisor or the Graduate Program Director. If you receive a poor final report from your supervisor, you may receive no credit, and you may be denied future internships.

The proposal

Your proposal should outline the major parameters of your internship and include these sections:

Background

  • Describe the site/organization where internship will be done
  • Answer these questions:
    • Why have you chosen the site?
    • What are your goals?

Qualifications

  • List graduate courses taken to prepare for the internship, comparable experience, relevant undergraduate study
  • List graduate courses you will be taking while doing your internship

Project description

  • Explain the work you will do, the hours (weekly) you will spend on site, the documents expected of you (e.g., web content, documentation, reports, grants, etc.)
  • Describe how you will keep your faculty and on-site sponsors up-to-date with the progress of your work (for example, schedule of meetings, a weekly journal, etc.)

Deadlines and due dates

  • Outline due dates for larger projects and ongoing work
  • Outline dates for submitting the proposal, contract, and final report

Benefits/Conclusion: Reiterate how this internship supports your professional goals and your learning in the program

To finalize the process, submit signed copies of your contract and proposal to the on-site supervisor, faculty advisor, and the Director of Graduate Programs.

Final report

To receive credit for your internship, you must write a final report describing your experience. The schedule for submitting you report should be specified in the proposal and agreed upon by your faculty advisor. Unless otherwise negotiated with your faculty advisor, your report should include these sections:

  • Job site and title
  • Description of the organization
  • Your initial goals for completing the internship
  • Work description: Explain what you did for the organization, including hours worked, documents developed in print or online, and other responsibilities
  • Reflection: Describe what you learned as a result of completing the internship, including impact on professional and academic goals