The Communication Internship

The communication internship provides students with an apprenticeship experience, through which they explore communication practices within the media workplace.

Students spend an average of 10-15 hours per week during the regular academic year (at least 20 hours per week over the summer) at their internship placement, performing a variety of tasks from undertaking research, to writing copy, to preparing publications, presentations, and videos. Students may undertake internships in a variety of communication related organizations for academic credit, but doing so requires formal School approval and completion of the internship seminar (Comm 299), through which students analyze the communication processes they observe firsthand in their internships. In the seminar, assigned readings and weekly field notes lead to a final research paper on a communication issue. The objective of the course is to apply research methods based in ethnographic theory to explore the working world of media organizations.

General Policies and Deadlines

Enrollment in Comm 299 is limited to majors in Communication. Credit is not granted for on-campus internships. Students may complete Comm 299 only once. Credit is granted only for internships with a demonstrable link to the academic offerings of the Annenberg School. Some activities, even though sponsored by a media organization or billed by sponsors as a "communication internship," may be primarily business or public service activities, and thus more appropriately considered for credit by another school or department at the University of Pennsylvania. Comm 299 is offered throughout the academic year and during the summer. Because many students undertake internships outside the Philadelphia area during the summer months, the summer-semester seminar is structured around written assignments and does not hold meetings. Students enrolled in the summer seminar are billed for summer tuition. Over the summer, spaces in Comm 299 fill up very quickly, and since there is a limited number of spaces in this course, it is recommended that students secure an internship as early as possible. The deadline to enroll in Comm 299 over the summer is April 15th.

How to Apply

Students interested in applying must secure their own internships. Students must identify a field supervisor in the organization sponsoring the internship, and work out a contract, signed by both the student and the field supervisor, detailing their explicit professional responsibilities. This contract must be filed with the Undergraduate Office, along with a letter, signed by the employer, describing the duties of the position, before a student can be enrolled in the seminar. Because seminar enrollment is limited, students should arrange internships and receive approval as early as possible to have the best chance of securing a place in the seminar.

To learn more about internship postings, contact Claire Herman.

Also See:

Copyright 2006 The Annenberg School for Communication at University of Pennsylvania
3620 Walnut Street, Philadelphia, PA 19104 215.898.7041
Copyright Information | Contact Us | Privacy | Disclaimer | Sitemap