INTERNSHIP COORDINATOR

Sadie Wilks

Sadie Wilks
225-578-3912

EMAIL

INTERNSHIP DATABASE

INTERNSHIP APPLICATION

NOTE: You need to be logged into myLSU and use your LSU.edu email address to create your application.

 

Internship Experience

An internship is a hands-on experience in a professional environment that may be taken for credit should the student choose. However, internships do not have to be taken for credit. Conversely, opportunities that are considered part-time student jobs may not be taken for credit because they do not meet certain necessary criteria.

A for-credit internship (MC3998) may count as a mass communication elective for three credit hours and will be graded pass/fail. Mass communication majors may take two internships for credit if they choose.

Prerequisites to take an undergraduate internship for credit are:

  • 60 hours or more of coursework
  • GPA of 3.0 or better
  • 12 hours in the Manship School not counting MC 2000 but including the gatekeeping course in your concentration (MC 2040—digital advertising; MC 2101/2102—journalism; MC 3504—political communication; MC 3010—public relations.)

You must register to take an internship for class credit. The School’s internship application is the first step: Click here to access the application (NOTE: You need to be logged into myLSU and use your LSU.edu email address to create your application). On the Dashboard, you will be linked through MyLSU; fill in the information required. Your completed application will be routed to the appropriate area head, who will contact your internship employer or supervisor to verify the job description. When the internship is approved, the information is sent to counselor Courtni Guidry to verify course prerequisites and GPA. She will register you for MC 3998 and you, the area head and the internship coordinator will receive an email. Soon after, your area head will send an email detailing your internship obligations which include a mid-term evaluation and a final evaluation and paper. 

Note: Please treat internships for credit like all 3-hour classes. MC 3998 (the Internship for Credit Class) must be on your schedule before the internship starts, and you must pay tuition for the internship class. You will only get credit for an internship (MC 3998) if you correctly fill out the application online before you start the internship. It is the student's responsibility to make sure all information on the application is correct and filled out completely. It is the student's responsibility to make sure the internship class is on your schedule. You will not get credit for an internship if you are not registered for the internship class (MC 3998) by the semester add/drop deadline and meet all expectations for the course. Credit for an internship is not retroactive if the proper process has not been followed. 

Expectations of a for-credit internship:

  • Must complete 150 hours of internship work. This usually means 10 hours per week during fall and spring semesters; 20-30 hours per week during summer. Your internship supervisor is required to certify this amount of work.
  • Must register for the internship through the online internship system by the last day to add courses for that semester. Please allow at least 2 days for verification with internship supervisors and counselors.
  • Must complete midterm and final evaluations online. Must complete and submit online an internship paper as assigned by your area head.

Digital/Virtual Internships

The Manship School encourages internships that are supervised in person. Therefore, internships for digital entities that are done remotely from the supervisor may not be approved to earn credit. The approval of such internships will be at the discretion of the area heads in consultation with the associate dean for undergraduate studies.  

Internship Location & Supervisor Requirements

The Manship School encourages internships with professional outlets – businesses and organizations that are devoted to or have a component unit dedicated to the mass communication industry. Internships should also promote writing and processes that follow mass communication professional norms. Additionally, the supervisor must be a professional in the mass communication field or have served as the communications person within his/her place of employment.

Student Media/Student Organizations

A Student Media job or a student organization position may not receive credit as an internship. The school defines an internship-for-credit as an experience beyond the boundaries of the Manship School—whether in another campus unit or outside the university in a real-world, professional setting.  

Finding an Internship

Although it is a student's responsibility to find an internship, the Manship School can assist with finding the right internship. The Manship School is not responsible for securing internships for students. The extensive internship database and opportunities on Handshake both offer numerous vetted opportunities for internships in Baton Rouge and around the world. Students can also make appointments to visit the Manship School's Internship Coordinator Sadie Wilks for help. New internship postings are listed in the Manship Weekly.  Faculty and professional guests to the school can also be good sources for internship information. 

 

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