Types of Internships

The department has two types of internships:

1. external internships with a business in the industry
2. internal opportunities such as an Undergraduate Teaching Assistant (UGTA), studio assistant, or lab assistant

Earning Credit for Internships

Undergraduate students can enroll in TC 493 for internship credit. In order to qualify for internship credit, the student must satisfy the Eligibility Requirements (below) and the internship must be arranged and approved in advance in compliance with the Internship Application Process (below).

You can enroll in TC 493 for 1 to 7 credits per semester. You can get 1 credit for every 5 to 6 hours of work per week (given a 15 week semester, 1 credit equals 75-90 hours of work per semester).

The total number of TC 493 credits allowed during your degree program is 7. You may have no more than 12 credits from TC 493 (Internship credits) and TC 490 (Independent Study credits) combined.

While it is possible to use all seven credits on one internship, a more prudent and productive approach would be to distribute the available credits over the Junior and Senior years. Given the breadth of the industry, completing several internships during the last two years will significantly increase the scope of a student's experience and offer greater options for future employment.

Although the number of internship credits you can take is limited, you are free to take as many non-credit internships as you like.

Eligibility Requirements

• You must be one of the following majors:
  • Telecommunication, Information Studies and Media legacy majors: Media Arts and Technology OR Media and Communication Technology
  • Telecommunication, Information Studies and Media: Media & Information (B.A. or B.S.)
• You must have an overall GPA of at least 2.5. You must be in good academic standing and cannot be on academic probation.
• You must have achieved a junior level standing by the end of the semester preceding the internship.
• You must have completed at least two TC courses.

Application Process

1. Locate an internship opportunity.
2. Obtain a confirmation letter from your Internship Supervisor on company letterhead. Your supervisor should include:
   1. Their contact information.
   2. Duties you will be performing during your internship
   3. Duration (start and end dates of the internship)*
   4. Time commitment (in hours per week or total hours)*
3. Fill out the TISM For Credit Internship Application form by the specified deadline. Submitting an Internship Application does not guarantee approval. The forms are available outside room 409 Comm Arts or at the bottom of this page.
4. Submit the Internship Application and confirmation letter to room 409 Comm Arts.
5. If you do not meet any of the Eligibility Requirements, you must also submit a waiver form. The waiver forms are not available online, they are only available on the wall outside 409 Comm Arts. Make sure when you write up your waiver that you describe why you think the eligibility requirement should be waived (not just so you can take the internship, but why you think that you will be a good intern and representative as an MSU and TISM student at your internship).

* We will be specifically checking to see that the duration and time commitment corresponds with the number of credits you are requesting for the internship.

Obtaining Waivers

Any deviation from the Internship Eligibility Requirements requires a waiver request form to be completed. The waiver should be well thought out, typed, and submitted along with the Internship Application. Filling out a waiver request does not automatically mean the waiver will be granted.

The waiver forms are not available online, they are only available on the wall outside 409 Comm Arts. Make sure when you write up your waiver that you describe why you think the eligibility requirement should be waived (not just so you can take the internship, but why you think that you will be a good intern and representative as an MSU and TISM student at your internship).

Application Review and Credit Enrollment

Your application must go through a few different steps/people. The following things happen after you turn in your application:

1. the eligibility criteria is checked against the MSU Registrar’s records
2. your application is reviewed for completeness and accuracy
3. the internship is evaluated in terms of relevancy to your academic program and for quality experience
4. your internship supervisor is contacted if there are any questions about the internship, including relevancy, tasks, time commitment, etc.

Applications are viewed in batches. See the deadlines and timelines for the semester you are applying on the application form (and below).

You will be emailed once a decision is made on your application. If you have been granted internship credit, an override will be processed for you and directions on how to enroll in the class will be included when you are emailed stating you have been approved for credit.

Work That Does NOT Qualify for TC 493 Internship Credit

You can receive credit for internships that are both paid and unpaid. However, not all work qualifies for internship credit, including:

• You can not get internship credit for: Work you did in the past
  It is not possible to get credit for work you have done in the past. All internships must go through the application process and must be approved in advance. No exceptions.
• You can not get internship credit for: Part-time jobs
  Work experience, such as part-time jobs, can be extremely valuable. However, part-time jobs and freelance work may not always qualify for internship credit. For a part-time job to qualify for internship credit, the job must be in our discipline and you must work in areas or on projects that you have not worked prior to the semester you are taking the internship. If you are given a special project outside of your previous duties or given increased responsibility, then it may be possible to receive internship credit.
• You can not get internship credit for: Internships at a job/company you have previously received internship credit with
  If you wish to get internship credit at a company you have previously received internship credit from, you must work in areas or on projects that you have not worked on before. If you are given a special project outside of your previous duties or given increased responsibility, then it may be possible to receive internship credit. You cannot get internship credit multiple semesters for the same work.
  When applying for succeeding semesters of an ongoing internship, a new application is necessary each semester. Again, succeeding semesters at the same facility will require an increased level of responsibility and new experiences.
• You can not get internship credit for: Freelance work
  Freelancing can give you experience working on a variety of projects of different scopes. It also shows great leadership, ability to work individually, and self-motivation. Freelancing is a great way to build your resume. However, freelancing rarely can count for internship credit. If you are primarily working on your own with a client, it is unlikely the freelance work will qualify for internship credit. However, it may be a great project to work on and may qualify for credit as an independent study if you obtain a faculty supervisor.

Completing Your Internship

Once your for-credit internship has been approved and TC 493 is on your schedule, you must:

1. Complete the required number of work hours for the number of credits you signed up for
2. At the end of the semester, your internship supervisor will be contacted and asked to fill out a form that verifies you completed the required time commitment, recommend if you should pass or fail based on your performance, and other comments.

Internship Grading

Internship credits are graded as pass/fail.

To pass:

• You must complete the required number of work hours for the number of credits you signed up for.
• Your supervisor must fill out and turn in the internship evaluation form. We will contact your supervisor, but in some cases, we may need you to help remind them. You must notify us if your supervisor changes throughout your internship. You are responsible for keeping us up-to-date on the current contact at your internship.

You may fail if:

• You did not complete the required number of work hours.
• Your Internship Employer terminates your internship before it is over.
• You receive negative feedback from your supervisor. Remember: You are not only building your own reputation, but representing the department and university. You should be professional and take your responsibilities seriously.
• We are not able to get an evaluation from your employer.

Application Form

Available on the wall outside of 409 Comm Arts and online below.

Summer Semester 2012:

(See deadlines on application and listed below)

• For Credit Internship Application (Microsoft Word Document)
• For Credit Internship Application (PDF)

Summer 2012 Deadlines

• All Due By: Monday, April 16, 2012, 5 PM
  If you turn your application in by Monday, April 16, 2012, you should hear back on the status of your for-credit internship by Monday, April 23, 2012.
• Late Applications: After Monday, April 16, 2012, 5 PM
  For-Credit Internship Applications turned in after Monday may be evaluated, but you may be charged late fees by the Registrar’s Office for late enrollment when you enroll in the class. There is nothing the TISM department can do to waive these University late fees for you.