As a journalism major, am I required to do an internship?

Yes, an internship is a requirement to graduate. The purpose of the internship is to give you the opportunity to practice your profession in a “real-time” working environment as well as receive additional training and networking that will help you compete in the marketplace for jobs.

How do I find an internship?

There are many places to start. The key is to start early. Don’t wait until your senior year to start planning for this experience. Schedule an appointment with the department’s Internship Coordinator, Mary Glick. Talk with your professors and other students in journalism. Look into the various media organizations here in San Luis Obispo and in your hometown. Search listings on sites like LinkedIn, Media Bistro or Handshake. Check your email; the journalism department frequently lets students know of internship openings.

The Communication and Media section of Cal Poly’s Career Services site is also a good place to look.

The journalism department posts recurring internship opportunities for both News & PR. Take a look on the sites listed below:

• News - Print, Digital & Broadcast

• Public Relations / Content Marketing

How do I receive credit for my internship?

Before you accept an internship position for course credit, ask your supervisor at the internship site to submit an Internship Proposal Form. The form will be reviewed by the department’s Internship Coordinator.  Once your internship is approved, you’ll receive a permission number so that you can register for JOUR 444, Media Internship, for 3 units of course credit.

When should I do my internship?

JOUR 444 is a 3-unit class designed to be taken in your senior year after you’ve completed the majority of your core courses and requirements. Many students line up their internships for the summer between their junior and senior years.

Are there any pre-requisites?

You must have your internship approved by the department and have completed at least one quarter in the capstone course in your specific area or track. Capstone courses are JOUR 352, JOUR 353 or JOUR 413.

Can the pre-requisites be waived?

All internships must be approved by the department. There are no waivers of this requirement. Completion of the capstone courses will be addressed on a case-by-case basis and only if you have equivalent work experience – through volunteer work, student media, etc. – in your chosen field of journalism or public relations.

May I take the pre-requisite course simultaneously with JOUR 444?

This is not recommended as it could produce serious conflicts of interest.

May I do my internship after I graduate?

You may “walk” in the June graduation ceremony and do your internship that summer, but you will not receive your degree until you’ve completed JOUR 444. You may need to adjust your graduation date if you decide to do this. It’s not a problem, and doing an internship this way could lead to a job offer.

Who should complete the Internship Proposal Form?

Your on-site supervisor, with your assistance, should complete and sign the electronic Internship Proposal Form. Once it’s submitted, you should contact the department’s Internship Coordinator.

When is the Internship Proposal Form due?

The Proposal Form is due well before the beginning of the quarter in which you will be enrolled in JOUR 444. The internship is designed as a 10-week assignment, and you must be ready to hit the ground running from Day One of the quarter. Your on-site supervisor may turn in the Proposal From early, but if it is turned in late, you run the risk of not having your internship approved in time for it to qualify for course credit.

May I start my internship before or after the quarter begins?

To receive credit for JOUR 444, you must be enrolled in the course and you must complete 100 hours of internship work during the quarter you’re enrolled.

May I do my internship in the summer and then enroll in JOUR 444 the following fall?

No. You must be engaged in your internship the same quarter that you’re enrolled in the course.

May I get internship credit for the job I had last year?

No. The University does not provide internship credit for past work experience.

May I repeat JOUR 444 for credit?

No.  You may take JOUR 444 only once. There may be a way to receive credit for another on-the-job experience through JOUR 400, Special Problems for Advanced Undergraduates. See the department’s Internship Coordinator for more information on this course.

May I do an internship remotely?

Yes, this is possible, and you can have a truly rewarding experience in an online internship. It’s important that you receive adequate professional supervision. That’s one reason you need to have your remote internship approved by the department. NOTE: During the COVID-19 pandemic, we assume you’ll do your internship remotely. If you need to be in person, you’ll need to complete COVID-19 training and sign and submit a number of forms required by the University.

May I be paid as an intern?

Absolutely! In fact, we would like for all journalism internships to be paid positions. Many are not paid.

How relevant does the internship have to be to my major?

To qualify for credit in JOUR 444, you should be engaged in a work experience that requires you to apply your skills in journalism, public relations, media or communications. Internships frequently provide stepping stones to your first career job, so it’s important to choose wisely.

What are the course requirements for JOUR 444?

Once you’re enrolled in the course, you’ll need to complete at least 100 hours of work on the job. The course is designed as a 10-week experience, with the expectation that you’ll work about 10 hours a week. This can vary, depending on the kind of work you’ll be doing. Some weeks you may work more, some less. What’s important is that you complete at least 100 hours by the end of the 10-week course.  In addition to the work, you’ll submit the following to your Internship Coordinator at the appropriate times during the course:

• Progress Report. After you’ve completed 50 hours of work, or mid-way through the course, your on-site supervisor should submit a Midterm Progress Report online.

• Provider Final Report. During Week 10 of your internship, your on-site supervisor should submit an Internship Provider Final Report.

• Intern Final Report. Also during Week 10, you must submit a Student Intern Final Report. This report includes a portfolio of your work as an intern. In the portfolio, you should include substantial work samples accompanied by an explanation of the nature of the work and your role in it. You may need permission to post or duplicate any work produced under your employer’s copyright or any confidential work.

• Interviews. You’ll meet with the Internship Coordinator at the midterm and at the end of your internship.

What are the expectations of an internship provider?

• That the internship supervisor on site has the appropriate and relevant professional background, and time, to act as both a mentor and teacher to the intern.

• That the internship supervisor complete all forms based on class deadlines. 

How many hours a week should my intern work and how long should the internship last?

• Internships should last approximately 10 weeks and represent 100 hours of work. 

Is there paperwork that I need to fill out?

• Before a student can begin an internship for course credit, the internship needs to be approved by the journalism department’s faculty Internship Coordinator.  

• To start the approval process, please complete an Internship Proposal Form and submit it to the department. Once the internship proposal has been approved, the student can enroll in the internship class, JOUR 444.

What is my role in the grading process?

• The internship class, JOUR 444, is a credit/no credit class. Assigning of credit is done by the faculty internship Coordinator. 

• You will submit a progress report at midterm and a final report at the end of the internship. These reports help the faculty coordinator evaluate the student’s internship participation. 

• The faculty coordinator reviews the progress reports and meets with the interns, once at midterm and again at the end of the internship, during final exam week. 

Where can I find the forms that I need to fill out?

• You can find all forms – the Internship Proposal Form, Midterm Progress Report and Final Report at https://journalism.calpoly.edu/students/jobs-internships

Is it OK to offer an unpaid internship?

• Yes, though we prefer that interns be paid.

• Our students are trained to be multi-faceted journalists, and we are open to new interactions between the working world and internship opportunities. However, by law, we are required to abide by the Fair Labor Standards Act when it comes to unpaid work. 

• The following criteria, established by the FLSA, must be met for our department to approve an unpaid internship:

1. The training, even though it includes actual operation of the facilities of the employer is similar to that which would be given in a vocational school (a curriculum is followed, the students are under continued and direct supervision by either representatives of the school or by employees of the business);

2. The training is for the benefit of the trainees or students; such placements are not made to meet the labor needs of the business;

3. The trainees or students do not displace regular employees, vacant positions have not been filled, employees have not been relieved of assigned duties, and the students are not performing services that, although not ordinarily performed by employees, clearly are of benefit to the business;

4. The employer that provides the training derives no advantages from the activities of the trainees or students, and on occasion his or her operations may actually be impeded;

5. The trainees or students are not necessarily entitled to a job at the conclusion of the training period. – (Once a student has become an employee, the student cannot be considered a trainee at that particular community based placement unless in a clearly distinguishable occupation); and

6. The employer and the trainees or students understand that the trainees or students are not entitled to wages for the time spent in training.

It is important to understand that an employment relationship will exist unless ALL OF THE ABOVE 6 CRITERIA described in this guidance are met. Should an employment relationship be determined to exist, participating businesses (as well as the school) may be held responsible for full compliance with FLSA, including the minimum wage and child labor provisions. Also, Wage and Hour may supervise payment of back wages and/or Civil Money Penalties.

Who can I contact if I need more information?

Contact the Journalism Department Internship Coordinator, Mary Glick, at mmglick@calpoly.edu.