Texas A & M
University-Texarkana
Internship in Mass
Communications and Journalism
To enhance career preparation, students may elect to participate in the
department's internship program. Internships are open to department majors who
have completed 58 semester hours and may be arranged
for either 3 or 6 hours of credit. Interns are placed
with cooperating organizations such as newspapers, radio or television
stations, public relation departments, professional sports organizations, and
magazines.
An internship is a practical learning experience outside the educational
institution in an organization that deals with an aspect of the profession the
student hopes to enter. Its purpose is to fill the gap between the academic and
professional worlds. It is a time when the student can observe and participate
in the work world in a non-threatening manner. More specifically, an internship
is a relationship the student has with a company or organization wherein he/she
is treated as a quasi employee. The student is given specific tasks and responsibilities and is allowed
to observe various operations of the organization.
The primary reason for participating in an internship is to learn more about
the career the student wishes to pursue. A second reason for taking an internship
is to apply theory learned in the class to an actual work situation. In brief,
the internship experience is first and foremost a
learning experience.
Requirements
a. You must be a major in the department and have completed at least 58
semester hours
with a minimum overall GPA of 2.75. (Please see your JOUR 490 Syllabus for
more information)
b. If you are planning an internship in mass communication
and journalism you must have completed college level basic news writing courses
(introductory journalism courses at the college level), JOUR 310 Advanced News
Writing and Reporting and COMM 418 (Introduction to Public Relations) before
the internship. It would be helpful if you had taken JOUR 411 (Advanced
Editing, Layout, and Design), JOUR 412 (Copy Editing) and JOUR 312
(Photojournalism) as well. In addition, journalism/public relations interns are expected to have at least two semesters of active
participation in Talon or significant experience in the print media.
c. If you are planning an internship in the broadcast area,
in addition to courses mentioned above, you must have completed COMM 306
(Broadcast News) and JOUR 311 (Television News Production) before the
internship.
Exceptions to the above may be made
in extraordinary circumstances if the student petitions the department faculty.
Application Instructions
Complete the internship application carefully and legibly and return it to the
department chair/program director. In addition, request the Registrar to
forward a copy of your transcript to the department chair/program director. The
department faculty will review this application together with your transcript
and letter of recommendation. If you successfully meet all requirements, you will be admitted into the internship program. At that point you will work with a faculty member to locate a
meaningful internship station.
Intern Responsibilities
As a student intern, you are responsible for the following:
1. Seeking information from actual company you are interested in.
2. By the first week of the internship, discuss the INTERNSHIP CONTRACT with
your internship director and mail the completed document to your faculty
supervisor.
3. Keep your faculty supervisor informed by sending weekly reports (See the
weekly internship report form located in Internship Handbook).
4. At the conclusion of your internship, you are to submit the two-part
INTERNSHIP FINAL REPORT and discuss the report with your faculty supervisor.
5. During the semester after you complete your internship, you may be asked to make a presentation to the department
faculty and majors on your internship experience.
Also, note these items:
1. Your faculty supervisor will visit you at least
once during the semester. This meeting well be arranged at a mutually agreed
upon date and will include discussions with your internship director.
2. Oral evaluations of your work from your intern director will
be submitted to your faculty supervisor periodically throughout the
semester. Your faculty supervisor will arrange these evaluations. The
internship director at the conclusion will submit a formal written evaluation
of the intern to the faculty supervisor of the internship.
3. If you have questions or problems, call your faculty supervisor immediately.
Internship Responsibilities
For further information regarding internships, see The
Student Access Guide to
Contact the Mass Communications Department
Ms. Janis Overlock
Telephone: 903-223-3169
Fax: 903-223-3120
Email:
Mailing Address: