Philip Merrill College of Journalism | University of Maryland

Supervised Internships

Does my internship count for Journalism credit?

What are the internship courses the College offers?

How do I register for one of these courses?

How do I request a letter verifying college credit?

To receive credit for an internship, students must be enrolled in one of the following:

JOUR 199 – Survey Apprenticeship (1 credit)
Winter 2010 | Spring 2010 | Summer I 2009 | Summer II 2009 | Fall 2009
Journalism and non-journalism majors can enroll in JOUR 199 any time after they have completed JOUR 100. The apprenticeship can be used at the beginning of the student’s academic experience or near the end in order to gain additional on-the-job experience. This course may be repeated. **JOUR 199 credit does not count toward a Journalism student’s degree.**

JOUR 399 -- Supervised Internship (1 credit)
Spring 2010 | Summer 2009 | Fall 2009

Journalism-related experience in relation to academic training. This course is required to graduate with a Journalism degree. Students must have completed JOUR 201 and either JOUR 320 or 360 with a grade of “C” or higher.

Internship Proposal Form
(Form is readible as a PDF file)

Applying for internships:
First, find an internship opportunity. See the Career Resources page for helpful information on starting your internship or job search, putting together a resume and cover letter and presenting yourself as a professional.

Requesting a letter of verification:

Some employers will require verification from the college that you will receive academic credit for your experience. They may require a signature on an application or a letter from the internship director on college letterhead. To request that letter, make sure your experience counts for journalism credit and then contact Penny Bender Fuchs by e-mail. Include the name, title, company and address of the person who is to receive the letter. Please give her a week's notice to prepare the letter. Last-minute requests will be accommodated as her schedule allows, but do not wait until the day before the application is due to request this document.

Will my experience count for journalism credit?
Internships in the newsrooms of independent newspapers, news Web sites, television or radio news departments or network news operations count for journalism credit. So do production internships at most commercial sports news operations (such as Comcast SportsNet or ESPN), general-interest magazines, newsletters and trade publications as well as the Washington bureaus of major news outlets.
Ideally your internship should involve professional experience in reporting, writing, copy editing, broadcast news production or assignment desk duties, Web editing, photography, graphics or page design. You can expect to do some grunt work on your internship, such as sorting faxes or answering the phones, but make sure that isn't the bulk of what you do.
The following does not count for journalism credit: advertising, creative services, marketing, public relations or promotions, community relations, entertainment broadcasting. This includes the creative services departments of local network affiliates. It also includes radio talk shows as well as TV programs/networks such as Discovery and HGTV, play-by-play announcing for a sports team or video production for a sports team and writing for publications designed to push a specific agenda. Those things are entertainment or PR, not journalism.
When applying for internships to fulfill your JOUR 399 requirement here are some key questions to ask:

Does this organization present balanced news stories and projects, seeking points of view from all sides, or is the information presented only for entertainment, to push a specific agenda or to drive viewers/readers to advertisers?

What kind of reputation does this organization have and will working here help me get a job after graduation?

What kind of work will I be doing and who will supervise my work?

Will I work in a newsroom with seasoned professionals or will I be expected to file my work remotely?

JOUR 399 is a supervised internship class. If you aren’t working in a newsroom, under the supervision of an experienced journalist, then the experience can’t count for JOUR 399. For the same reason, freelancing can't count for credit. While freelance experience is strongly encouraged by the College, it's not the same as a supervised internship.
Also for JOUR 399, the internship must be in the student’s area of concentration. The one exception is online internships, which may count for both print and broadcast students. Internships must also meet the required number of hours. For JOUR 199, students must work a minimum of 60 hours. For JOUR 399, students must work a minimum of 135 hours over 10 weeks. Please note that your supervisor may require additional hours. Be sure you understand the employer's expectations before accepting the internship.

Securing Journalism Credit:

Once you find an internship and are sure you meet the course requirements, present your supervisor with the Internship Proposal Form to fill out. (You can also pick up a copy from JRN 1117.) Review the form carefully. Your on-site internship supervisor must fill out his or her portion and sign the form before it will be accepted.

For JOUR 399 students, print out a copy of your unofficial transcript and attach it to the proposal form. You will need this to show you meet the course prerequisites.

Get the internship approved. JOUR 199 and JOUR 399 are by-permission-only classes. You must get approval from the internship director, Penny Bender Fuchs, before the deadline, usually the day before the add/drop period ends. Contact her by e-mail, pfuchs@jmail.umd.edu, or by phone, 301-405-2796, to schedule an appointment. No internships will be approved without this meeting.

Once the internship is approved, make sure you enroll before the end of the add/drop period. No requests for late registration will be honored.

Restrictions:

Students cannot earn credit for internships retroactively.

The deadline for enrollment is firm. No requests for late registration will be honored.

Only JOUR 199 is permitted during the winter term.

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