Philip Merrill College of Journalism | University of Maryland

Supervised Internships

Internship Courses | How to Register | Request A Letter Documenting College Credit
Does my internship count for Journalism credit?

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

JOUR 199 – Survey Apprenticeship (1 credit)
Winter 2008 | Spring 2008 | Summer I 2008 | Summer II 2008 | Fall 2007
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 198/199 credit does not count toward a Journalism student’s degree.**

JOUR 399 -- Supervised Internship (1 credit)
Spring 2008 | Summer 2008 | Fall 2008

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. JOUR 399 can be repeated for up to 3 credits.

Internship Proposal
Spring 2008 Timesheet | Summer 2008 Timesheet | Fall 2008 Timesheet |
(Forms are readible as PDF files)

Applying for Internships
First, find an internship opportunity.
1. This is sometimes a lengthy process. Start applying at least two or three months before the semester you plan to intern. The internship director sends by e-mail information about internship openings each semester to students enrolled in the College of Journalism. Opportunities are also posted on the Job Bank and on bulletin boards on the third floor of the Journalism Building.

When applying, contact the organization to verify the internship is available. If the organization does not have a formal application process, you should request an interview. If it requires a resume and writing samples, send those out as quickly as possible. Make sure you write down your appointment time. Showing up late or not at all will likely cost you the job. If you aren’t able to schedule an interview, send a cover letter expressing your interest and your skills. Include your resume.

Going on the interview:

Dress professionally. That means neat dress slacks and a tie for men, a skirt, dress or nice pants suit for women.

Arrive five to 10 minutes early. (If you are unfamiliar with the area, conduct a dry-run trip a day or two before the interview.)

Prepare for questions. Learn about the organization. Read several recent publications, look at the Web site or watch several broadcasts so you can speak intelligently about the organization.

Bring a resume (and, if appropriate, examples of your work) to the interview. You may also want to bring contact information for up to three references. (But clear it with the references first.)

Ask to speak with any interns working there about their experiences.

Some supervisors choose interns at their interviews; others need more time to decide. Either way, you are also deciding on them. If during the interview you discover the internship isn’t what you had in mind, don’t accept it. But be polite – be sure to thank the supervisor for his or her time.

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.

2. Make sure the job you seek counts for journalism credit. Internships in the newsrooms of independent newspapers, Web sites, television or radio stations or network news operations count for credit. So do production internships with most commercial sports 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, marketing, public relations, community relations, entertainment broadcasting, 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 not journalism. Freelancing also doesn't count for credit. While freelance experience is strongly encouraged by the College, it's not the same as a supervised internship.
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.

3. 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.

4. 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.

5. 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.

6. 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.

7. 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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