Student working in the Writing Lab.

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Internship Coordinator
Linda Morse
RBW 312D
(435) 797-0261
by appointment

Email Lisa Hamblin,
Undergraduate Student Advisor
or call (435) 797-3883

English Department
Utah State University





Making Certain Our Students Thrive In Their Careers

Value of Internships

Students who serve internships supplement their classroom studies with practical experience, applying in the real world what they have learned in their coursework. They will also gain practical experience that will complement future university courses.

Internships also help students prepare for prospective employment. In addition to giving students an professional experience, internships provide students with a a portfolio full of projects they can demonstrate to future employers. Obtaining work experience during college generally results in more job offers, higher salaries, and more frequent promotions. Many interns are also offered permanent positions from their employers.

How to Begin

  1. Talk with faculty members about types of internships that would interest you
  2. Think about developing your current job into a structured internship experience
  3. Network--visit people and companies for which you might like to work
  4. Take English 3400, English 3410, and English 4400 as soon as possible
  5. Develop your skills, as well as an impressive resume, cover letter, and a portfolio
  6. Visit with Internship Coordinator, Linda Morse, at least one semester before you want to serve an internship--for a summer internship see her during spring semester
  7. Check bulletin boards in the English Department for internship notices
  8. When you have an internship lined up, submit a Statement of Objectives to the Internship Coordinator for approval of the internship
Minimum Student Requirements for Serving an Internship
  1. 75 hours of college credit or proven expertise in professional/technical writing
  2. 2.5 GPA (minimum)
  3. Basic core classes in the writing track
    • English 3400
    • Desktop Publishing OR English 4410
    • English 4400
    • Knowledge of Word, PageMaker and/or FrameMaker
  4. Resume and writing sample
  5. Other useful traits
    • Completed projects involving HTML, FTP, and other Web publishing tools
    • Experience with DreamWeaver, PhotoShop, and other multimedia development applications

Types of Internship Projects

Host Organizations

Many organization are willing to develop internship positions when approached by potential interns. Creating your own internship may be the best way to accomplish your goals. The English Department keeps a list, however, of organizations that have hired English Majors in the past. It may be helpful for you to consult this list for internships that will suit your needs.

Internship Credit

Internships are not assigned a letter grade. They are pass/fail only. Internships can receive from 1-15 credits. The formula for internship hours versus credit hours is as follows:

45 hours per credit:
    Ex. 40 hours a week for 15 weeks (a semester) equals 15 credits
    Ex. 8 hours a week for 15 weeks equals 3 credits

Statement of Objectives

The Statement of Objectives form must be completed and turned into the Internship Coordinator at the beginning of the internship. You can obtain this form from your advisor.

Internship Completion

To receive credit for your internship, you must write a final report which analyzes your internship experience. The length of the paper will depend on the number of credits earned and the type of work completed, from five to fifteen pages.

The final paper should contain the following, not necessarily in this order:

  1. A brief description of the job or position held and the objectives you completed. A short history of the organization, its goals, the organizational structure and how your job contributed to the total operation.
  2. An honest appraisal of your working relationship with your supervisor and co-workers.
  3. How your work experience has been of benefit to you. For example, what educational experiences did the work environment provide that are not available in a classroom setting?
  4. The relationship you see between your academic major and the job you performed.
  5. Strengths and weaknesses you have discovered in yourself as a result of your internship experience.
  6. How your experience has modified or confirmed your ideas and plans for a career, as well as your sense of workplace values.
  7. Some specific objectives you would like to accomplish if you were to continue working in this organization.
  8. How the English Department can be more responsive to your individual needs (additional courses, counseling services, other activities, etc.). Be specific.
  9. Suggestions for faculty, the Internship Committee, and employers that might improve the internship experience.
  10. Samples of your work from the internship project.
  11. Total number of hours worked and total wages paid during the internship.
A subjective discussion of both the positives and negatives of the internship experience is encouraged. To further your willingness to be candid, you are assured your comments will remain anonymous.

Your paper is considered academic work. Therefore, the English Department expects it to meet professional writing standards. You are expected to complete and turn in your paper by the end of the semester you finish your internship. Failure to do this will result in an "IF" on your transcript. If the paper is not received by the end of the following semester, the grade automatically becomes an "F."

At the end of your internship, your mentor completes an evaluation form of your job performance and discusses it with you.