The Department of Journalism and Communication Studies' internship program is designed to help students enrich their education, give them practical experience, prepare them for prospective employment and earn credit toward their degrees.
The benefits from internships cannot be overstated. In many fields of study an internship is rapidly becoming an essential, often required, part of the educational process. Career experts can't stress enough the value of internships and how they can lead to great jobs. Employers are looking for more than good grades and the right credentials; they prefer employees who have had experience in the real world of work and see internships as a real differentiator, a symbol of maturity and competence.
For general information, please review the following:
How do I get started?
Students will need to get digital signatures on this form and send it to Bobbee Russell or Susan Polster who will open the internship course for them.
Download Internship Learning Contract
After the variable credit course is opened, students should change the number of credits to the appropriate number for their internship. View the video below to learn how.
Program Internship Coordinator
- Brand Social Media Internship - Fusion 360
- Cinematic Junior Associate - WarnerMedia
- Communications Intern - Real Salt Lake
- Digital Projects Intern - Union Station
- Magazine Internship Program - American Society of Magazine Editors
- Poynter Journalism Internship Database
- Reporting and Social Media Internship - Deseret News
- Summer Internships - Dow Jones News Fund
- Tribune Internships - The Salt Lake Tribune
- Utah Warriors Rugby Internships
- Communications Internship - Governor's Office of Economic Opportunity
Student Internship Highlights
Writes agriculture-related stories for radio and produces weekly extension segments
Experience: "I loved networking with people in the agriculture industry and getting my name out there. I also loved interviewing extension specialists on a wide variety of topics for the weekly segment: USU Extension Education Highlights. We talked about their specialty in extension and it was so cool to see the passion radiate from them with every question.”
Advice: "If you’re worried about not having time for everything in life (classes, part-time job, social life, USU involvement), you will find time for an internship. I was so worried about being burnt out and too busy to have a life, but managing my time between everything came easier than expected. An internship at Utah Public Radio was just what I needed to re-motivate me in school, my other job, and my social life."
Website redesign, blog posts, media relations, and strengthen the brand’s public perception.
Experience: "My favorite responsibility is to provide my insight and creative expertise on our company re-brand.”
Advice: “Make connections and have an open mind! I origionally worked at this company under a position that helped with environmental permitting. Through the connections I made and the name I made for myself, I was able to be promoted to their public relations coordinator.”
Copywriting social media captions, research, taking photos
Experience: "I loved being able to express my creativity through working on our social page. I was in charge of running the @cosmxlabs Instagram page throughout my internship and my content is still on their page today.”
Advice: “Everything is networking. Talk to everyone at every job you have. They all have something they can teach you and, even if you decide to go a different direction with your career, they are a valuable resource as a reference, a point of contact and a mentor.”
Logo and website design
Experience: "My favorite thing I did at my internship was design a full logo suite for a local nonprofit. We gifted the suite to an organization called Helping Out Pets Everyday (H.O.P.E.). It was an amazing opportunity to boost their organization’s reputation through their logo and to give back to the community. I gained so much experience with client relations and graphic design through this project. I also ended up submitting my redesign to the [PRSA Utah] Golden Spike Awards later that year and became a finalist!”
Advice: “My main advice is to students looking for an internship is to be persistent. I applied to a lot of internships at bigger agencies in Los Angles and didn’t hear back from a lot of them, so I started reaching out to marketing and PR agencies that didn’t have job listings online. Odin Marketing House got back to me and after a few interviews hired me for the summer. Additionally, my boss ended up telling me that one of the main things that made me stand out was the fact that I created a website about myself as a sort of online portfolio because it showed the effort I was willing to put in.”
Creates social media content, writes articles and blogs for different platforms, writes feature stories district wide
Experience: "I love writing stories because I get to talk to and interview a ton of cool people and take awesome photos."
Advice: “Polish up your resume and don’t be shy about any skills you have. Sell your abilities and understand that your employer is hiring you as an intern with the idea in mind that you’ll learn and develop.”
Blogs, college news, social media campaigns, social media reports
Experience: "My favorite part is being a part of a team and being able to gain skills from others that have been in the industry for a long time. I also enjoy creating fun content about a subject I am passionate about, agriculture.”
Advice: “Apply to as many opportunities as you can! There are internships and jobs everywhere, especially in areas that you may not think you have enough knowledge or interest in."
Social media management/content creation, newsletters, email, campaigns and event promotion
Experience: "I really enjoy creating graphics for social media and physical advertisements.”
Advice: “Don’t be afraid to accept an internship in a field you don’t know a lot about. I never thought I’d be doing social media for a menswear brand but I’ve learned so much! The things you learn can be applied to the field you."