Internship Program

Looking for an internship? Hoping to earn course credit? Curious what the difference is between an internship and a practicum? You came to the right place. This page contains information for Media & Communication, Film Studies, and Documentary Storymaking students interested in securing an internship. You will find links to forms, Handshake, and other resources. Instructions for semester-term and summer internships are here too, along with scholarship opportunities.

Most students arrange for one or more internship experiences before graduation, including through our program-specific Dublin study abroad semester.

Questions? Please contact the department’s Internship Coordinator, Dr. John Sullivan, at [email protected]

Quick Links

• Registration form
• Handshake
• College internship site
• Dublin study abroad program
• Email the Internship Coordinator

Finding an Internship

The search for an internship requires student initiative. Among the strategies that students have found successful:

• Consult the Career Center’s Handshake database, which is regularly updated (video tutorial).
• Make an individual appointment with a Career Coach at the Career Center.
• Look out for opportunities distributed by email by the department’s Internship Coordinator throughout the year.
• Most media- and/or communication-related organizations include information about specific internships on their website, with instructions to apply and deadlines.
• Many students find internship leads through networking through family and friends.
• Use LinkedIn’s Alumni Tool to reach out to College alumni (video tutorial).
• On campus internships may be open for applications from the Office of Communications, Sports Information, Admissions, and Alumni Relations, among other campus units.
• Talk to fellow majors who have completed internships.
• Attend the Internship Information Sessions sponsored by the Career Center and by the department’s Internship Coordinator.

Registering an Internship

The Media & Communication Department offers students the opportunity to complete an internship for credit:

• Com 960 - Communication Internship - 1 or 0.5 credit

The Internship is a pass/fail course that does not count toward the Media & Communication major. Students must have earned at least 16 course units to register. Requirements include maintaining a daily log, completing short essays and other writing assignments, and evaluations from the site supervisor. Students are required to complete at least 126 hours for a full-credit internship, and at least 63 hours for a half-credit internship.

Interested in registering an Internship? Contact Dr. John Sullivan, who will guide you through the registration process. Registration deadlines are listed on the Muhlenberg Academic Calendar, and typically fall a week after the Add/Drop deadline.

Media and Communication Alumni Internship Tuition Scholarship

Thanks to the generous donations from Media & Communication faculty, friends, and alumni, we have established an internship tuition scholarship. This scholarship has been established to provide financial support to students who might otherwise find it difficult to pay for summer course credit, which some internships require. The scholarship will award summer tuition for one credit, with students registering and completing course requirements for COM 960, to qualifying students.

• Details and application instructions
• Application deadline: April 15, 2024

The Dublin Internship

Media & Communication, Film Studies, and Documentary Storymaking students who participate in the Dublin study abroad semester are placed in a guaranteed internship at a media and communication-related organization in Dublin, Ireland.

FAQs

Do I need to take an internship for college credit?

No. Some sites, however, require that you register for a credit, based on their interpretation of labor law. Registered experiences offer students faculty mentorship, institutional liability, and a curricular component that strengthens and complements knowledge and skill learned at site.

Do internships need to be in the Lehigh Valley?

No. In the post-COVID era, many internships are offered remote. In the summer, most students participate in internships that are located in their hometown or in cities that are close to their permanent residence, such as Washington, DC, Philadelphia, and New York City.

Do I need to pay tuition for a for-credit internship?

If the for-credit internship is in the fall or spring, you do not need to pay extra tuition to roster the internship course (assuming that your total credits for the semester do not exceed 5.5 units). If the for-credit internship is for the summer, you are required to pay tuition; for one course unit, the summer 2021 fee was $1780. The Media & Communication Department sponsors a need-based stipend to cover tuition, generously funded by alumni and faculty donations: details on the application process.

Can I register for a paid internship?

Yes, it does not matter whether your internship is paid or unpaid.

Does a for-credit internship count toward the major?

The internship (COM 960) is a pass/fail course, so is not eligible for major credit. The course does cout as a course unit credit toward the College’s 32-course graduation requirement. The practicum (COM 965), the senior-only CUE option, carries a letter grade and satisfied the major's CUE requirement.

Summer Internships

Internship Coordinator

Dr. John Sullivan is the department’s Internship Coordinator. Please contact him with any questions.