Internships for Credit
“Graduates who had an internship during college were more than twice as likely to have a good job waiting for them upon graduation (42%) compared to graduates who didn’t have an internship (20%).”
· Brandon Busteed in Forbes, January 4, 2021
Internships are a great opportunity to find out more about your chosen field while building your work experience and a portfolio. CDS majors can take COMM 499: Internship for credit and to satisfy the Experiential Learning (EL) graduation requirement. If taken for 3 credits, then the internship can count as an upper-level elective in the major. To complete an internship for credit you are required to have registered for the internship credits before the start of the internship and that you complete your internship hours within the timeframe specified on your internship contract. Note: you cannot register for the credits on your own- you will only be registered for the credits once your completed academic internship contract has been approved and processed by the department chair.
If you are interested in pursuing an internship, please do the following:
1) Find an internship – make sure that it is appropriate for the major, and that the work you will do meets the university requirements for internships. You can find the university guidelines and policies on the Career Center’s internship webpage. Once you have a worksite for your internship, talk to a faculty member in the major about serving as the faculty advisor.
2) Complete the Academic Internship Contract – if you are taking the internship for credit then you need to make sure that you are able to work the minimum number of hours and meet the other criteria. Then complete the Academic Internship Contract on the Career Center’s webpage. Share this with the faculty advisor for your internship.
3) Submit the completed Academic Internship Contract by Wednesday of the first week of classes. Make sure that the contract includes all relevant signatures (student, work supervisor, faculty sponsor), and is fully filled out. Send the completed contract via email to the department chair, Anand Rao, and copy your faculty sponsor. The department chair will contact you and your faculty sponsor with any questions, and will then process the internship contract.
The deadline for Spring 2024 internships is Wednesday, January 17, 2024, at 5pm – email completed internship contracts, with all required signatures (including student, faculty sponsor, and internship supervisor) to Anand Rao (arao at umw.edu). Once approved, the contract will be sent to the Registrar’s Office and then you will be registered for the credits.
The deadline for Summer 2024 internships is Wednesday, May 22, 2024, at 5pm – email completed internship contracts, with all required signatures (including student, faculty sponsor, and internship supervisor) to Anand Rao (arao at umw.edu). Once approved, the contract will be sent to the Registrar’s Office and then you will be registered for the credits.
Internship and Work Study Opportunities:
Most internship opportunities are listed on Handshake – check with the Career Center for more information. Included below are opportunities that were also shared with CDS:
- Gwyneth’s Gift Foundation Communications Intern – This is an internship opportunity with Gwyneth’s Gift Foundation for students studying in the communication and media fields. As an intern, you will receive hands-on experience in public relations, marketing and social media management. Your tasks will involve the support and development of promotional materials, creation and curation of Foundation social media content, and other communication related duties. This is an unpaid position that can offer satisfaction of required credit hours. Immediate start time available with a preferred position length of 4-6 months. Visit www.gwynethsgift.org to learn more about our non-profit organization! Requirements:1).Currently enrolled at an institution of higher education (3rd or 4th year students preferred), 2) Currently working to obtain a degree in communications, digital media, or another related field, 3) An overall GPA of at least 3.0, 4) The ability to work 8-10 hours per week, with at least a small portion taking place in our office between the hours of 8:30am-4:30pm on weekdays. Documents needed: 1) Resume, 2) Cover sheet with phone number, email, and date/time availability for interviews, 3) Transcript (unofficial accepted), 4) Letter of recommendation from professor in field of study, 5) Brief portfolio. Internship posted on Handshake ID #8345726.
- Communications Intern – National Rural Electric Cooperative Association (NRECA) in Arlington, VA. Summer Internship: May 20 – August 9. For Rising Junior or Senior Undergraduate Students Only. NRECA is a unique national trade association providing advocacy, financial services and business support services to over 900 consumer owned electric cooperatives across the country. NRECA employees are united by our mission, inclusive culture, collaborative workplace and commitment to service excellence. As a “best place to work” employer, we operate with integrity, transparency and a spirit of innovation.
Summary Of Position
NRECA’s Internal and Member Communications group is looking for a summer intern to join our creative, collaborative and dynamic team. The NRECA internal and member communications intern will support strategic communication projects designed to build closer relationships between NRECA and its employees, its member cooperatives, and between electric cooperatives and the end-use consumer-members they serve.
Primary assignments will include creating content for a variety of platforms and audiences using a variety of mediums including written, digital, and video. The intern will also provide logistical support for long- term projects and aid the team in meeting project goals. For more information: https://www.linkedin.com/jobs/view/3816711546/ - Leashes of Valor – this national service dog nonprofit, based in Fredericksburg, is looking for a social media intern who can help with content and marketing/social media campaigns. You can learn more about the organization at www.leashesofvalor.org. Contact Anand Rao with inquiries.
- Virginia Youth Soccer Association Marketing Internship – great marketing internship opportunity in Fredericksburg working with a UMW alum; available for Fall 2023. See this document for details.
- BRG Communications – a paid opportunity, not intended for credit. CDS alum Mandy Byrd is currently working there and is happy to talk to any interested students. You can find more information here. To apply, send a resume to here. opportunity@brgcommunications.com and you can apply online
- Journalism Internships with the Virginia Pilot – internships are 12 weeks long and pay $15/hour. They will be available throughout the year. See this document for more information.
- UMW Admissions Social Media Influencer – ZeeMee is a social media platform geared towards students who are going through the college search and enrollment process. As a ZeeMee Influencer, students create content about their daily lives and give prospective students an inside look at UMW. Students would also engage with prospects and answer questions via chat channel. Influencers are paid a stipend of $300 for the semester. For more information, contact Amanda Hart (ahart3@umw.edu).
- Communications Intern – 15-20 hours/week paid internship ($18/hour). Shannon Strategies is looking for a Communications Intern to assist with social and digital media, public relations and general communications efforts for an array of clients in the nonprofit sector. Go to https://shannonstrategies.com/communications-intern for more information.
- Public Relations and Communications – 15-25 hours/week paid internship ($20/hour) with the Rappahannock Electric Cooperative. See this document for more information.
- Key Media & Research – provides internships for students in their publications (https://keymediaresearch.com/publications/) and Digital Media Services (https://keymediaresearch.com/events/) divisions. Contact Anand for contact info and more info.