“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%).”
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.
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 2021 internships is Wednesday, January 12, 2022, at 5pm – email completed internship contracts, with all required signatures (including student, faculty sponsor, and internship supervisor) them to Anand Rao (arao at umw.edu).
Spring 2021 Internship and Work Study Opportunities:
- Available immediately – Web design for DHI Property Solutions. They are looking for someone to assist with website design for about 3-4 weeks, starting in November. For more information contact Heather Davis (540-424-8829),HDavis@Manind.com
- Spotsylvania Education Foundation Communications Internship: available for spring, summer, and fall semesters. 10-15 hours/week. Not compensated but can complete for academic credit. More information, including how to apply, can be found on this document.
- Internship with UMW Campus Recreation for Spring 2022: This is an opportunity for students interested in Photography, Videography, Graphic Design, Communications, or Marketing to earn credits and gain experience. If any student is interested in applying, please complete this FORM! If there are any questions, feel free to email campusrec@umw.edu. Applications close on November 28, 2021.
- Internship with THuS Marketing – unpaid internship for Spring 2022. Find more details in this PDF. To apply, send a cover letter and resume to nona@thusmarket.com.