Internships

Students are encouraged to complete at least one internship during their studies at the SJMC. Our students intern across the country and locally at news organizations, businesses, sports affiliates and even international locations. There are internships on campus in departments across the university, ranging from academic programs to Hawkeye athletics, and UI Health Care.

To help students search and acquire internships and jobs, our Internship and Job Opportunity Specialist Michelle Sillman meets with students to help them strategize and prepare their resumes and other materials, connects them with alumni and industry professionals, and arranges on-campus interviews and other career preparation activities. She sends listings of job and internship openings every week to all JMC majors. To schedule a meeting, email michelle-sillman@uiowa.edu.

Students can register to receive credit for an internship by taking the Independent Study Internship for Credit (JMC 2100) course. The credit does not fulfill requirements for the major, but it does count toward the maximum 52 s.h. of journalism and mass communication credit an undergraduate student may apply toward the degree. Students may take the course twice if they acquire a second internship, or they may take the course or 0 credits.

Graduate students may not receive course credit for internships, though M.A. students are invited to work with the internship coordinator to find opportunities.

• Register an Internship for Credit
• Register an internship for transcript notation (no credit)
• Internship Checklist
• Journalism Job Resources

In addition to internships, student-operated media—including The Daily Iowan, Daily Iowan TV, KRUI-FM radio, Big Ten Plus, Adler Agency, and various literary and lifestyle magazines—provide students with opportunities for journalism experience on campus.

For more information or questions about internship opportunities, contact:

Michelle Sillman
Internship and Placement Opportunities
E350E Adler Journalism Building
319-335-3427
michelle-sillman@uiowa.edu

Register an Internship for Credit

Each SJMC undergraduate may register for JMC:2100 - Journalism Internship for 0-3 hours of credit, provided they:

• have been admitted to the School of Journalism and Mass Communication
• will be engaged in professional activities at least 80 percent of the time (see below for examples of professional activities)
• will be supervised by a professional (not a student)

Course credit is based on the number of hours the student will work:

• 225 hours of internship work = 3 credit hours
• 150 hours of internship work = 2 credit hours
• 75 hours of internship work = 1 credit hour

Credit for JMC:2100 - Journalism Internship does not count toward the 43 hours needed to graduate in journalism, but it does count toward the maximum of 52 SJMC hours majors are allowed to take, and toward the total of 120 hours they need to graduate from the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences.

Students registering for an internship for credit should contact Michelle Sillman, who will monitor the internship and award a satisfactory/unsatisfactory grade. 

Examples of professional activities

• For a Print Media Internship: rewriting a press release, localizing a wire feed, writing news or feature stories, editing printed work, researching material for stories, interviewing sources, and learning about the medium.
• For a Broadcast Internship: learning how to operate equipment and use technology, editing, writing material for broadcast, researching, interviewing sources, and learning about the medium.
• For a PR Internship: writing releases, stories, or other texts, designing public materials, researching, editing, photography, event planning, general administration, and learning about the profession.

Students are also encouraged to register for internships for no credit through the Pomerantz Career Center.

Internship Checklist

Before the internship begins

• Meet with your advisor to discuss your schedule and credit needs.
• Meet with the Internship and Job Opportunity Specialist to determine whether or not the internship meets the requirements and to talk about the course expectations.
• Decide whether it’s best to register for credit or no credit.

Grading

You will earn a grade of satisfactory if you fulfill the hours requirement, engage in sufficient professional activities, complete all of the course assignments, which include reflecting on your internship activities, provide samples of your work and an updated resume, write a 2-3 page reflective essay, and complete an internship review survey.