Santa Clara University

Internships

Overview for Students

Mission: The Communication Department, in association with a variety of businesses, offers opportunities to experience the diverse career paths of the many fields within the Communication umbrella through our Internship Program. The Program offers credit for positions in public relations, corporate communications, broadcasting, video/audio production, newspaper reporting, radio and advertising among other industry related activities. (Click here to see a list of places where students have participated in internships.) Though not required, all students are encouraged to do at least one formal internship before graduating.

Internship Participation: The Department provides credit to students participating in the Internship Program after fulfilling a number of requirements. Prerequisites for formal credit include a minimum grade point average, sophomore status plus permission of the student's academic advisor, and the Department Internship Coordinator. Students must work a minimum number of hours for credit and attend regular class meetings. Typically students work 20 hours a week for the duration of the 10-week quarter.

Company Requirements: We require that participating companies offer interns duties that include substantive responsibilities in order to develop a student's career skills. Some clerical duties are expected but internships must go beyond general office work. Host companies must have a designated supervisor able to evaluate the student's performance at the end of the academic quarter. Companies should provide any training for specialized or technical tasks. Compensation, though encouraged, is not required and doesn't effect eligibility for course credit and can be in the form of either an hourly wage or a stipend.

Scheduling: Most students try to arrange their start and end dates around the quarter calendar but it's not required for credit. Summer hours per week may exceed the average 20 hours since many students are not taking regular course loads. Hours may also vary during the week due to exams, vacation breaks and registration periods.

Finding An Internship: The Internship Coordinator can help a student identify a challenging and educational internship. The Department maintains lists of employers and local alumni that have offered positions in the recent past plus listings of current opportunities. Students should contact the employer directly by email, phone or fax unless otherwise requested. Typically employers provide a one page description of their position including expected skills and duties, start and end dates, compensation (if any), contact information and background on the company.

Students are encouraged to begin their search in their area two to three months in advance of their internship. The Department also will screen candidates in advance if requested by the employer particularly if a specific skill set is required.

For more information contact: Melan Jaich, Internship Coordinator, Phone 408.554.4793, Fax 408.554.4913, Email: mjaich@scu.edu.