Frequently Asked Questions

What is the Professional Writing Internship Program?

Professional Writing students participate in internships that are linked to the Internship Seminar (English 499). Professional Writing students usually take the Internship Seminar the first semester of their senior year (the semester prior to your graduation semester). Sometimes, due to scheduling difficulties, students take the seminar during their final semester, but it is probably preferred to do the class one semester before the semester in which you graduate.

Should I do the internship at the same time as English 499?

Yes, that’s probably the best option, since the class focuses on the internship experience, and the course attempts to help Professional Writing students prepare for their career search campaigns following graduation. Due to your schedule concerns, you may have to start the internship the semester prior to the class. If that is the case, it’s best to continue your internship into the semester when you take the seminar, but it is not required. Contact the Internship Director, as students usually have individual concerns about scheduling and other matters.

Why is the Internship Seminar (English 499) offered for 1-3 CR/NC hours?

The work requirements are the same whether you take the class for one or three hours. Students who don’t need the three hours of credit or who don’t want to pay more for three hours credit may choose the lower credit option.

How do I go about getting a Professional Writing internship?

Getting an internship is just like hunting for a job. Select internship opportunities that most closely reflect your career options. Contact probable internship mentors and schedule an interview time. Dress professionally for the interview.  Taking a current resume and some writing samples to the meeting is probably a good idea. Assume that getting an internship requires genuine effort and planning on your part. Do not wait until the class starts to try to get an internship. If you don’t have an internship by the third week of the semester, you may be dropped from the seminar.

How do internships work?

Internships are closely related to what we do in the internship seminar. One you have successfully interviewed with your internship mentor, you and the mentor should meet to determine your working relationship. You should mutually agree on the hours you will put in, the kind of documents you will work on, and what your mutual goals are for the internship experience. There are no stated goals or requirements for the Professional Writing internships, as students and mentors will have different schedules and goals that must be mutually determined by mentors and interns as a professional collaboration. Following your initial conference with your mentor, the mentor must send the Director a memo stating his or her understanding about the specifics that will be required during the term of the internship. This memo of understanding (MOU) should be sent to the Director as soon as possible after this initial meeting.  You, the student intern, must also send the Director an inception memo (IM) stating your understanding of what is required and your work relationship as well. This should be done at the beginning of the semester in which you take the internship seminar.

At the end of the semester, the internship mentor sends the Internship Director a completion memo (CM) stating what the intern accomplished during the course of the internship. Students in the seminar must also complete a reflective memo that is included as a cover document for their professional document portfolios that are turned in to the seminar instructor (Internship Director) at the end of the semester. The reflective memo details the intern student’s learning process during the internship. Even if the intern and the mentor have decided that the internship will continue beyond the completion of the course, both mentor and student interns must furnish these memos to the Internship Director.

What are the student’s responsibilities to complete English 499?

Students produce the following assignments during the semester—

1. A professional bio-profile that is put up with the intern’s picture on the internship web page.
2. A thoroughly prepared and revised resume.
3. A professional portfolio of samples produced during the course of the Professional Writing program and during the internship.
4. The internship inception memo (referred to above.)
5. The internship completion memo (referred to above.)

Does every student earning the Professional Writing certificate or minor have to complete an internship and English 499?

Yes and no, as the Internship Director may waive this requirement under certain conditions. If the student has significant professional writing experience, the Director may, at his discretion, waive the internship and internship seminar requirement. Some examples of work that may warrant a waiver include but are not limited to the following:

1. The student has written and published books with major publishing houses.
2. The student has a current position in the field and can demonstrate significant accomplishments in professional writing.
3. The student has significant past experience in the field and can demonstrate professional writing accomplishments that would warrant a waiver.

Waivers are granted on a case-by-case basis, so if you think that your situation should be considered, contact the Internship Director.

Further Questions

Please feel free to contact the Internship Director should you have additional questions about the program.