The English Department internship program is designed to help students enrich their education. Students who serve internships supplement their classroom studies with practical experience, applying what they have learned in their coursework. They will also gain practical experience that will complement future university courses.

Moreover, internships help students prepare for prospective employment. In addition to giving students an idea of how the workplace operates, internships provide students with a competitive edge when seeking employment. Obtaining work experience during college often results in more job offers, a higher salary, and more frequent promotions. Many interns are also offered permanent positions from their employers. The following are some of the best reasons to check out English Department internships:

• Provide real work experience
• Can give you an advantage over other job candidates
• 50% develop into permanent employment
• Develop transferable skills
• Do research in careers that interest you
• Turn the need for a part or full time job into an educational experience
• Earn credits toward graduation

How to Begin

1. Talk with Linda Morse in 208 RBW, or a  member of the Internship Committee
2. Think about developing your own internship at the company where you currently work
3. Network--visit people and companies for which you might like to work
4. Take Professional Writing, Professional Editing and Desktop Publishing as soon as possible
5. Develop necessary skills, as well as marketing materials: an impressive resume, cover letters, and a portfolio
6. Visit with Internship Coordinator, Linda Morse, at least one semester before you want to serve an internship--for a summer internship see her during Spring Semester
7. Click on Current Opportunities to see internship notices posted by the department or visit the Career Services website: www.usu.edu/career for a list of  internships there.
8. When you have an internship lined up, submit a Statement of Objectives to Linda Morse, Internship Coordinator, for approval of the internship

Minimum Student Requirements for Serving an Internship

1. 75 credits or proven expertise in technical/professional writing or other writing/editing skills
2. 2.5 GPA (3.0 in English) 
3. Resume and writing sample
4. Basic core classes (for tech/professional writing majors only) :
   • Technical Writing
   • Desktop Publishing or Document Design
   • Technical Editing
   • Knowledge of WordPerfect, PageMaker and/or Framemaker
5. Other useful skills for tech/professional writing interns:
   • HTML, Helpfiles, Web page development, multimedia, etc. 

Types of Internships

• Brochures
• Business letters
• Editing and/or proofreading
• Feature writing
• Manuals, Instruction
• Manuals, Procedure
• Newsletters
• Press Releases
• Proposals
• Publicity/Public Relations
• Scripts for videos or slide shows
• Online and Software documentation
• Multimedia and Webpages 
• Teaching
• Teacher's aide
• Work in Museums/Archives

Host Organizations

Many organizations are willing to develop internship positions when approached by potential interns. Creating your own internship may be the best way to accomplish your goals. The English Department keeps a list, however, of organizations that have hired English majors in the past. It may be helpful for you to consult this list for internships that will suit your needs.

• Accela, Inc. 
• Alliance for Varied Arts
• American Folklore Society
• Barco/Kelly Services
• Bear River Institute
• Bridgerland Literacy
• Cache Chamber of Commerce
• Cache Title Company
• Cache Education Foundation
• Chamber Music Society of Logan (newsletter)
• Convergys Corporation
• Daughters of Utah Pioneers 
• English Department, Professor Cargile Cook
• English Department, Professor Hailey
• English Department, Sigma Tau Delta
• English Department, STC
• English Department, Writing Center 
• Everton Publishing
• Herald Journal
• Franklin Quest (formerly Shipley)
• General Dynamics
• Gibb Smith Publishing
• Herff Jones
• Houghton Mifflin Co., Boston, MA
• IBM
• ICON Health and Fitness
• INGeo
• Isotope (a nature writing journal)
• IWorQ Systems, Inc.
• Juvenile Help Options LLC
• KVNU Radio Station
• LDS Church
• Letterpress Software
• Logan River Academy
• Logistic Specialties, Inc.
• Mack Insurance Marketing, Inc.
• Magic Mist Miniatures
• Meridian Publishing
• Moore Business Forms
• National Scenic Byways
• New Yorker Magazine, The
• Office of the Governor
• Office of the Vice President of the U.S.
• PhytoKinetics Inc.
• Pinnacle Security
• Precision Tools
• ProForm Fitness Products, Inc.
• Red Bull of North American
• Remware, Inc.
• SADI Advertising  
• Sandia National Laboratories
• Solitude Mountain Resort
• Spendlove Research Foundation
• Statesman, The
• Steggall and Associates
• Thacker Plus Co
• University Editor's Office (web pages)
• U.S. Senate and House of Representatives
• USU 3GB Technologies
• USU Academic Resource Center
• USU Department of Civil Engineering, LTAP Lab
• USU Department of Computer Science
• USU Department of Nutrition
• USU Libraries
• USU Outdoor Recreation Center
• USU Press
• USU Space Dynamics Lab
• USU Water Engineering
• Utah League of Credit Unions
• Utah Legislature
• Western American Literature
• Western Wats Center
• WestWords Incorporated

Internship Credit

Internships are not assigned a letter grade. They are pass/fail only. Internships can receive from 1-15 credits. The formula for internship hours versus credit hours is as follows:

• 40 hours per 1 credit    

Example:  working 8 hours a week for 15 weeks equals 3 credits; working 40 hours a week for 15 weeks (a semester) equals 15 credits

Statement of Objectives

The Statement of Objectives form must be completed and turned into Linda Morse, the Internship Coordinator (RBW 208), at the beginning of the internship. Click on the above link and press the Print button.


Internship Completion

To receive credit for your internship, you must write a final report which analyzes your internship experience. The length of the paper will depend on the number of credits earned and the type of work completed, from five to fifteen double-spaced pages.   For example, a three credit internship requires a five page paper.

The final paper should contain the following, not necessarily in this order:

1. A brief description of the job or position held and the objectives you completed.
2. A short history of the organization, its goals, the organizational structure and how your job contributed to the total operation.
3. An honest appraisal of your working relationship with your supervisor and co-workers.
4. How your work experience has been of benefit to you. For example, what educational experiences did the work environment provide that are not available in a classroom setting?
5. The relationship you see between your academic major and the job you performed.
6. Strengths and weaknesses you have discovered in yourself as a result of your internship experience.
7. How your experience has modified or confirmed your ideas and plans for a career, as well as your sense of workplace values.
8. Some specific objectives you would like to accomplish if you were to continue working in this organization.
9. How the English Department can be more responsive to your individual needs (additional courses, counseling services, other activities, etc.). Be specific.
10. Suggestions for faculty, the Internship Committee, and employers that might improve the internship experience.
11. Samples of your work from the internship project (attatched to your paper). 
12. Total number of hours worked and total wages paid during the internship.

A subjective discussion of both the positives and negatives of the internship experience is encouraged. To further your willingness to be candid, you are assured your comments will remain anonymous.

Your paper is considered academic work. Therefore, the committee expects it to meet the writing standards set by the English Department. You are expected to complete and turn in your paper by the end of the semester you finish your internship. Failure to do this will result in an "IF" on your transcript. If the paper is not received by the end of the following semester, the grade automatically becomes an "F."

At the end of your internship, your mentor completes an evaluation form of your job performance.

        English Department Internship Committee

Other Resources

Next, enter a city (or state) under "Additional Terms." Finally, change "Report Type" to whatever type of company it is you're looking for--be it publicly or privately owned. Then "Submit" your request and see what you come up with. Don't limit yourself to HASS internships, if you have an inclination towards business or graphic design, check them out as well. Jan Lyons can give you more tips about how to utilize LEXIS-NEXIS and the other links provided by Career Services.