Clayton State University
Experiential Learning (Internship)

The Role of this Course in the CMS Degree Program

CMS 3901 is the principal "experiential learning" component of the program and is normally taken during the second semester of the junior year or the first semester of the senior year.  The placement site will be a professional work environment related to the career goals of the individual student.  Placement may be with for-profit, not-for-profit, or governmental entities as appropriate.  Intern supervisors in collaborating businesses or agencies must agree to create and supervise meaningful experiences that will allow student interns to observe and participate in job-related projects and activities that bear directly on the challenges of the contemporary workplace.

Course Goals

The internship is a required class in the CMS BA program and supports the seventh of the program's learning outcomes: "Exhibit readiness to enter a communication- or media-related career through successful completion of an appropriate internship."

Course Requirements

Each student is responsible for obtaining his/her own internship.  All final arrangements must be made through Ms. Bridgette McDonald (bridgettemcdonald@clayton.edu), with the approval of the Communication and Media Studies Coordinator. In addition,

  1. You must have identified an appropriate internship site, completed all necessary paperwork, and obtained the required approvals (see above) no later than the end of the first week of the semester.
  2. You must spend a total of 150 hours during the semester engaged in activities associated with their internship.  This means an average of 10 hours per week during fall or spring semesters or and average of 16 hours per week during the summer semester.
  3. You must activate your "csu" account, and you should check it at least twice each week. I will be sending important messages to the class via that account. You can send me your journal reports via any e-mail account that you have as long as it is capable of sending MS Word attachments. I will return your graded reports via your CSU account.
  4. Success in CMS 3901 demands a basic level of computer skill.  CMS 3901 requires that you are able to send and receive e-mail; that you have a basic understanding of word processing, including how to send an MS Word file via e-mail; that you are able to access and use Internet resources; and that you have a basic understanding of file management.  If you do not possess these skills prior to entry into the course, then you should enroll in an appropriate workshop offered by the Hub.
  5. Journal Entries:  You must submit journal reports describing in detail your internship activities for the reporting period.  At a minimum, each entry should include 2-4 (double-spaced) pages of narrative description of activities, assignments, projects, meetings, etc. (including the time spent in these activities), plus up to two pages of reflection on how your activities relate to your learning objective, your overall career goals, and to courses/experiences you have had at CSU.  Each report must be a double-spaced Word document sent to me by e-mail attachment.  Failure to submit reports in a timely manner will result in a lowering of the final course grade (depending on the severity of the problem).
  6. Final Journal Report:  At the end of the semester, you must turn in an overall summary of and final reflection upon your learning through the internship experience.  This Final Report must be submitted in hard copy.  It will be kept as part of your Communication and Media Studies Program file.  To ensure against loss or other delivery breakdowns, be sure to keep copies of all your journal entries, including the Final Report.
  7. If necessary, you will be responsible for ensuring that your internship supervisor returns the "Employer Evaluation Form" so that the final course grade can take this information into account.

Course Grading

45% = Content and timely submission of the journal reports

30% = Final Report

25% = Your internship supervisor's report ("Employer Evaluation Form")

Failure to submit the journal entries or the Final Journal Report will result in a course grade no higher than D.  Failure to submit  any reports of any kind will result in a course grade of F (your internship supervisor's evaluation notwithstanding).

Instructions for the Reports

Due dates:  In spring 2010, the three reports are due Feb. 1, March 1, and April 1.

Format:  An MS Word document sent to me as an attachment to an e-mail; no more than six double-spaced pages; professional appearance; standard margins; 12 point standard font (Times New Roman for example); no cover.

Writing Skills:  Will count as 20% of the report grade so proofread carefully. You are submitting a formal report, so pay attention to format, punctuation, and sentence structure.  In extreme case, poor writing skills can be the basis for required enrollment in non-credit WLAB 2999 in your next semester of enrollment.

Required Content in the Reports

  1. Your name and date
  2. The site of your internship, your role in that setting (including your job title if applicable).
  3. A description of your activities, assignments, projects, meetings, etc., organized in the units of work that you are engaged in (days or weeks), including a summary of the amount of time, in hours, you spent for each of those units.
  4. Total number of hours that you spent cumulatively on the internship.  This number will increase with each report and include the number of hours for the report period as well as all previous report periods.
  5. Reflection on your activities.  In this section you should relate your activities to other classes that you have taken in your degree program as well as  your career goals and/or learning objectives. 

Instructions for the Final Report

Due Date: May 3.

Format: The final report should be submitted in hard copy; no more than 10 double-spaced spaced pages; professional appearance; standard margins; 12 point standard font (Times New Roman, for example); no cover except perhaps a title page. Appendices or other exhibits--if desired--may be attached, but will not count toward the ten-page maximum. Do NOT attach or otherwise re-submit your previous weekly reports; I have those already.

Writing Skills: Will count for 20% of the Report grade--and, thus, a significant part of your grade in CMS 3901--so proofread carefully. In extreme cases, poor writing skills on this important professional-level project can be the basis for required co-enrollment in non-credit WLAB 2999 in your next semester of enrollment.

Required Content in the Final Report

Your name and the semester of your enrollment

A paragraph or two summarizing the location of your internship and describing your role and main duties in that setting (including your job title, if applicable)

A summary of the total number of hours you devoted to your internship (including any hours not previously reported). If this total is not at least in the range of 140-150 hours, explain why.

A paragraph or two reviewing how and why you selected this particular internship, including the reasons why you hoped it would help you advance toward your academic and career goals

A re-listing of your Experiential Learning Objectives and the specific activities you’d originally planned for each Objective (from your original contract through the Experiential Learning office). Under each Objective discuss how well you think your intern experience helped you meet that Objective. Discuss which of the originally planned activities best helped you reach each Objective, and explain how/why.

Your final, overall reflections and explanations (most important of all). Use the following as a starting point:

  • What you learned about yourself and about your academic and career goals through this internship;
  • What (if anything) may have changed in your career goals as a result of this internship;
  • What specific aspects or activities of your intern experience most influenced the above self-assessments;
  • If you could start this internship all over again, what you would want to change, and why;
  • Any other final reflections or observations you think are important.