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At Westfield State College, the English Department has incorporated a variety of internship positions into the undergraduate program. Students are encouraged to make room for these substantial work experiences as part of the elective credit hours torward their degree. Whether the concentration chosen under English major is Literature, Theatre or Writing, the internship is an invaluable part of the student's future employment prospects.
DESCRIPTION
In English, an internship is generally a work experience involving writing and editing news releases, brochures, interviews, programs, newsletters and advertisements. It may also include or focus upon research, accounting, managerial and interpersonal skills, or those talents special to a student's field of concentration, such as theatre arts.
Most of the participating employers are nearby. Having a car is convenient but not essential since students can use the bus for commuting. A few examples of specific companies, agencies and organizations cooperating with the department's program are:
APPLICATION
Internships are available during fall, spring, and summer. Applications should be made during the registration period of the semester before the one in which students want the position. Students with strong academic records and recommendations may make an appointment with the faculty internship coordinator, Dr. Emily B. Todd, who places students in available positions best matching their specific talents, qualifications, and interests.
For many students, the second semester of their junior year or either semester of their senior year is a good time for an internship because they have the required courses and developed skills in literary analysis and critical writing. Other courses which help prepare for an internship include: Business and Technical Writing, Journalism I, News Editing, Feature Writing, Writing About the Arts, and Advanced Writing Techniques in the English Curriculum, as well as introductory courses in business, communications, computer science, and graphics.
ACADEMIC CREDIT
Students may earn from three to twelve academic credits for the internship, depending upon their own schedules and the needs of the cooperating organization where they are working. In keeping with campus policy, eight hours of work experience for fifteen weeks (i.e. 120 hours) constitutes the equivalent of three academic credits.
Grades are based upon evaluations provided by the internship cooperating employer and by the faculty coordinator of the program. Students keep portfolios of their written work, turn in weekly progress reports and write final reports for the faculty coordinator.
BENEFITS
The internship provides a link between the classroom and the marketplace. It is a rewarding and revealing opportunity that pragmatically reinforces writing skills and critical thinking habits acquired in the major. Internships not only afford specific learning situations for students, which can be cited on a resume, but also broaden the students' whole experience by exposing them to a new and current application of their training.
Here are a few represenative comments from Westfield State English majors who have completed internships:
Page last updated 05/05/04
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