BDCST 495
BROADCASTING INTERNSHIP INFORMATION
www.communication.wsu.edu/internship/
Professor in Charge: Glenn Johnson Phone: 335-3068 Email: galjohns@wsu.edu Office: Murrow East 205
Internship Coordinator: Email: commint@wsu.edu Phone: 335-7926 Office: Murrow East 227
COURSE DESCRIPTION:
BDCST 495 is designed for students who wish to intern in Broadcasting News, Broadcasting Production or Broadcasting Management (2-12 credits available).
REQUIREMENTS:
1. 2. 3. 4. Students must be certified in Communication. Students must have a minimum GPA of 2.7 in Communication courses. Students must do the internship during the semester they are registered. Students must have completed the following four courses: BDCST 350 (Introduction to Broadcasting) BDCST 355 OR 365 BDCST 455 OR 465 (with a minimum grade of B-) COM 415 (Communication Law)
CREDITS:
Students must pay tuition for the number of credits they receive for their internship. This also applies during the summer session, even if students are not registered for any course other than internship credit. As soon as you are registered for credits, your student account will be billed. You must be registered for a minimum of two internship credits. The number of credits for which you register must correspond with the number of hours you work. Since each internship credit is equal to 53.3 hours of work, the following equations have been rounded to the nearest hour. 2 3 6 9 12 credits credits credits credits credits = = = = = 107 160 320 480 640 hours of work hours of work hours of work hours of work hours of work
NOTE: the site supervisor and the student will determine the work schedule. FOR EXAMPLE, to acquire 160 hours of work, you may work 1 month at 40 hours per week, or 2 months at 20 hours per week, or 4 months at 10 hours per week.
HOW TO OBTAIN A BROADCASTING INTERNSHIP
1. If you are unfamiliar with internship site possibilities, you may contact Glenn Johnson (galjohns@wsu.edu OR 335-3068), and he will help you. But also consider finding an internship the same as finding a job. Check company web sites for opportunities; call and ask about their internships. 2. Contact several sites, so you’re sure to obtain one that you prefer. 3. Send the internship site a current resume and cover letter. VERIFY the spelling of names and organizations. Address the letter to a person and NOT ―To Whom It May Concern,‖ or ―Dear Madame/Sir.‖ BE CERTAIN THERE ARE NO TYPOS IN YOUR PACKET OF MATERIAL. This packet represents you (and the School). 4. Prepare to interview with the organization. Most organizations want to do a personal interview with the prospective intern. Sometimes these interviews can be conducted on the phone, but they usually prefer to meet you in person. 5. Write a ―Thank You‖ note to any internship site supervisor who interviews you—even if you don’t have an offer to intern there. 6. When a site accepts you as an intern, complete the on-line application form at www.communication.wsu.edu/internship/ or print the application attached at the end of this information, complete it and return to Glenn Johnson in Murrow 205. IF APPROVED, the School will register you for the credits you requested. 7. Write a ―Thank You‖ note to the site supervisor who accepts you as an intern. Verify your start and end dates and your job responsibilities. 8. If for some reason the internship site does not offer the experience you and the site representative had agreed on, please contact Glenn Johnson immediately. If the matter cannot be resolved, we will attempt to find you a more suitable site. 9. To receive a final grade, you must submit a typed report. The Assignment guidelines are on the next page or available from Glenn Johnson, Murrow 205. This is a Pass/Fail course. The report is due FRIDAY OF CLOSED WEEK during the semester you have enrolled for internship credit. The final grade will be recorded when your report is received. If you miss the Registrar’s deadline for filing grades (you can contact the Registrar’s Office to determine this), we will file an Incomplete as your grade. You have one year from the beginning of the semester you are enrolled for internship credits to complete all requirements. If at the end of one year’s time you have not completed all requirements, your grade will automatically be changed from an Incomplete to a Fail. 10. If you take an ―I,‖ you must submit your report AT LEAST TWO WEEKS before graduation deadlines to avoid complications. Contact the Registrar’s Office for graduation deadlines. 11. Write a ―Thank You‖ note to your site supervisor and to the head of the organization.
BDCST 495 ASSIGNMENT
GRADING: Students receive a Pass or Fail grade for the course based on the final report that is due at the completion of the internship. This report is due the Friday of Closed Week during the semester you have enrolled for internship credit. If the assignment is not completed by the end of the semester for which you have been registered for internship credit, you will receive an Incomplete for the course. INTERNSHIP REPORT CRITERIA: The student will demonstrate the depth and breadth of the professional internship experience by providing a report at the end of the internship. The report must include the following elements: 1. Keep a daily or weekly log of your experiences at the internship site. 2. Develop a station or organization profile, which includes information on the station/company, market, competition 3. Evaluate the Communication School’s curriculum as preparation for the internship. Did you feel prepared? What were your strengths and weaknesses in the internship? What experiences and training would you like to see more of? What classes helped you prepare for the internship? How did you stack up against other interns? 4. Evaluate the internship experience. How was the organization to work for? Tell the good and the bad—the information on stations and your evaluation of the internship is usually shared with future students.
Final Reports are due to Glenn Johnson’s mailbox the Friday of Closed Week during the semester you have enrolled for internship credit. If you are not in the Pullman area, you can mail your Final Report to: Glenn Johnson Edward R. Murrow College of Communication Washington State University PO Box 642520 Pullman, WA 99164-2520
BDCST 495 APPLICATION FORM
You can also fill out this application online at: www.communication.wsu.edu/internship/
Name __________________________________________ Student ID# __________________ Email: _____________________________________ School phone #: ___________________ School mailing address: _________________________________________________________ Permanent mailing address: ______________________________________________________ Permanent phone number: _________________________ Who is your advisor? _____________________________ Are you certified? Yes No Semester you wish to intern? Fall Spring Summer Year you wish to intern? _________
Number of internship credits you wish to enroll for (2 – 12)? ____ (1 credit = 53.3 hrs work) Please check which sequence you are enrolled in? _____ Advertising _____ Broadcasting _____ Communication _____ Communication Studies _____ Journalism _____ Public Relations If you are in Broadcasting, please circle which area? Broadcasting News Broadcasting Production
Broadcasting Management
If you are in Broadcasting, please check those courses you have taken (or will have taken) prior to doing the internship: _____ BDCST 350 _____ BDCST 355 _____ BDCST 365 _____ BDCST 455 _____ BDCST 465 _____ COM 415
If you have found an internship already, please fill out the following: Company Name: _________________________________ Phone: ______________________ Company mailing address: ______________________________________________________ Company email: _________________________________ Fax: ________________________ Supervisor’s name/title: _________________________________________________________ Supervisor’s phone# __________________________ Email: ___________________________
I agree that I will perform in a professional manner and follow the instructions and policies of the organization where I will be interning. My site supervisor also must complete a file and an evaluation report. This must be done in a satisfactory manner before credit will be granted. I understand that I must do the internship during the semester for which I am enrolled, that I must work the number of hours for which I am earning credit, and that if I drop or fail to pay tuition fees, I will be dismissed from the internship program and the on-site supervisor will be notified that I am no longer with WSU. I also realize that my GPA in Communication courses must be at least 2.7 to qualify for an internship. Signature: ________________________________________________ Date: ____________________