Preparing “Final Materials” for Completing an Internship in Communication Studies.

Once a student has completed the required number of hours for the internship (at least 135 on-site hours for credit bearing internships or 65 hours for approved but non-credit internships), the intern should prepare and submit to the internship (faculty) sponsor the following materials:

• An Internship Portfolio. The “Portfolio” should be in the form of a folder or notebook and should contain the following materials:
  • Hardcopy of a one paragraph abstract describing the internship formatted to match descriptions posted on the COMM department web site. (This abstract must also be submitted electronically to the COMM Internship Coordinator for use on the department’s web site.)
  • The signed internship contract approved at the start of the internship.
  • Hardcopy of the internship log listing work dates, brief daily task descriptions, and hours worked by date.
  • Any materials the intern has created or worked on during the internship (or descriptions of such materials where appropriate) in tangible form that the intern has been able to collect and which can be shared with the faculty sponsor. Such materials may be in the form of hardcopy or electronic files on CD or other format and should be organized, labeled and described in ways that make clear what kind of work was accomplished during the internship.
  • The performance evaluation form completed at the end of the internship by the student’s site supervisor.
  • Hardcopy of a professionally written “press release” concerning the internship experience. (This press release must also be submitted electronically to the COMM Internship Coordinator for use on the department’s web site or for public distribution.)  Sample Press Release - Halpin   |  Sample Press Release - Mier
  • A “Self Reflection and Evaluation Essay” written by the intern following completion of the experience and containing the following sections:

  1. An overview of the internship experience highlighting the most significant activities during the experience.
  2. A review of the “learning goals” defined in the internship contract, assessing the degree to which each was accomplished (or not) and noting other kinds of learning experienced during the internship not included in the original learning goals.
  3. An evaluation of how COMM and Monmouth College courses and other experience helped prepare the student for the internship (or left the student under-prepared)
  4. A reflection section discussing personal outcomes from the internship. These outcomes should address such questions as:
         * What did you learn about yourself during the internship?
         * What have you discovered you are good at? Dislike? Need to improve upon?
         * How did the internship change or reinforce your career goals? Personal goals?

• A one paragraph Abstract describing the internship, formatted to match descriptions posted on the COMM department web site (see above). This abstract must also be submitted electronically to the COMM Internship Coordinator.
• A professionally written “Press Release” concerning the internship experience (see above). This press release must also be submitted electronically to the COMM Internship Coordinator for use on the department’s web site or for public distribution.
• A “Poster” for public presentation of the internship experience must be submitted to the COMM Internship Coordinator. This poster should be viewed as the equivalent of the kinds of posters science majors use to present the results of their senior research projects. This poster may be used on Mentoring Day or Scholars day as a visual representation of the student intern’s experience and should be designed to be clear when it stands alone or to serve as a visual aid for conversations between the intern and interested parties.
  
  The poster should be submitted on a standard size poster board (approximately 22” x 28” or larger) or the equivalent. While the format for the poster can vary depending on the nature of the experience and the student’s preferences, the following elements should usually be included: a title for the internship, the intern’s name, the name and location of the internship site (sponsoring organization), the name and title of the internship site supervisor, on-site dates, a description (paragraph) of activities performed during the internship, a list of “learning outcomes,” photos of the internship site, activities, or of the intern “in action.”  If you prefer, you may submit your poster in the form of a PowerPoint slide suitable for printing on the large format printer in the Physics Department in HT.  (This is the method most commonly used by science students creating posters of their senior research projects.)  Instructions for creating and printing posters on the large format printer are found here.