Writing Internships

Three credits of English 4410, a Writing Internship, is required for all Professional Writing English majors. Other students can get credit for internships as well. For assistance in finding and conducting the internship, please contact Thomas Klein, after reviewing the following guidelines.

Basic Requirements and Guidelines

The internship takes place in some professional setting, which can be a university office, a business, or even an online publisher. It may be paid or unpaid. The student finds someone in that setting who is willing to act as internship supervisor and with their help creates a proposal in the semester before the internship. In addition, the student should identify an English professor who can serve as the instructor of record (we can also help find someone to serve in this role).

This proposal is then submitted either to the Director of Undergraduate Studies (during the school year) or to the Chair of English & Philosophy (during holidays or summer), who either approves or suggests changes. Once the proposal is approved, a section of English 4410 is opened for the student.

During the internship, the student keeps a log of hours worked and a portfolio of materials written or revised. 25 hours of work are required for each credit of the internship; usually, students propose 3-credit internships with 75 hours. An internship may be continued over several semesters, up to six credits, and students may use several different sites and projects (each requiring a separate proposal).

To get credit at the end of the semester, the student submits the following materials:

1. a brief description of the internship experience;
2. a report from the supervisor describing the internship;
3. the log of hours worked;
4. the portfolio of written materials.

The grade is entered as either S or U. If the internship is not completed in the timeframe of the semester, the grade is entered as an I; the student then has one year to complete the internship before the I is converted to an F.

Writing the Proposal

The internship proposal should be a formal document which details the terms of the internship. It should include the following:

• Background—describe the internship location, supervisor, number of credits / hours intended, and rationale for doing the project.
• Objective—describe the intended outcome of the internship. What specific product or outcome will the internship generate?
• Procedure—describe how the internship will be conducted. What kind of work will be done, and how will you be supervised?
• Preparation & Career Goals—describe how your own background and preparation is appropriate for this internship, and what benefits the internship may yield.

For a sample of a Writing Internship proposal, see Model Proposal.

Finding an Internship

Think of the internship as an opportunity to expand your professional contacts or gain experience. It can take place in many different forms and contexts, as long as it involves some kind of supervised writing in a professional setting. Some internships occur within the university; others in business, non-profits, government or even online. It is possible that you already know someone or work in a place where you could do an internship. ISU's Career Center often gets requests from employers looking for interns.

Below we have listed some of the sites where students have conducted successful internships, both inside and outside the university, in the last several years.

Within ISU

• College of Education
• Writing and editing magazine articles, press releases, and other college stories
• College of Arts and Letters, Dean’s Office
• Writing feature articles about “leveling up” in CAL programs, focusing on prospective students
• Marketing Office in the College of Education
• Writing articles, informational material, and social media plans
• ISU’s Honors Program
• Editing monthly newsletter; creating a guide to the honors thesis and peer mentoring manual
• Department of Student Affairs
• Creating a handbook for interns in the Student Affairs Office
• TAP Center, College of Technology
• Establishing design standards for TAP manual; interviewing peer mentors in TAP

Outside ISU

• Idaho State Journal
• Researching and writing investigative news articles
• Farm Bureau Insurance
• Reviewing insurance contract claim language; shadowing claim adjuster
• Independent Living Specialists
• Editing and revising policy manual
• Gateway Transitional Care Center
• Writing and maintaining social media sites, brochures, and handouts
• Lewis and Clark Elementary School
• Writing grant proposals and school newsletters
• 208 Real Estate Group
• Serving as content creator for company’s blog and website
• Gold’s Gymn, I.F.
• Drafting and revising a sales team’s script when making marketing calls
• Dreamscarred Press
• Writing a series of articles for an interactive storytelling website
• Black Rock & Sage
• Writing a handbook for the creation of a journal