Stevenson University

Internships for English Majors

Internship requirements
ENG 420

English majors on the Writing Track (ENGWR) are required to complete a three hour internship (or Co-op) as part of their major requirements. For Literature track majors (ENGLL) an internship is optional. ENG 420 is generally taken during the junior or senior year.

Course Description

Internships are credited opportunities for (paid or unpaid) career-related work experience related to a student's area of study. Internships are arranged on an individual basis to match students' career goals and interests with employers' needs. Internships require a minimum of 120 hours at the employer's site plus an internship journal and written work evaluating the position and experience. Internships are arranged through the Office of Cooperative Education and a supervising faculty a semester prior to the planned experience. Prerequisites: Third year status; permission of Department Chair; and GPA of 2.5 with a minimum of 2.75 in major courses. Grading pass/fail. 3 credits.

Learning Objectives

An Internship at Stevenson University will provide students with the opportunity to: Integrate Academic content and work experience; Demonstrate competency in the skill sets relevant to the work experience; Pracic professional and ethical behavior in the work setting.

Eligibility

Students must have a 2.75 GPA in English and an overall 2.5 GPA in order to participate in an internship. Students are responsible for visiting the Stevenson Internship website, for meeting with the director of Internships at Career HQ, and for locating and applying for an appropriate internship position. (See How to apply.) Students who wish to participate in an internship must have a personal conference with the English Department Chair before registering for the course to determine placement and goals.

Requirements

1. Students must have turned in to the department chair a signed Program Agreement for their internship prior to the first day of registration for the semester in which the internship will be performed. The contract is signed by the student, the site supervisor, and the faculty supervisor.
   
2. Students must complete 120 hours of internship experience. The site supervisor should oversee their hours and certify the total count.
   
3. Students will meet with the faculty internship supervisor and other interns two or three times before and during the internship semester. Times to be arranged.
   
4. All students will be visited on-site by the faculty internship supervisor. During this visit (approximately one-half hour). the student will show the faculty supervisor around the site, describe his or her responsibilities, and meet with the site supervisor. The student is responsible for arranging the date and making sure that the site supervisor will be available for part of the visit.
   
5. Students will prepare and present a poster for the University community, illustrating their internship experience. Posters should be professional. Descriptions, pictures, and samples of work should be presented neatly and labeled clearly. During the poster display, students should be prepared to speak informally and answer questions about their internship experience. Time to be arranged.
   
6. Students must turn in the following items by the assigned dates:
   
   
   • A Program Agreement Form (due the semester before the internship begins);
   • An Internship Position Description from the employer;
   • A project proposal and statement of learning objectives, due before the internship begins. (Instructions available from Department Chair);
   • An Internship Attendance Sheet (a tally of hours, signed by site supervisor);
   • A complete and up-to-date résumé;
   • A daily reflective journal (Instructions available from Department Chair);
   • Internship Report—A 5-8 page paper describing and evaluating your internship experiences. (Instructions available from Department Chair);
   • A Student Internship Evaluation (form);
   • An Employer’s Evaluation of Intern (form);
   • Portfolio of writing and work samples;
   • Material for Poster Presentation of Internship experience.
     
7. Material should be presented in a folder or binder at the end of the internship experience. The faculty internship supervisor will retain the internship description, the student internship evaluation, and the employer’s evaluation of the intern. The rest of the material will be evaluated (pass/fail) and returned to the student.