Internships

Media Production and Studies INTERNSHIP COORDINATOR:
Dr. Lori Liggett

FORMS: 
Application for Approval of Internship (Internship forms)
Final Evaluation of Intern (Internship forms)

Overview - The Media Production and Studies Internship - MDIA 4890
Every MDIA Major is required to complete an appropriate and approved internship before graduating. The internship is a structured work experience that must have demonstrated educational value. Student-interns must gain supervised, practical media-related experience while working outside the classroom in a professional setting. 

Students must apply for and receive approval for their internship before they begin work. Credit is earned (S/U only) in MDIA 4890: Internship in Media Production and Studies. Media Production and Studies majors must complete a minimum of one (1) credit hour of MDIA 489 in order to graduate, but they may opt to complete up to a maximum of six (6) credit hours. One (1) credit hour requires the student to perform 100 hours of on-the-job internship work. Credit is usually earned in the semester of internship service, but may be granted in the following semester, especially if the internship extends over two terms.

It is the student's responsibility to contact companies, agencies, and organizations to apply for internships. While the MDIA does make internship information available via email, Canvas, and miscellaneous flyers, it does NOT arrange internships for individual students. 

Internship Requirements
In order to be eligible for graduation, Media Production and Studies students must complete the internship by adhering to the following guidelines:

1. MDIA 4890. To graduate every MDIA Major must successfully complete one (1) credit hour of MDIA 4890 (up to a maximum of six (6) credit hours). One (1) credit hour requires 100 hours of internship work. 
   
2. EDUCATIONAL VALUE. The internship is a structured professional experience that must have demonstrated educational value, with official approval being granted by the MDIA Internship Coordinator before the internship work begins. On the job, the professional supervisor will guide the intern's work progress, maintain appropriate contact with the MDIA Internship Coordinator, and provide a written evaluation of the intern's work and learning achievements. 
   
3. COMPENSATION. Interns may be paid a salary, expenses only, or serve voluntarily without pay, depending on the standard practice of the organization providing the internship opportunity. 
   
4. ADVANCED APPROVAL & REGISTRATION. To ensure proper guidelines and credit, policy does not permit students to receive credit retroactively for internships. Therefore, all internships must be approved by the MDIA Internship Coordinator and registered BEFORE the internship work begins. Approval is granted when the student submits the official Application for Approval of Internship form to the MDIA Internship Coordinator.
   
5. APPLICATION FOR APPROVAL OF INTERNSHIP. Before the internship begins, the student-intern and the professional supervisor must complete an Application for Approval of Internship. It is the student's responsibility to complete the form in its entirety, obtain all necessary signatures, attach an objective statement that explains the internship, and submit it for approval to the MDIA Internship Coordinator.
   
6. INTERNSHIP REPORT. All interns are required to write an Internship Report detailing their on-the-job learning experience. The MDIA Internship Coordinator will provide interns with the report requirements and deadlines after they have been registered for credit hours.
   
7. FINAL EVALUATION OF INTERN. In addition to the required Internship Report, interns must submit a written evaluation completed by their on-the-job internship supervisor. Interns and supervisors may download the Final Evaluation of Intern form and submit it to the MDIA Internship Coordinator after the intern has completed the required number of work hours. 
   
8. CREDIT GRANTED. Credit is earned (Satisfactory "S") when the student-intern has completed the required number of work hours; the internship supervisor's Final Evaluation of Intern form is obtained and indicates that the intern has completed all work requirements in a professional, satisfactory manner, and the student-intern submits the required Internship Report by the deadline (to be determined by the MDIA Internship Coordinator).
   

For more information about the MDIA internship process and internship opportunities - or to make internships available to qualified MDIA students, please email the MDIA Internship Coordinator, Dr. Liggett, at lorilig@bgsu.edu. Other available internships are posted by the School of Communication Studies and available through the BGSU Career Center.