Frequently Asked Questions
An internship is required for the Technical Communication BS or MS. Our most commonly asked questions and answers are listed below.
If I have industry experience in technical communication, must I complete an internship?
If you have industry experience in technical communication, you may petition to substitute elective credits in technical communication for the internship requirement (ENG 498 or ENG 698). For information about the petition process, consult with your advisor or the program coordinator.
Who arranges internships?
You are responsible for locating and arranging your internship, though faculty will assist you by suggesting promising leads, passing along advertised openings, or providing recommendations. Before registering for internship credits, your site supervisor, faculty supervisor, and you must review and approve the Internship Contract (within the Internship Forms section).
How do I choose a faculty supervisor for my internship?
You may ask any technical communication faculty member to supervise your internship; however, typically faculty supervise those interns who are focusing their research and training within the faculty member's areas of expertise. You will register for internship credits with this faculty member.
How many hours of work equal how many internship credits?
The general rule is that for each credit, you should plan to spend 3 hours of work weekly. Over the course of a 15-week semester, you should expect to spend about 45 hours (1 credit x 3 hours x 15 weeks) of work per credit.
In other words, for a 3-credit internship you should expect to spend a total of 135 hours working on appropriate tasks on the job or researching and reading on your own time. Your faculty supervisor will help you determine the appropriate credit hours for your internship based upon your internship duties and research and reporting responsibilities.
May I complete more than one internship?
You may complete multiple internships; however, a maximum of 6 credits of Internship (ENG 498 or 698) count toward the BS or the MS degrees.
May I delay signing up for the internship credits until some time after I've completed the internship duties?
No, you must register for internship credits during the time you are interning; however, internship duties (research & writing) may extend beyond the time of your employment or work at a particular site.
Who do I contact if I still have questions?
Please contact your advisor.
