internships [Syllabus respository]

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# Internships

This page provides a general outline of what I expect for a successful student internship that I supervise at CU Boulder. The details will be worked out on a case-by-case basis.

## Learning objectives

* Identify a critical, scholarly perspective that can inform a work experience
* Perform your internship to the satisfaction of your work supervisor
* Demonstrate the ability to integrate critical thinking and practical pedagogy

## One-on-one meetings

Arrange to meet with me two times: at the beginning to agree on a plan and after turning in the final report. This should ideally occur during my office hours, or by appointment. These meetings are an opportunity to discuss the ideas and motivations surrounding the internship, along with any challenges you face on the job. A meeting around the midterm assignment is optional if that would be helpful.

Be sure to turn assignments in at least 48 hours before we meet so I have time to review them.

## Journal

Each week during your internship, add an entry to a journal about the experience. At minimum, each entry should consist of two paragraphs:

  * What happened in the internship this week?
  * What reflections do you have on it, whether in terms of work experience or concepts you are reading about?

## Midterm: Book review

At the beginning, we will agree on two books that you will read during the internship that connect the experience to media studies scholarship. Books should be rigorous and critical, generally one academic-press book and one high-quality trade work of journalism or polemic.

Within one week of the midterm, you will turn in an approximately 1,300-word review of the first book, highlighting key insights and concerns, and reflecting on its relevance to the internship experience. How does the book resonate (or not) with your experience so far? Does anything you have experienced contradict the claims of the book? Be sure to demonstrate in-depth engagement with both the book's ideas and specific aspects of your experience.

## Final: Successor handbook

Before the last scheduled office hours the end of the term, you will turn in a handbook about how to carry out the internship for their successor in the role. It should include rigorous engagement with insights from the two books that you read. The length may vary depending on context, but a good target is about 2,000 words. Remember to format it appropriately and professionally.

If your employer is interested in having such a handbook for their purposes, we can discuss adjusting the assignment to help it better suit their needs. All the better if it can be useful beyond just the assignment.

## Employer evaluation

Please be sure that your internship is registered in the campus Handshake system, and that your employer completes the midterm and final evaluations there.

## Student responsibilities

Internships require extra work on the part of faculty, so it is your responsibility to ensure that all milestones are met. At the beginning, propose a set of deadlines and meeting times for the entire term, and expect to carry out your work without reminders.