Media studies majors may do up to two internships for credit as MDIA electives, if they meet the application requirements and complete the on and off-campus internship elements as specified. A second internship for credit must be with a different organization than the first internship. Internship course enrollment is limited to students majoring or minoring in Media Studies. 

Here are some guidelines to keep in mind as you pursue your internship. If you do not have an internship in mind, you should contact CUA's Career Services office in the Pryzbyla Center. Notices also go out regularly over the department listserv. Many students also land internships by directly visiting organizations' websites, and by searching sources such as InternMatch, Internships.com and even Craigslist. Internships (especially the best ones) are often very competitive, and may require interviews, portfolios, and some amount of administrative paperwork.  Start the application process the semester before you intend to intern. If you have any questions, contact us at x5601. 

• To be eligible for an internship the student must have satisfactorily completed MDIA 201 and MDIA 202 and have a cumulative 2.75 GPA or higher. Students are permitted to pursue for-credit internships during their junior and senior years (or as early as the summer before junior year).
• The student is responsible for identifying and making contact with the organization and fulfilling any application procedures that it may require. Once the internship is secured, email Dr. Akhavan at akhavan@cua.edu to notify her of your intention to take the intership for credit.
• The student should then discuss her/his plans with the department's acting internship course instructor (see Cardinal Station for the slated MDIA495 instructor) and submit two letters:
  • One from the student, describing the internship and his or her goals and expectations
  • A second from the internship site, from an internship supervisor. This second letter must do several things:

    (1) The supervisor must acknowledge the Media Studies Department's expectations as described on this page and state that the internship complies with the terms set forth under the Fair Labor Standards Act, as described on the U.S. Department of Labor's internship fact sheet.

    (2) The supervisor must outline the responsibilities and hours involved for the intern.

    (3) The supervisor must agree to supply an end-of-term written evaluation.

• If the internship requires a letter certifying eligibility for credit, the department will provide one. The work done during the internship must include substantial responsibilities in the field sufficient to justify awarding of academic credit. As a rough guideline, the internship should involve 170 hours of work during the course of the 15 week semester.
  

• Once satisfactory letters are received, the student will be given permission to register for MDIA 495, the academic component of the internship. The student then registers her/himself for the appropriate course. The student must be registered during the semester in which the internship is performed in order to receive credit.