English internship opportunities
The
English Internship
Revised September 2007
The English Internship is a
bridge between the university and the workplace. It offers you the
opportunity to discover the practical application of the skills you’ve
acquired in writing, critical thinking, editing, oral communication,
literary analysis, and research. And it lets you test whether a career
in publishing, journalism, public relations, or business is right for
you before you accept that important first job after college.
Nationwide, employers
emphasize the importance of internships; indeed, a significant number of
employers—34%—report that they specifically look for internship
experience on the resume of job applicants. And a letter of
recommendation from the supervisor of your internship can be invaluable
in landing the job you want.
Eligibility
If you’re interested in the
English Internship, you should first meet with Dr. Carl Behm, who
coordinates the program. Dr. Behm may be reached by e-mail (cbehm@towson.edu)
or by telephone (410-704-3600). His office is in Linthicum Hall, 201-F.
To be eligible for an internship, you must
-
be an English major or
minor (though students in other majors may register with special
permission from Dr. Behm);
-
have junior or senior
standing;
-
have successfully
completed a minimum of three upper-level English courses at Towson
University, preferably including an upper-level expository writing
course;
-
have a 2.7 cumulative
GPA at Towson University or obtain a waiver of this requirement from
Dr. Behm.
Selecting and Registering for an Internship
Students eligible for the internship should meet with Glenda Henkel
in the Career Center. You may make an appointment by contacting Ms.
Henkel by e-mail (ghenkel@towson.edu) or by telephone (410-704-2932).
Ms. Henkel will assist you with your internship placement. You may
choose from dozens of approved internships or you may “self-select” your
internship subject to Dr. Behm’s approval.
You may register for ENGL 497 at any time, either before or after you
finalize your placement. You will need a permission code, which you may
obtain from Susan Weininger, administrative assistant in the English
Department office. Be sure to have Dr. Behm’s approval; Ms. Weininger
will not issue a permit without his authorization.
Requirements and Grading
The Internship employs
Satisfactory/Unsatisfactory grading. To earn the grade of S, you must do
all of the following:
-
earn at least a
satisfactory rating from the job supervisor;
-
work a minimum of 108
hours;
-
complete all of the
requirements of the Career Center;
-
update Dr. Behm
regularly throughout the semester, either in person or by e-mail;
-
arrange for Dr. Behm to
visit you at the job site, preferably no later than midsemester;
-
complete the following
written requirements and submit them to Dr. Behm no later than the
last day of classes for the semester. The quality of the reports
must be judged at least satisfactory (C).
-
a first report (to
be submitted after you have completed approximately 20 hours on
the job) that details your responsibilities, the nature of the
supervision provided by your employer, and any problems you have
encountered (see the attached form);
-
a report based on an
interview with your supervisor that examines his or her views on
the profession and his or her educational and career history in
light of your own aspirations;
-
a report on a book
or journal recommended by your supervisor as important in the
field;
-
a final report
describing and evaluating your internship experience (see the
attached form).
First Report
-
Your name, student ID
number, address, telephone number(s), and e-mail address:
-
Your employer’s name and
address:
Your supervisor’s name,
position, and telephone number:
-
Your work schedule (days
and hours):
-
Your duties and
responsibilities (describe in detail):
-
Your learning goals:
-
Nature of supervision:
-
Initial impressions:
Problems, or potential
problems?
Suggestions you would like me to mention to your supervisor?
Is the internship experience everything you had hoped it would be so
far?
Final Report
The Final Report is an
important requirement of the English Internship. It should describe in
detail the work you did and the things you learned. It should contain
examples of your work and discuss them in the context of your training.
Finally, it should evaluate the experience and make suggestions for
improving the internship experience.
These are the specific
requirements:
-
Due date: No later than
the last day of classes.
-
Length: A minimum of
five double-spaced, typed pages, exclusive of examples.
-
Contents:
-
Description of your
duties, with examples of your work;
-
Analysis of this
on-the-job experience in terms of your professional growth;
-
Comments on the
nature of and value of the supervision you had;
-
An appendix of
examples of your work (when appropriate), containing any
published work, letters, press releases, and unpublished work.
Please submit the report—in
hard copy—to Dr. Behm in Linthicum 201-F. If Dr. Behm is not available,
please give your report to a secretary in the English Department offices
in the 218 wing of Linthicum Hall.
Questions
If you have any questions, do not hesitate to contact Dr. Behm, either
by telephone (410-704-3600) or by e-mail (cbehm@towson.edu).
PDF Version:
ENGL 497 Internship (PDF)
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