Internships

Although we do not require internships for the major, the Communication Department encourages our majors to complete at least one internship before graduation.

Pitt Communication majors have a great reputation, and have completed internships all over Pittsburgh and the surrounding areas! Our majors have worked in a variety of fields, including radio, television, film, marketing, public relations, non-profit organizations, and journalism.

Internship Resources:

  1. The University of Pittsburgh offers all students who complete their internship prep program a guaranteed internship. For more information, please see Student Affairs.
  2. The Communication Department maintains our own list of opportunities as they become available on the following platforms:
    1. LinkedIn Group
    2. Monthly Newsletter (Subscribe here!)
    3. Instagram (@pittcommrc)
  3. Career Services lists internships (and jobs!) on their Handshake site (login required).
  4. Our department offers an external communication internship, which you can find information about here. 

Starting your Internship:

  1. Work with your internship supervisor to fill out the Internship Agreement Form and bring it to a Communication advisor.
  2. Your advisor will make sure that your internship, if it is unpaid, conforms to the Department of Labor guidelines.
  3. We have a letter to send to your internship site to make them aware of the Department of Labor guidelines and Pitt's for internships. You can find it here.
  4. Students earning credits for internships will be automatically added to an internship Canvas site. That site will lay out the academic assignments for the semester. 
  5. Work at your internship and attend the Internship Seminar
  6. Have your internship supervisor complete the Internship Evaluation form at the end of your internship. This completed form should be uploaded to Canvas.

Requirements:

To be eligible for an internship, a student must:

  • Have an overall GPA of at least 2.5
  • Have completed at least 36 credits, including at least 2 Communication courses
  • Have your internship approved by a Communication advisor

Interns should work about 40 hours TOTAL per academic credit. (A 3-credit internship should require about 120 hours of work total at the internship site.) Internships that do not conform to the Department of Labor’s guidelines for unpaid internships should be paid. The Communication Department does accept paid internships for credit.

Evaluation and Grading

Internships are graded on a S/NC (Satisfactory/No Credit) basis. Grades are determined based on internship evaluation forms and Internship Seminar participation. For more information, please see the syllabus for the Internship Seminar.

How do internship credits fit into my graduation plan?

Internships do not count as 1000-level credits for the major. Instead, internships count as elective credits towards graduation. Students can count up to 12 S/NC (Satisfactory/No Credit) credits toward graduation

For more information, please email a Communication advisor at dmmolina@pitt.edu or guthrie@pitt.edu.