UMD Department of Composition and Department of English Internship Program

Obtaining your internship

Once you've established your eligibility and at least begun to assemble the materials listed in Steps 2-6 of Planning for your internship you're ready to actually seek your internship.

 

Step 1:
Contact the Internship Coordinator to discuss the possible internship sites that will best fit your interests. You may want to look at potential internship sites on this Web site to get some ideas, but don't contact any of the sites directly at this point.
Step 2: After you've discussed the best internship opportunities with the Internship Coordinator, you're ready to contact one or more companies or organizations. Make an initial contact with each by phone, e-mail, or letter, and ask for an opportunity to interview for an internship.
Step 3: Prepare a package of materials before each interview. It should consist of:
  • Your resume, targeted to the company or organization
  • A list of your learning objectives
  • Three academic writing samples (with the course and instructor's name indicated)
  • A copy of your current transcript from UMD's registrar's office or an unofficial, computer-generated transcript.
Step 4: Take these materials to each interview, along with a copy of the Placement Agreement and the Evaluation Forms. This will help you explain what is asked of your supervisor during the internship.
Step 5: If the host company or organization offers you an internship, fill in the appropriate areas on the Placement Agreement and ask the host supervisor to complete and sign the agreement. Note that your host will be listing specific tasks that will be required of you during your internship, and that you must fill in exact dates for your mid-term and final evaluations. This is also the time to discuss the hours and duration of your internship, and whether or not this will be a paid or unpaid internship. Then take the signed placement agreement to the Internship Coordinator, who will file it with other materials about your internship.
Step 6:

Register for course credits for the internship by obtaining a magic number from the Internship Coordinator. The following will help you determine the number of credits you should register for:

  • 60-hour internship (4 hrs/wk for 15 weeks or equivalent) = 1 credit
  • 120-hour internship (8 hrs/wk for 15 weeks or equivalent) = 2 credits
  • 160-hour internship (12 hrs/wk for 15 weeks or equivalent) = 3 credits

 

Contact the Departments of Composition and English Internship Coordinator at pwjengl@d.umn.edu for additional information.