Information for:
Internships:
English 498/504-Internships in Writing and Editing
This course offers you the chance to undertake writing or editing at an organization of your choice. To enroll, you must first find an organization willing to welcome you as an intern who will be working an average of 10 hours per week over the entire semester. Your primary responsibilities to that organization will be some combination of writing, editing, research and analysis. Think of this course as the chance to try your hand at writing for a particular organization that interests you or in a particular niche industry that you'd like to learn more about. If you have no contacts in that organization or industry, you'd be surprised how many places are willing to take on an intern who is professional and organized in his or her initial contacts with them. If you would like to learn more about available resources for finding an internship, contact the English Department at 703.993.1160. The department will put you in touch with the appropriate faculty internship director.
Most internships are unpaid, although occasionally organizations provide a small stipend to offset costs of transportation. Most internships are taken for 3 credits. Occasionally an internship is offered for 6 credits: at these sites interns work 20 hours per week, and the tasks and responsibilities are more challenging than for a 3 credit internship.
It's best to begin your search and discuss your plans with the internship coordinator the semester before you plan to take the internship. At any stage of your planning, however, you are welcome to contact the internship coordinator.
Once you have secured a site for your internship, you'll need to meet with and submit a proposal to Prof. Lawrence. The procedure for enrolling in English 498 or 504 is this:
- If you have not already met with Prof. Lawrence, schedule a meeting with her.
- Submit a proposal: it may be submitted via email and should include the following material:
- an overview of the internship: the organization, a description of your tasks and responsibilities as an intern, the start and end dates, and hours per week.
- a discussion of your experience as a writer: this may include writing done in course work, in extracurricular activities, or in jobs or other internships.
- a discussion of of your main strengths and weaknesses as a writer
- a discussion of your goals in taking on the internship, including how you expect the internship to draw on your strengths and address your weaknesses.
- *Complete* contact information for your site supervisor: name, title, US mail address, email address, phone number.
Please keep in mind that the proposal is a sample of your professional writing.
- If your proposal is approved, the internship coordinator will notify you, saying you've been cleared to register for English 498 (or, in the case of graduate students, 504). You will then need to go into PatriotWeb and do so.
The internship coordinator will then contact your site supervisor and you'll receive a syllabus for the internship course. For the course, you will
-- Meet monthly with the internship coordinator
-- Keep a journal, submitting entries about every 2 weeks
-- Develop and maintain a portfolio of your writing and editing during the internship.
-- Submit an end-of-term reflection and portfolio
Your supervisor at work will evaluate your work at mid-term and at the end of the term; the evaluation will include a grade. The overall course grade is synthesized from the site supervisor's grade, the journal entries, the reflection, and the portfolio. If you have questions or seek more information, contact Prof. Susan Lawrence.