CM 809
Internship Requirements
Fall and spring semester interns are required to intern at least 200 hours during the semester to earn 4 units. Two-unit internships require a minimum of 100 hours. Please note: Students do not meet in the classroom for this course. (Although your schedule will read: Fridays 1:00-2:00, that’s just a placeholder.)
Eligible Organizations
Students may choose to intern at a company, public relations, advertising, media, or integrated marketing firm, non-profit organization, or governmental organization. To be eligible for a Boston University internship, participating organizations (sponsors) must provide an overview of the goals and objectives for each internship project as well as a detailed description of the intern’s duties and responsibilities. Sponsors must designate a supervisor who will provide ongoing direction, support, and guidance to the intern.
Paperwork
Each student must complete an internship contract prior to the start of their internship. The Faculty Internship Professor will add you to the course once your internship contract has been submitted and approved (you cannot register yourself for this course). Supervisors must complete a detailed, formal evaluation at the end of the semester. (The Faculty Internship Professor will work directly with your supervisor to obtain this.) The supervisor evaluation represents a major portion of the student grade. Final grades are awarded on a pass/fail basis. You will receive a copy of your supervisor’s evaluation.
Compensation
Sponsors are encouraged but not required to compensate interns for their services.
Internship Report
All students are required to submit a detailed internship report at the end of the semester. If you complete your internship requirements early, you may submit your report via Blackboard upon completion. All internship reports must be submitted no later than 5 p.m. on the last day of classes.
Grades
This is a pass/fail course. Grades are determined by the quality of the end-of-semester internship report and the final evaluation submitted by the internship supervisor.
Problems and Concerns
Most internships include a short “getting-up-to-speed” period in the beginning. Many also include some administrative work, which should be accepted as part of the learning experience. However, if you find yourself with little meaningful work to do or spending most of your time on administrative or clerical tasks, notify your Faculty Internship Professor immediately. Please be sure to bring any problems and concerns to your Faculty Internship Coordinator’s attention, as early in the semester as possible, otherwise, we may not have time to address the problem.
International students must obtain approval from BU ISSO in addition to submitting a completed contract.