Applications for Summer 2023 and Fall 2023 internships will be accepted beginning April 3.
SUMMER
The deadline to apply for Summer 2023 is May 16.
The deadline to submit an approved contract and be added to JAM 399 is May 19.
FALL
The deadline to apply for Fall 2023 is August 21.
The deadline to submit an approved contract and be added to JAM 399 is August 25.
All Journalism and Media Arts and Studies majors are required to complete a three-credit JAM 399 internship before graduation. Journalism majors also must produce an approved professional portfolio that includes work done at a JAM 399 internship.
Plan to complete your internship in the last semesters before you graduate. The summer of your senior year is often a good time to devote to JAM 399.
Below are the steps you need to take for an internship. Please read through them all carefully before beginning the process. Once you have looked over all of the material below, you’ll be required to give an electronic signature certifying that you read and understand the internship process.
If you have any questions, please contact the JAM faculty internship supervisor Prof. Scoobie Ryan, 859-257-4362, scoobie@uky.edu If you are an employer interesting in offering internships for our students, please follow this link: Employers Planning to Offer Internships.
STEP 1: ARE YOU ELIGIBLE?
You must complete the classes listed below before you are eligible for JAM 399 internship. You can arrange the internship before you complete these courses, but you cannot actually start the internship until these classes are completed.
Print/Multimedia: JOU 301, JOU 303 and JOU 330 (pre-2022 program). JOU 301, JOU 303, JOU 367 (after 2022)
Broadcast/Multimedia: JOU 302, JOU 304, and JOU 330 (pre 2022 program). JOU 302, JOU 304, JOU 367 (after 2022)
Sports/Multimedia: JOU 208, JOU 308 or JOU 408, and JOU 367
Media Arts and Studies: MAS 300 and MAS 310 (as well as your pre-major courses).
STEP 2: HOW TO FIND AN INTERNSHIP
Start looking for an internship early—at least the semester before you’d like to complete it. Summer internships often have deadlines in November and December, so be sure you know when your application is due. It is recommended you decide on an internship before you apply and are approved. Here are the approved internship sites.
Journalism and MAS approved internship sites are listed HERE.
New internship opportunities come up frequently and are posted on the JAM Listserv.
STEP 3: HOW TO APPLY
Check the approved internship listings. Figure out who to contact and how they prefer to be contacted. Some, like the Kentucky Press Association, have online application forms. Some want an email with a cover letter, resume and writing samples. Others would prefer a phone call. Still others ask you to meet with a particular faculty member to determine whether you would be a good fit for the internship. It is up to you to secure the internship.
Applications open during priority registration and are posted at the top of this page. The last day to apply for JAM 399 is the first day of class. The last day to submit a contract is the last day to add a class. Consult the academic calendar on the registrar's website for those dates. Tuition is included when you register for fall or spring semesters for between 12 and 19 hours. If you enroll in a summer internship for JAM 399 credit you will have to pay for three credit hours. Check the academic calendar on the registrar’s website for the semester you will intern. The dates for the last day to add will be there.
STEP 4: HOW TO ENROLL
You must apply, complete a contract and pay tuition for the three-credit JAM 399 course. You will be billed for tuition during the semester in which you are working at the internship site. The faculty internship supervisor MUST approve your contract before enrolling you. You CANNOT enroll yourself.
The application asks you to specify where you plan to intern and which semester. If you are applying at more than one site, list all of them. If you don’t know, or plan to intern at a site that hasn’t been approved, do not delay applying. The internship supervisor needs to know you plan to intern.
STEP 5: WHAT’S EXPECTED OF YOU DURING THE INTERNSHIP
You must complete 150 hours at your internship. During a 15-week fall or spring semester, you would usually be at the internship about 10 hours a week. It is better for you to spend as close to a full day as possible at your internship rather than just a few hours. During the summer session, you would devote close to 20 hours a week.
Treat an internship as the first step in your career. Bright and highly motivated students from all over the country will be competing against you for jobs in the industry. Be on time, stay the hours you’ve said you’re going to work, avoid doing personal errands, email or use social media when at work, and don’t burn any bridges. Expect to work holidays, weekends, and long hours. Remember the employer evaluation completed by your internship supervisor is a vital part of the evaluation process. Negative feedback can adversely affect your grade. Students have failed JAM 399 due to poor evaluations. Your internship site will need to provide any necessary hardware and software. If your internship supervisor expects you to provide necessary equipment, notify Prof. Scoobie Ryan immediately.
STEP 6: HOW YOUR GRADE IS DETERMINED
JAM 399 is a pass/fail class. While it does not happen often, students have failed JAM 399.
During the semester there are several other mandatory steps you must complete to receive a grade:
1. Meet with faculty supervisor Scoobie Ryan before the internship begins.
2. Submit weekly reports to your faculty supervisor via Canvas. The report should include the internship location, number of hours worked that week, the total hours worked to date and a paragraph summarizing what you did and learned that week.
3. Write a two-page midterm report describing your activities, what you have learned and whether you are achieving the goals outlined in the internship contract. Don’t hesitate to critique the quality of the internship. Include links to clips, photos, videos or other projects. Journalism majors should put upload materials to their electronic portfolios. See the PORTFOLIO assignment in Canvas for instructions. The midterm is due when you have completed 75 hours of your internship.
4. Write a two-page end-of-semester report summarizing what you did learned. Include how the internship affected your interest in a career in that field and what it was like to work at the internship site. Attach any new material you produced since the mid-term report. This report will be due before the end of the last week of classes.
5. The faculty internship supervisor will request the internship site supervisor to complete an evaluation of the intern’s work. Interns should remind their supervisors to complete the form in a timely manner. You will not receive a grade until the supervisor has submitted the evaluation.
6. All interns must write a brief thank you letter to the internship site supervisor and give a copy to your faculty internship supervisor. You should mention what you got out of the internship and how it will help your career.
FINAL STEP: CERTIFY THAT YOU'VE READ THIS DOCUMENT
Click HERE to certify that you have read and understood the above information. You will then be directed to the application.
After your application has been accepted, complete the digital contract right here. It is an agreement that you and your internship site sponsor must sign. It states your responsibilities and duties during the internship, and what you expect to learn during the internship. Contracts will NOT be accepted until must-read and application forms have been submitted.
PLEASE NOTE: You must have a valid UK email address for your internship site supervisor to complete the contract process.