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ENGLISH 497

English Internship opportunities

Revised November 2011

The English Internship is a bridge between the university and the workplace. It offers you the opportunity to discover the practical application of the skills you’ve acquired in writing, critical thinking, editing, oral communication, literary analysis, and research. And it lets you test whether a career in publishing, journalism, public relations, or business is right for you before you accept that important first job after college.

Nationwide, employers emphasize the importance of internships; indeed, a significant number of employers—38%—report that they specifically look for internship experience on the resume of job applicants. And a letter of recommendation from the supervisor of your internship can be invaluable in landing the job you want.

Eligibility

If you’re interested in the English Internship, you should first meet with Dr. Carl Behm, who coordinates the program. Dr. Behm may be reached by e-mail (cbehm@towson.edu) or by telephone (410-704-3600). His office is Liberal Arts 4341. To be eligible for an internship, you must

be an English major or minor (though students in other majors may register with special permission from Dr. Behm);

have junior or senior standing;

have successfully completed a minimum of three upper-level English courses at Towson University, preferably including an upper-level expository writing course;

have a 2.7 cumulative GPA at Towson University or obtain a waiver of this requirement from Dr. Behm.

Selecting and Registering for an Internship

Students eligible for an internship should meet with Glenda Henkel or a

member of her staff in the Internship Office of the Career Center. The best way to make an appointment is by telephoning 410-704-2233 and speaking with the receptionist. Should you need to reach Ms. Henkel directly, her contact information is ghenkel@towson.edu or 410-704-2932. The counselors in the Internship office will assist you with your internship placement. You may choose from dozens of approved internships or you may “self-select” your internship subject to Dr. Behm’s approval.

You may register for ENGL 497 at any time, either before or after you finalize your placement. First, you will need Dr. Behm’s permission to register, after which you may contact Susan Weininger, Administrative Assistant in the English Department offices to be added to the permission list. You may contact Ms. Weininger by e-mail (sweininger@towson.edu) or by telephone (410-704-2871).

Requirements and Grading

The Internship employs Satisfactory/Unsatisfactory grading. To earn the grade of S, you must do all of the following:

earn at least a satisfactory rating from the job supervisor;

work a minimum of 108 hours;

complete any requirements of the Career Center;

update Dr. Behm regularly throughout the semester, either in person or by e-mail;

arrange for Dr. Behm to visit you at the job site, preferably no later than midsemester;

complete the following written requirements and submit them to Dr. Behm no later than the last day of classes for the semester. The quality of the reports must be judged at least satisfactory (C).

a first report (to be submitted after you have completed approximately 20 hours on the job) that details your responsibilities, the nature of the supervision provided by your employer, and any problems you have
encountered (see the attached form);

one of the following projects, which you should discuss with Dr. Behm at the beginning of the internship:

either an original or research-based project related to the work you are doing at your internship, the subject to be decided upon by you and your supervisor and approved by Dr. Behm,

or a report based on an interview with your supervisor that examines his or her views on the profession and his or her educational and career history in light of your own aspirations and a report on a book or journal recommended by your supervisor as important in the field;

a final report describing and evaluating your internship experience (see the attached form);

a log of hours detailing the work you performed each week.

FIRST REPORT

(1) Your name, student ID number, address, telephone number(s), and e-mail address:

(2) The company or organization’s name and address:

Your supervisor’s name, position, and telephone number:

(3) Your work schedule (days and hours):

(4) Your duties and responsibilities (describe in detail):

(5) Your learning goals:

(6) Nature of supervision:

(7) Initial impressions:

Problems, or potential problems?

Suggestions you would like me to mention to your supervisor?

Is the internship experience everything you had hoped it would be so far?

FINAL REPORT

The Final Report is an important requirement of the English Internship. It should describe in detail the work you did and the things you learned. It should contain examples of your work and discuss them in the context of your training. Finally, it should evaluate the experience and make suggestions for improving the internship experience.

These are the specific requirements:

Due date: No later than the last day of classes.

Length: A minimum of five double-spaced, typed pages, exclusive of examples.

Contents:

Description of your duties, with examples of your work;

Analysis of this on-the-job experience in terms of your professional growth;

Comments on the nature of and value of the supervision you had;

An appendix of examples of your work (when appropriate), containing any published work, letters, press releases, and unpublished work.

Please submit the report—in hard copy—to Dr. Behm in LA 4341. If Dr. Behm is not available, please give your report to one of the administrative assistants in the main English Department offices.

Questions

If you have any questions, do not hesitate to contact Dr. Behm, either by telephone (410-704-3600), by e-mail (cbehm@towson.edu), or in person (LA4341). Office hours are posted beside his office door.

Rev. November 2011

WORD Version: ENGL 497 Internship (DOC)