Internships

Internships are essential for journalism majors. We're proud that approximately 80% of journalism majors completed an internship before graduation.

We REQUIRE students in the public relations and sports journalism concentrations to complete a 120 hour credited internship via course Journal 398 Practicum.

We DO NOT require credited internships for students pursuing the general journalism track, but we highly recommend you do as many as you can, whether you count them for credit or not. Experience matters.

Required reading for all students counting an internship for credit:
Our updated Internship Guide contains detailed information on how to find, apply for and register an internship for credit.

We encourage our students to start building their portfolio as soon as they arrive on campus. Internship employers will want to see clips of your work, so we suggest you join any of these outlets right away: The Daily Collegian, Amherst Wire, WMUA 91.1FM (radio/podcasting) or UVC-TV.

PR students may also get involved in campus media to hone their writing and multimedia skills, and our PR students participate on their social media teams. There are many jobs posted on the UMass Student Job Board for communication assistants for departments on campus, as well as volunteer positions running public relations for clubs and organizations on campus. The UMass PR Club is an invaluable resource to our students. They host guest speakers, professional development workshops and provide a strong sense of community. We strongly recommend all PR students become active members of the club. 

What if I can’t afford to do an unpaid internship?
The Journalism Department, the College of Social and Behavioral Sciences, and UMass have scholarships and internship awards to help fund unpaid internships. Look on Academic Works (scholarship portal) for opportunities and deadlines. It’s worthwhile to create your profile on Academic Works as soon as possible.

Many internships recognize that interns may also need to work at paid employment and are willing to be flexible in arranging your schedule. Tell them about your requirements during the interview process.

Where do I start?

• Make an appointment with a career advisor via Handshake to start your resumé and explore internship opportunities. Go to Career Center at the top right of Handshake to make an appointment. This portal also posts job fairs and career development workshops. 
• Build your portfolio and work experience via campus media.
• Keep your resumé up to date.
• Think “resumé building” as you plan your time at UMass. UMass has so much to offer to help you stand out from the crowd. Challenge yourself and explore new interests.
• Start looking in the fall semester for summer internships. Many of the major competitive internships have application deadlines in late fall. Most internships, however, do not have deadlines, but it’s good to start investigating the opportunities as early as possible.
• You may also email John Ciampa if you'd like arrange an appointment to discuss internships. Please note that availability may be limited during peak advising periods in November and April. 

In Summer and Winter session, you enroll for credits through University Without Walls (UWW). You must pay for these credits. That may come as an unpleasant surprise, so please take note of this. Even though our PR and SJC students need 120 hours, you only need to record one credit if you are looking to save money over the summer. You can, however, count 3 credits for 120 hours. It’s up to you.

In the Fall and Spring semesters, Journalism will enroll you for the credits on SPIRE after you request the internship on Handshake (see our Internship Guide for instructions). The credits are included as part of your regular tuition at no additional cost.

Resources:
Handshake
SBS Pathways Center
UMass Career Center Internship FAQs
Journalism Advisors
Academic Works (scholarships)
UMass Journalism Internship Guide
Campus Media Outlets
Monday Memo Newsletter (internship and job postings)