Must-Read for Internships

Prior to your ISC 399 internship:

You'll also want to have completed a variety of skills-based and industry-related conceptual ISC electives before the internship so you're a strong competitor for the intern position you want most.

Course hours required to enroll in ISC 399 vary by your period of entry to the ISC program.

• Fall 2022 through Summer 2023: 15 hours of ISC 300+ coursework* — *All ISC majors who entered during this period are exempt from the updated, 18 hr requirement.
• Fall 2023 or later: 18 hours of ISC 300+ coursework

The department will handle enrollment for eligible students.

While multiple internships are recommended to help build your skills and help you sort through where the best fit is for you, ISC 399 is intended to be a finishing internship. When you're approaching graduation, as an ISC 399 intern, you'll be top-of-mind among the professionals at your intern site. That puts you in an ideal position to get their most enthusiastic support - ranging from recommendation letters/calls ... to helping you upgrade your portfolio to pro-level ... to possible tips about job openings. And sometimes, an entry job opens at the internship site and the about-to-graduate intern (you!) is ideal for it!

Apply during the academic session prior to the one when you'll intern. Each semester, there's a lengthy window of time when eligible ISC majors can apply. The dates of the application window are at the top of this page. There will also be announcements (and reminders) posted via the ISC listserv.

When you apply to intern via ISC 399, you'll be asked to specify where you plan to intern. So, obviously, you need to start exploring possible internship sites before you apply to intern via ISC 399. The site (company/organization) where you'll intern must be one that's applied for and earned approved status from the ISC Department. You'll find a broad range of approved sites on the ISC Current Internships page. There, explore approved internship site options and identify several best-fit opportunities for the career future you want. Of course, interns are expected to have the basic skills necessary for the company where they'll intern.

If you are applying at more than one site, list all of them on your ISC 399 application. And if the site you’re interested in hasn’t yet been approved, there’s a process for doing that, by someone at the site completing our internship screening questionnaire available here.

Here are the main things we look for in a prospective new ISC 399 site:

• Has intern work/lesson plan centered on a focused range of ISC-related tasks. Several of these must result in job-hunt worthy portfolio work.
• The person who's to be the intern's site supervisor must be a professional working in an ISC-related position and have a documented record of ISC-related work.
• If particular hardware/software is needed by the intern to do assigned tasks, that must be provided by the site.
• Starts the intern's week - or ends it - with a brief status chat. The supervisor offers their view of the intern's development ... quality of work, personal 'air' of professionalism, tips on areas to improve, etc. It's also a time to discuss work for the week ahead and how to prioritize tasks. The goal for supervisor and intern is to have a clear work-week plan so the intern's 'on clock' time is always productive.

While we prefer on-site internships, we will approve virtual/remote internships that meet the criteria outlined above.

These are conditions where a site would not be approved to host an ISC intern:

• A position where a student (the intern) would be the only ISC/communications person within an organization, thus without supervision by a professional with ISC skills.
• A position where an ISC intern will be supervised by another student.
• A position where sales is the focus.
• A position where the majority of the student’s time is spent making copies, filing, entering spreadsheet data, answering telephones or the like. The ISC internship experience must focus on ISC-related professional tasks.

If you're interested in a site that fully meets the ISC Department's criteria we require, ask the person who would be the prospective intern supervisor to fill out the ISC screening questionnaire available here. We'll review the site's info/intern plan and determine whether the internship will qualify for ISC 399 credit. Keep in mind that a site's application to host an intern for academic credit does not guarantee that the site will earn approval.

When you're sure the supervisor has submitted the questionnaire, email either Elizabeth Spencer (for Summer term internships) or Jihye Kim (for Fall/Spring term internships) that the application is ready for review. If the prospective supervisor has questions, have him or her email either Elizabeth Spencer or Jihye Kim. An application review can take time, perhaps including a site visit, so it's essential an application-to-host is made early in the term prior to the planned internship semester.

Over time, an approved site may be changed to 'No Longer Approved'. That occurs when/if any of the core criteria (above) changes or there are other, unexpected changes.

1. You apply to the Department of Integrated Strategic Communication.
2. Your application is reviewed and you receive an email confirming your eligibility (or, telling you otherwise).
3. You're also told if the site where you propose to intern is approved to host an ISC 399 intern.

When your ISC 399 application at an approved site earns approval, you'll shortly be sent an ISC 399 contract form, with tips about filling it out by the ISC faculty supervisor (Elizabeth Spencer for Summer term internships; Jihye Kim for Fall/Spring term internships). When your contract earns ISC approval and, then, is signed/turned in, you'll be enrolled in ISC 399.

Please Note: students cannot self-enroll in the ISC 399 class.

Contract Prep
Your ISC 399 Internship contract states what you expect to learn (goals) during the internship, what your intern responsibilities and duties are throughout the internship and what your outcomes/results will be. Remember that several of these results must be portfolio-potential items. To prep the contract, you'll need to discuss each of these topics with your internship site supervisor. As soon as you've prepared your contract, submit it to Elizabeth Spencer (for Summer term internships) or Jihye Kim (for Fall/Spring term internships) for review. Be prepared to make any needed changes and resubmit it for approval.

Once your contract has been approved, you’ll be enrolled in ISC 399 (assuming there are no holds on your registration) and you may start counting hours toward the required 150 hours.

Retroactive ISC 399 credit, for any prior internship work, is not an option.

Tuition
UK will bill you for tuition (along with other courses you're taking) during the academic term in which you're working at the internship site. Currently, if you intern during the Fall or Spring semester and register for between 12 and 19 course hours, ISC 399 will be included in your tuition for the semester. If you enroll in the Winter or Summer sessions, you will be billed per credit hour. ISC 399 is three credit hours. Click here for a full breakdown of UK's cost of attendance. For specific questions about payments, please contact Student Account Services.

Time Requirements
The ISC Department requires you to spend 150 hours at your internship for three credits. That means that during a 15-week Fall or Spring semester, you would usually be at the internship about 10-12 hours a week. During the Fall or Spring semester when you intern, plan your overall schedule so you have blocks of time (EG: 4-5 hours/day) reserved for the internship. During the Winter and Summer terms, you may need to work more hours in a week to get the required 150 hours completed.

We’re aware that some internship opportunities may not line up perfectly with UK’s academic sessions. If that’s the case, contact Jihye Kim to discuss options.

Class Requirements
Across your ISC 399 internship, you'll write a weekly log, reporting on aspects of your intern work. You'll also write a Mid and a Final Report, all submitted via Canvas. Information about the prep of these will be provided when you are enrolled in ISC 399. Jihye Kim will be reviewing all Fall/Spring submissions.

ISC 399 is a pass/fail class. It is not uncommon for students to receive an incomplete. Students may receive an incomplete because grades had to be submitted before the student completed all the assignments, their required internship hours, or the on-site supervisor did not complete the required evaluation. Once assignments, hours and the evaluation have been submitted, the "I" will be changed to a "P.” While it does not happen often, students have failed ISC 399. Because it is a required course, that means the student must then begin over and complete another, 150-hour internship.

• Be professional.
• Treat an internship as the first step in your career. It IS!
• Be on time, work the hours you’ve said you’re going to work, avoid doing personal errands, email or social media during working hours and don’t burn any bridges.
• 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 ISC 399 due to poor evaluations.