The Department of Communications requires all majors to complete 180 contact hours of experiential learning for academic credit. This can be accomplished through a practicum assignment or a traditional internship.

Students in the broadcasting and news-editorial concentrations are required to complete practicum hours. This is typically achieved by working on campus for The Pacer student newspaper or one of three on-campus media outlets: WUTM 90.3 FM “The Hawk” radio station, UTM-TV cable television or WLJT, the local PBS affiliate. Practicum hours can also be completed off-campus with faculty approval. These experiences are unpaid, although paid staff positions accept applications.

Students in the public relations and media design concentrations must complete a traditional internship. Placements are determined by cooperation between student and faculty, and every effort is made to place each student in an internship that follows their future career goals. Compensation and application deadlines are determined by the internship host, and students should not expect to receive a paid internship. Students may work in any geographical location and in any communications-related industry with faculty approval.

All students majoring in communications must serve one internship or practicum experience, but are encouraged to seek multiple experiences in a variety of settings to gain a maximum amount of work and field experience before graduation.

Twenty “for credit” internships are administered annually through the department. Other hosts can be contacted based on student interest and need. Examples of local hosts include:

Student media advisers