Public Relations Internships

Everything you need to know about qualifying for MDJ public relations internships and what is expected of you once you secure an internship can be found here.

Explore the links to learn more about internships. Contact Professor Stefanie Moore, the PR internship coordinator, (smoore1@kent.edu) if you have any questions. Also, we encourage you to talk to your peers about internships. Other PR majors can share their experiences and contacts for intern employers. Check out the PRSSA Kent internship page to learn about some PR students’ internship experiences.  

PREREQUISITES

Public Relations

• MDJ 26007 Reporting or 26008 Broadcast Reporting

And Two of the following:

• MDJ 48001 Media Relations and Publicity

• MDJ 48002 Public Relations Tactics

• MDJ 48003 Digital Public Relations

• MDJ 48006 Public Relations Publications

REQUIREMENTS

Every student majoring in any sequence of Media and Journalism must complete an internship (MDJ 40092) as a requirement of his/her degree. Each intern must complete at least 150 hours of work at his/her internship, which can be taken in the fall, spring or summer semesters. If you do your internship in the fall or spring semesters, you should consider a reduced schedule of classes, as you will be working a minimum of 10 hours per week. If you complete the internship in the summer, you will need to register and pay for the one credit hour.

Academic credit is only granted for internships that involve at least 150 hours on the job, and a PR/Communications professional (with appropriate credentials) who serves as a mentor to the students.

To qualify for academic credit:

• You must be engaged in public relations work (writing, research, press releases, internal and external communication, event planning, social media, etc.). It has to be more than a part-time job.
• Your internship must be off-campus.
• You must report to someone who has a communications or public relations degree/background who can serve as a mentor to you. A good mentor enriches the learning experience.

Once you’ve found an approved internship in public relations you must complete the online application form found below. After the PR internship coordinator approves your internship application, the MDJ scheduler will email you instructions on how to register for the internship course. All summer internships are listed in the Summer III session, but your reporting obligations begin when the internship begins.

Public Relations Internship Application

If you have questions, see the internship coordinator. Internships can be valuable tools for future jobs. Take them seriously, show up with a positive attitude, and do a good job.