Internships
The Cronkite School offers students multiple course options to earn academic credit while they simultaneously complete an internship.
Finding an internship requires preparation and commitment, so if you would like to complete one or are required to for your major, plan to begin your search two to three months in advance.
Getting started
Review the internship criteria and guidelines:
- Students are responsible for independently finding and securing their own internships. The Cronkite Career Services office does not place students into internship positions.
- No retroactive credit can be issued.
- The internship must have a direct and clear connection to the student’s major, minor or certification program.
- JMC 484 is required for immersion (on-campus) Journalism and Mass Communication or Sports Journalism majors. Graduate and online degrees do not require internships but are eligible to take them.
- Students must have their internship reviewed and approved by Cronkite Career Services before they are able to enroll into an internship course.
- International Students – Check your eligibility to use Curricular Practical Training (CPT) for your internship prior to registering for an internship course.
Review the following links to know the Cronkite School’s requirements to help guide your during your internship search:
The Walter Cronkite School of Journalism and Mass Communication uses specific criteria when evaluating internships. Students can refer to the following guidelines to assess whether an opportunity may be suitable, although the Cronkite Career Services team must ultimately approve all internships before a student will be cleared to register for credit.
- The experience must correspond with an ASU semester such as spring (January – April), summer (May – July), fall (August – December).
- Interns need to complete a minimum number of working hours at the internship which equates to the internship course credit hours. Actual hours per week will depend on duration of internship and agreement with internship supervisor. The intern may work more than the minimum hours requirement if the employer and student mutually agree to it.
- Internship organizations are required to maintain an active digital presence, including relevant, up-to-date postings. All content must be current, with the latest posts made within the past 30 days at the time of review by the Cronkite Career Services office.
- The internship must be a media focused learning experience that applies the knowledge gained in the classroom.
- The experience has a defined beginning and end, as well as a clear description of the tasks, responsibilities, compensation, and expectations of the intern.
- There are clearly defined learning objectives/goals related to the professional goals of the student’s academic coursework.
- Regular access to a supervisor who can give the intern feedback, provide orientation and on-boarding training, and who can dedicate time and resources to the intern.
- Supervisor must possess expertise directly related to the intern’s responsibilities.
- The experience will provide exposure to multiple aspects of a professional career field or industry. Interns should have a chance to get to know other professionals in related fields, either within the organization or through other structured opportunities.
- A balanced, structured experience that allows students to engage in substantive long and short-term projects related to the media industry.
- Exposure to opportunities that build on academic learning, enhance communication and interpersonal skills, and meet key people (sitting in on meetings, site visits, conferences, etc.)
- The skills or knowledge learned must be transferable to other employment settings.
- There are resources, equipment and facilities provided by the host employer that support learning objectives/goals.
- Internships can be completed in person, hybrid, or remote. Fully remote internships may require additional documentation.
In addition, all students are governed by Rules and Regulations of Arizona State University. These can be found on the ASU website at:
The Walter Cronkite School of Journalism and Mass Communication cannot approve the following experiences as internships for credit:
- Students cannot earn internship credit for duties performed as part of their current full-time or part-time (non-internship) employment.
- No responsibilities related to sales, cold-calling, or generating business for the internship organization. Minimal routine administrative or clerical work should be no more than 20% of time worked.
- The work performed by an intern cannot primarily benefit the employer in a way that does not also advance the education of the student. An internship must be primarily a learning experience for the student.
- Experiences which involve door-to-door solicitation/sales or that require students to market goods/services/brands to university students on campus.
- Experiences with organizations that have existed for fewer than five years, and/or with fewer than three full-time employees. Interns are prohibited from working or meeting in an employer’s private residence.
- Internships with individual consultants, contractors or faculty members. The internship needs to be with an organization, not an individual.
- Students may not intern for themselves, a family member or relative, a friend, a significant other, a current ASU student, or any person that they have a relationship with that may be deemed as a conflict of interest (such as a coach, future in-law, or any person who reports directly or indirectly to any of the above).
- Experiences focused exclusively on manual labor (for example: working on a farm doing the work of weeding, planting, etc.). There must be additional projects and learning opportunities.
- Internship organization needs to be a legally established/incorporated and insured business or non-profit (not an uninsured sole proprietorship).
- Internships involving the sale or distribution of medical marijuana. The possession or use of marijuana on ASU’s campus is illegal under state law, the use of marijuana is illegal under federal law, and ASU complies with the Drug-Free Schools and Campuses Act.
The Walter Cronkite School of Journalism and Mass Communication advocates for all students to be paid throughout their internship.
- The rate of pay for a student’s internship must be at least federal, state, or local minimum wage. Housing cannot be the sole form of compensation.
- If the company is unable to provide an hourly wage, then a monthly or semester financial stipend should be considered.
- Through the U.S. Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA), unpaid internships for public sector and non-profit charitable organizations, where the intern volunteers without expectation of compensation, are generally permissible. However, those organizations are still expected to provide a learning experience that benefits the intern. Attention to detail must be taken to ensure that if an internship is unpaid, it falls clearly within the legal guidelines that make it a learning experience and not a job.
- For-profit companies interested in employing an intern are required to comply with the U.S. Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA), which governs minimum wage requirements in for-profit organizations.
Where our students have interned
Cronkite students have completed internships at sports organizations such as ESPN, the Arizona Coyotes, Arizona Diamondbacks, Arizona Cardinals, the Society for American Baseball Research, the Boston Celtics, Women’s Premiere Soccer League and Atlantic Baseball Confederation Collegiate League; news organizations such as NBC Universal, Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel, Dallas Morning News, San Diego Union-Tribune, Buzzfeed, Hawaii News Now, Vermont Digger and PolitiFact; PR/Comms agencies such as NASA, Hart Talent Management, Allison & Partners, Identity PR Orlando, and others in New York City, California, Colorado, Texas and Argentina; and television stations in major markets such as New York City, Washington, D.C., Austin, San Francisco, Sacramento, Reno.
3 ways to get an internship
Questions?
If you have any questions about internships, you can schedule an appointment with a Cronkite Career & Professional development staff member or contact cronkitecareers@asu.edu.
Employers
If you are an employer interested in sharing a job or internship opportunity for our students, go to Hire Cronkite Students for more information.
Be internship ready
Please download the Be Internship Ready (PDF) how-to guide created by ASU Career Services for helpful resources on finding and landing an internship.
Internship Interview Day
Students can interview for internship opportunities with local media employers for school credit. All Internship Interview Day events are held virtually. Internships secured during interview day events are subject to in-person, hybrid or remote work based on the employer. Any internship secured through Internship Interview Day must be for credit.
Cronkite Internship & Student Work Opportunities
The Cronkite School partners with numerous organizations that offer paid and unpaid internships that are updated weekly along with paid student work.
Cronkite Study Abroad
Explore the different study abroad experiences that Cronkite offers. Plus, you may be able to intern while abroad.
Submit an internship to be reviewed for credit
Cronkite students will need to submit the Internship Review Form before they start their internship to have it evaluated by the Cronkite Career and Professional Development team for applicability to their major.
Semester Application Deadlines
Spring (Jan – May) Due December 5
Summer (May – July) Due April 25
Fall (Aug – Dec) Due August 1
If you need to register for MCO 294, MCO/JMC 484, MCO 584 but cannot meet the application deadline date, email: cronkitecareers@asu.edu prior to the posted semester application deadline about your situation.
Application materials for the Internship Review Form
All application materials for the Internship Review Form must be submitted by the application deadline of the semester in which you plan to complete your internship.
- Which internship course you will be enrolling into (MCO or JMC) (294, 484, or 584)
- Company location and supervisor contact information.
- Internship title.
- Start and end dates for the internship.
- How will you be participating in the internship – In person, remote, or a hybrid of both.
- Expected number of working hours per week.
- Expected number of total working hours for the internship.
- Compensation – Paid or unpaid.
Official Internship Description/Posting
Obtained from the company website or HR department. If the company does not have an official posting, then you can use the Sample Internship Description for a template to complete with your supervisor prior to submitting the Internship Plan. Uploaded file must be in pdf format with the following file name: Intern_Description_LastName_FirstName.pdf
Internship Offer Letter
File upload for Internship Offer Letter. If the company does not have an official offer letter, then you can use the Intern Offer Letter Template to complete with your supervisor prior to submitting the Internship Plan. The letter must be on official company letterhead and signed by the employer. Uploaded file must be in pdf format with the following file name: Intern_Offer_Letter_LastName_FirstName.pdf
Cronkite internship course overviews and requirements
JMC 484 is a mandatory internship course for immersion (on-campus) Journalism and Mass Communication or Sports Journalism BA majors that will provide you with workplace experience in your chosen discipline. As part of your internship experience, you are encouraged to find a mentor at the company, network with co-workers, and create work that you can use in your portfolio.
Prerequisites: Journalism and Mass Communication or Sports Journalism BA major; JMC 301 or 302 with C or better; JMC 305 or 306 with C or better; minimum 2.50 GPA. Instructor consent is required.
Note: If you are currently taking any of the prerequisites, you must complete (and pass them with a C or better) before you can receive an override for JMC 484.
Credits: 3
Repeatable for credit: No
Minimum internship hours requirement
JMC 484 requires the student to complete a minimum 215 working hours for their internship throughout the course of the semester.
Minimum 215 working hours averages to the following hours per week:
· Fall or Spring (15-week semester) = 15 working hours per week
· Summer (12-week semester) = 18 working hours per week
The student may work more than the minimum hours required if the employer and student mutually agree to it.
Course Overview and Expectations
In JMC 484, students are required to complete several assignments as well as submit midterm and final reports describing their internship experience.
As a member of the Accrediting Council on Education in Journalism and Mass Communication, the Cronkite School is committed to classroom learning that achieves ACEJMC professional values and competencies.
The course will be online and all work will be submitted through Canvas.
MCO 484 is an internship course for ASU Online Cronkite students that will provide you with workplace experience in your chosen discipline. As part of your internship experience, you are encouraged to find a mentor at the company, network with co-workers, and create work that you can use in your portfolio.
Prerequisite(s): Digital Audiences BS, Digital Media Literacy BA, or Mass Communication and Media Studies BA major; MCO 307 or 426 with C or better. Instructor consent is required.
Note: If you are currently taking any of the prerequisites, you must complete (and pass them with a C or better) before you can receive an override for MCO 484.
Credits: 3
Repeatable for credit: Yes
Minimum hours requirement
MCO 484 requires the student to complete a minimum 215 working hours for their internship throughout the course of the semester.
Minimum 215 working hours averages to the following hours per week:
· Fall or Spring (15-week semester) = 15 working hours per week
· Summer (12-week semester) = 18 working hours per week
The student may work more than the minimum hours required if the employer and student mutually agree to it.
Course overview and expectations
In MCO 484, students are required to complete several assignments as well as submit midterm and final reports describing their internship experience.
As a member of the Accrediting Council on Education in Journalism and Mass Communication, the Cronkite School is committed to classroom learning that achieves ACEJMC professional values and competencies.
The course will be online and all work will be submitted through Canvas.
MCO 294 is an elective internship course that provides the student with workplace experience in their chosen discipline. As part of the internship experience, you are encouraged to find a mentor at the company, network with co-workers, and create work that you can use in your portfolio.
Prerequisites: JMC 110, JMC 101, and JMC 102 with C or better. Instructor consent is required.
Note: If you are currently taking any of the prerequisites, you must complete (and pass them with a C or better) before you can receive an override for MCO 294. This course will not fulfill the internship graduation requirement for Journalism & Mass Communication, B.A. or Sports Journalism, B.A. degree programs.
Credits: 1
Repeatable for credit: Yes. Undergraduate students can enroll in this course before and/or after they complete MCO 484 or JMC 484.
Minimum hours requirement
MCO 294 requires the student to complete a minimum of 120 working hours for their internship during the semester.
Minimum 120 working hours averages to the following hours per week:
· Fall or Spring (15-week semester) = 8 working hours per week
· Summer (12-week semester) = 10 working hours per week
The student may work more than the minimum hours required if the employer and student mutually agree to it.
Course overview and expectations
In MCO 294, students are required to submit midterm and final reports describing their internship experience.
As a member of the Accrediting Council on Education in Journalism and Mass Communication, the Cronkite School is committed to classroom learning that achieves ACEJMC professional values and competencies.
The course will be online and all work will be submitted through Canvas.
MCO 584 is an internship course for Cronkite graduate students that will provide you with workplace experience in your chosen discipline. As part of your internship experience, you are encouraged to find a mentor at the company, network with co-workers, and create work that you can use in your portfolio.
Prerequisites: Cronkite School master’s student. Instructor consent is required.
Credits: 3
Repeatable for credit: Yes. It is highly recommended that you meet with your Academic Advisor to understand how taking MCO 584 multiple times could affect your progress towards graduation, especially given the limited elective options available in your degree program.
Minimum hours requirement
MCO 584 requires the student to complete a minimum 215 working hours for their internship throughout the course of the semester.
Minimum 215 working hours averages to the following hours per week:
· Fall or Spring (15-week semester) = 15 working hours per week
· Summer (12-week semester) = 18 working hours per week
The student may work more than the minimum hours required if the employer and student mutually agree to it.
Course Overview and Expectations
In MCO 584, students are required to complete several assignments as well as submit midterm and final reports describing their internship experience.
As a member of the Accrediting Council on Education in Journalism and Mass Communication, the Cronkite School is committed to classroom learning that achieves ACEJMC professional values and competencies.
The course will be online and all work will be submitted through Canvas.
Submit internship to be reviewed
The deadline to submit an internship to be reviewed for spring 2025 is December 5, 2024. The Internship Review Form is closed.