CSIP Frequently Asked Questions

• What is an internship?
  • An internship is an activity that formally integrates academic study with practical experience in a cooperating organization. The internship may be paid or unpaid, on- or off-campus, part-time or full-time. Internships can be in business, non-profit, government, or other settings relevant to the student’s academic pursuits. In any case, internships should involve closely monitored and structured work with opportunities for regular feedback by an on-site mentor. The big difference between an internship and a job is that an internship involves teaching you the skills necessary to work in a specific industry. A job requires you to work independently after a brief initial training period. What unites all COMM internships is that they involve skilled communication work, for which interns draw on and enhance their developing knowledge and skills as communication specialists. 
• What are the benefits of doing an internship for academic credit?
  • There are many benefits to doing an internship for academic credit.Internships for academic credit help students advance towards graduation by fulfilling coursework requirements in their major or minor area(s) of study. Additionally, internships for academic credit complement other academic experiences, helping students gain deeper understandings of the communication theories, concepts, and skills that they are learning in their classes. On the practical side, internships give students a chance to experience a real working environment, apply their communication knowledge, learn new skills, engage in professional networking, and test out a career path. Internships give students practical work experience that they can use as they advance along their career paths
• How many internship units may I earn for my internship?

  • Each unit of COMM credit (COMM 198, COMM 190, COMM 291) equals 50 hours of internship work.
    1 unit = 50 hours
    2 units = 100 hours
    3 units = 150 hours
    4 units = 200 hours
    5 units = 250 hours
    6 units = 300 hours
    7 units = 350 hours
    8 units = 400 hours
    Undergraduate students can enroll in 1-2 units of COMM 198, and/or 1-6 units of COMM 190. Graduate students can enroll in 1-4 units of COMM 291.

• What is the difference between COMM 198 and COMM 190?

  • COMM 198 maxes out at 3 units, whether those units are done as internships, Forensics, COMM Center, Social Media Team, or a combination of these. Additional units can be taken as COMM 190 when a student has maxed out on COMM 198. In all other respects, when it comes to the COMM Internship Program the COMM 198 and COMM 190 courses are exactly the same.

    We highly recommend you meet with your COMM major or minor advisor to discuss which course is better for your academic career.

• Can I enroll in my internship units during the Summer or Winter semesters?

  • No. Internship courses (COMM 190, 198, 291) are only offered during the Fall and Spring semesters. Students may complete internships over the summer and winter sessions and enroll in in the internship units the following semester.

• I would like an add code for COMM 198/190/291. May I have one, please?
  • Students can only receive add codes for CSIP (whether COMM 198, 190, or 291) when:
    1. the student already has an internship (or a position through which they can do an internship project) AND 
    2. the student has completed the required application paperwork AND
    3. if unpaid, the internship is registered on the SJS4 database (if needed) AND
    4. the COMM Internship Director has reviewed and accepted the student's application.
    Please keep in mind, internship units follow the same registration calendar (i.e., add/drop deadlines) as any other class.
• What kind of internships can COMM students do?
  • COMM students engage in a wide variety of both paid and/or unpaid internships. COMM students do internships with for-profits, non-profits, schools, universities, government organizations, start-ups, multi-national and global organizations, and even other SJSU departments.COMM interns do advertising, advising, broadcasting, fundraising, public relations, marketing, media campaigns, teaching, sales, strategic communications, and many other types of skilled communication work. COMM interns have worked for Cisco, Greenpeace, Merrill Lynch, NBC News, the San Jose Business Journal, the San Jose Sharks, and SJSU Athletics, just to name a few.
• Where should I look for internship opportunities?
  • Start your search with the SJSU Handshake job database, maintained by the SJSU Career Center. You can also find additional resources on our Internship Opportunities page.
• I don't technically have an "internship" but I do have a job that requires me to do skilled communication work. Can I get internship units for it?

  • Potentially. We do not give academic credit for working at a job. In cases where students have a job (whether full-time or part-time), they can create and complete an internship project with a mentor.

    Internship projects allow students to create and complete unique projects at their current place of employment that speak to the organization's needs and the skilled communication you have learned about as a Communication Studies major. You will need to create/design your unique internship project and locate a mentor for this project. Keep in mind that your mentorship should occur each day you are working on this project. In addition, the project should be separate from your current job duties and be paid or unpaid. I recommend you reach out to your organization and speak with your manager/supervisor to see what types of unique projects you may complete and if they are willing to mentor you while your completion of the project.

• I’ve got an internship and the organization requires me to receive college credit for it. What should I do?
  • Organizations cannot require a student to earn academic credit for an internship. Only faculty in the relevant academic department can determine whether or not an internship merits academic credit. Some organizations mistakenly believe that if a student is receiving academic credit for the internship then they don't need to be paid. This is not the case. Learn more about this important issue by viewing the SJSU Career Center webpages for employers.
• Can I enroll in my internship units during the Summer or Winter semesters?

  • No. The internship courses (COMM 190, 198, 291) are only offered during the Fall and Spring semesters. You may complete an approved internship over the Summer or Winter sessions.  You'll follow our application process to join our program. Then, once you are in the program, you'll be greenlighted to start logging your  internship hours. You'll also be able to start all of the internship assignments. All of this work will be "banked" for the next Fall or Spring semester, at which time you'll be officially enrolled in the units.

• I’ve got an internship and I've already worked a number of hours. Can I count those even though I haven't yet applied to get into the CSIP? 
  • No. COMM internship hours cannot be counted retroactively. Students can only start counting internship hours for COMM credit after the required application paperwork is completed and after receiving your CSIP acceptance letter. 
• I did an internship in the past. Can I get COMM internship credit even though my internship is over?
  • No. Retroactive COMM credit for past internships is not offered
• Once I’m enrolled in my COMM internship units will I have to attend a class?
  • No. There are no formal class sessions associated with the COMM internship units. Instead, you'll be completing your internship hours at your internship organization and completing regular assignments for your units. Please visit our Internship Courses page to learn more about our courses and the accompanying coursework.
• Once I'm enrolled in my COMM Internship units, will I have to complete any assignments?
  • Yes. Please visit our Internship Courses page to learn more about our courses and the accompanying coursework.
• How are the COMM Internship program units graded?
  • All COMM Internship program units (COMM 198, 190, 291) are graded as CR (credit) or NC (no credit).
• What do I have to do to pass my internship units with a grade of CR (credit)?

  • To receive a grade of CR (credit) you must:

    1. Complete and log the total number of hours you signed up for; for example, 1 unit = 50 hours, 2 units = 100 hours, 3 units = 150 hours, and so on. 

    2. Complete and submit all of the internship assignments via Canvas by course deadlines. Please visit our Internship Courses page to learn more about our internship oursework.

    Students who do not complete their internship hours and coursework will be issued a grade of NC (no credit).

Still have questions? Please contact the Communication Studies Internship Program Director with your questions.