Internships

Your internship involves three people: student/intern, site supervisor/boss, and CMST internship director.

• If you are a CMST major, you have to have at least 50% of your classes done.
• If you are a CMST minor, you have to have all of your CMST course work done.
• Both majors and minors must have taken at least CMST 341: Communication in the Workplace and/or CMST 441: Organizational Communication.

St. Cloud State University requires all students take 45 credits in upper division courses, and CMST interns can use an internship to count for 8 -16 of these credits.

Most CMST internships are graded pass/fail.

The number of academic credits you receive during your internship depends on the number of hours per week you work there.

• 8 credits = 20 contract hours per week.
• 10 credits = 25 contract hours per week.
• 12 credits = 30 contract hours per week.
• 14 credits = 35 contract hours per week.
• 16 credits = 40 contract hours per week.

You may need to apply for your internship. It is important to update your resume or a curriculum vitae that is tailored to the specific internship. Prepare to write a brief cover letter that states your intention of applying for an internship. It is also recommended you brush up on your interview skills.

The Career Center offers free resume reviews and tips on how to write a cover letter. 

1. Attend a mandatory pre-internship seminar. There is one held towards the end of each semester.
2. Make an appointment to chat with CMST Internship Director.
   • Start thinking about what qualities you want in an internship (i.e., paid or unpaid, working for profit or nonprofit, how many credit hours).
   • In preparation for the meeting, please think back on CMST courses you have taken and type up 25 practical real-world communication skills you want to learn more about as well as 50 communication theories and concepts. The more specific the better.
3. Pick up and fill out an internship interest form from CMST office in Riverview 117.
4. Start your internship search.
5. Select an internship site.
   • Obtain the following information about the internship: job description, name of supervisor, starting dates, outline of responsibilities, number of working hours, salary.
6. Design Learning Agreement with Dr. Vorell. This is similar to a syllabus. Type and present the completed Learning Agreement for discussion, revision, and signature.
7. Bring the signed Learning Agreement back to Dr. Vorell. Once this is completed, you will be allowed to register for your internship hours.

During your internship, we have Internship Seminars. These once-a-month meetings will include everyone participating in an internship that semester. We will discuss what you are learning during your internship.

Along with the seminars, you will:

• Send weekly emails on how things are going.
• Arrange a Site Visit where the CMST Internship Director visits you at your internship site.
• Write Journal Entries. Every day you intern, you need to pick one of the skills or theories/concepts you picked and reflect how you saw it in your internships.
• Write a Final Paper.   
• Create a Portfolio of materials you created during your internship. 
• Present your paper at the final internship seminar of the semester.   

Location is not a restriction for your internship. As long as you have Internet access, you can intern anywhere on the globe. You are welcome to intern at a current employer as long as you have at least 50% new responsibilities. Internships in the past have included various fields (communications, finance, hospitality, human resources, leadership, management, marketing, media, nonprofit, operations, political, public relations/advertising, promotions, sales).

• Catholic Charities
• St. Cloud Hospital
• United Way of Central Minnesota
• CentraCare Health System
• Minnesota Communications Group
• Children’s Home
• Habitat for Humanity
• Boys and Girls Club
• General Mills
• Hennepin County Public Defender's Office
• Sea Life Minnesota
• Microbiologics
• Carnival Music (Nashville, Tennessee)
• Marco
• Anna Marie’s Alliance
• Honeywell
• DFL House Caucus
• Townsquare Media