SCFM Internship Course - COMM 4486

Internships are a pivotal aspect of career preparation, significantly enriching a student's educational journey during their college tenure. The School of Communication, Film, and Media proudly fosters partnerships with leading media networks and numerous local entities operating in mass communication sectors.

COMM 4486-Internship offers a practical, supervised immersion in the media field, allowing students to apply their knowledge and skills while establishing connections with industry professionals.

Enrolling

You may enroll in COMM 4486-Internship during summer, fall, or spring. However, you must meet all prerequisites listed below. These criteria ensure that you have the fundamental knowledge and skills to make meaningful contributions to the employer, maximize learning opportunities, and preserve the integrity of our program so that the employer will continue to select our students as interns. 

Prerequisites

  • Declared Mass Communications or Film & Video Production Major
  • Junior or Senior Status
  • ENGL 1102 Minimum Grade C
  • COMM 1154 Minimum Grade C
  • Nine Credit Hours of COMM 3000-4000 Level Courses
  • Major GPA of 2.5 or Above
  • Approval from the internship coordinator. Approval requires
    • the internship to provide experiential learning in Digital Media & Entertainment, Film & Video Production, Journalism, and/or Public Relations.
    • 45 work hours per credit hour enrolled, totaling 135 hours for 3 credit hours.
    • interns be assigned an immediate supervisor with relevant academic credentials and professional experience in the field.

Next Steps After Enrolling

Special Considerations

  • If your internship dates do not align with the semester, you may enroll in COMM 4486 as long as at least 50% of your internship hours are completed within the start and end dates of a given semester. Note that you must enroll by that semester’s drop/add deadline.
  • You can register for COMM 4486 multiple times. However, only six credit hours of COMM 4486 will count towards your degree requirements. This option is available if your internship lasts more than one semester or if you want to record each of your internships on your transcript.

Course Evaluation

The internship course is designed to track and assess your performance. While the majority of your time will be spent on the internship site, you may be required to complete additional class assignments that will help you to reflect on your internship experience.

Your performance will be graded as Satisfactory (S) or Unsatisfactory (U) based on a combination of your Supervisor Internship Evaluation and performance on class assignments. To earn a Satisfactory, you will be required to achieve a minimum of 3.0/5.0 average on your Supervisor Internship Evaluation, and a minimum of 70 on class assignments. Preview the Supervisor Internship Evaluation form here.

Please note that S & U signifies that credit has been granted for meeting a degree requirement and does not affect your GPA.

Additional Information

Answers to additional questions regarding COMM 4486 can be found under Internship FAQs or you can send questions to scfmintern@westga.edu.

Our Local Industry Partners

These industry partners offer internship opportunities that help hone students' skills and provide application for classroom learning. Eligible students may earn course credit for an internship by enrolling in COMM 4486 - Internships.

The following is a listing of approved internship sites where our students have gained valuable work experience and received course credit. If you would like to request that a specific company or organization become an approved internship site, submit the Internship Site Approval Form.