Internship for Credit Information
The School of Communication offers students the opportunity to receive academic credit for communication and journalism internship experiences. Credit is awarded through COMM 4191. Students are required to apply for academic credit by the first Friday of the semester in which they are completing the internship. This page details how to apply for credit, enrollment requirements and upcoming application deadlines.
Applying for Credit
You must apply for internship credit for COMM 4191 using the online Internship Enrollment Application by the first Friday of the semester in which you are completing the internship. No applications will be accepted after the deadline. The School of Communication and The Ohio State University does not permit deferred internship credit. Students must enroll in COMM 4191 while interning. Credit is not available for internships that are already complete. No exceptions to this University policy.
Students can apply for 1, 2, or 3 credits per internship experience. The course is repeatable up to 9 credits total throughout one’s undergraduate career (maximum of 3 credit hours per internship). Each credit requires 50 hours of work during the semester. Please see below for minimum required hours worked per credit.
Credit to Hours Worked Ratio
- 1 credit = 50 hours worked
- 2 credits = 100 hours worked
- 3 credits = 150 hours worked
Minimum Eligibility Requirements
To maintain the academic integrity of the School of Communication, all internships must meet the Minimum Eligibility Requirements to receive academic credit through COMM 4191.
- Intern must be in good academic standing with the University.
- Intern must be a regularly enrolled, degree-seeking student at The Ohio State University.
- The internship work will occur during the semester in which you are applying for credit. Credit is NOT given to internships that are already finished. Deferred credit is NOT available and is against OSU policy.
- Enrollment in COMM 4191 will not exceed the intern's registration limit of 18 hours. If it will, you will need to reduce your internship credits, drop a class, or petition to increase your hours prior to applying for credit for your internship.
- The internship job responsibilities are communication- and/or journalism-related. This course is meant to extend the in-classroom experience of communication and journalism majors to the real-world application of communication theories and practices.
- Involvement in student organization activities or part-time jobs (e.g. retails sales, amusement park work, etc.) cannot count as internships as they are not internships.
- The intern will have a supervisor who is a professional staff member of the organization. The supervisor cannot be an undergraduate student at OSU or another university. The supervisor cannot be related to you.
- Internships where the student serves as an independent contractor or in similar capacities are not eligible for credit.
Approval/denial of any internship application for any reason is at the discretion of the Internship Coordinator of the School of Communication.
Application Process
Read the following information for an outline of the COMM 4191 application process.
Step One
Determine if you may be eligible to receive credit for your internship through COMM 4191. Read "Minimum Eligibility Requirements" above. If it seems you are eligible, determine how many credits you would like to earn for this internship. You will only receive the number of credits if you work the required hours and complete all course assignments. Please see Credit to Hours Worked Ratio above for more information on required hours per credit.
Step Two
Apply for credit using the online COMM 4191 Internship Enrollment Application during an open application window. Applications are always due by the first Friday of the semester. The Internship Enrollment Application will require you to submit information about your internship including company name and address; supervisor’s name, email, and phone; and job description. Please have all information available prior to beginning the application.
Step Three
Once you submit the application, your supervisor will be prompted to verify their portion of the application process. He/she will be emailed at the email address that you provide. It is necessary to enter an accurate email address for your supervisor. It is your responsibility to follow-up with your supervisor to ensure that they received the verification email. Please contact your course instructor if your supervisor did not receive the verification email. Supervisor verifications must be complete by the 2nd Friday of the semester, as that is the last day to add a course with instructor's permission.
Step Four
Once the supervisor’s verification is complete, the COMM 4191 instructor will review your application. The application will be approved/denied for COMM 4191 credit using the minimum eligibility requirements listed on this website. Approval/denial of any internship application for any reason is at the discretion of the School of Communication.
Step Five
If approved, COMM 4191 will be registered to your schedule for 1-3 credits (based on application) within 5 business days. You cannot self-register for this course. Enrolling in COMM 4191 is like enrolling in any other OSU class, meaning you will be responsible for completing course assignments, as well as meeting all of the financial responsibilities related to taking a course at The Ohio State University. COMM 4191 must be successfully registered by the 2nd Friday of the semester. Applications outstanding after the second Friday will be deleted and are ineligible for credit at that point.
Application Deadline
The Internship Enrollment Application is due by the first Friday of the semester (or the first Friday of the corresponding session during summer term).
The Autumn 2024 application deadline has passed. No additional applications are being accepted for autumn internship credit.
The Spring 2025 application will open on November 1, 2024 and the deadline to apply is Friday, January 10, 2025.
Application Link
Apply for credit for spring 2025 internships between November 1, 2024 and January 10, 2025.
Providing Proof of Internship Eligibility and Registration to Your Employer
By OSU policy, the School of Communication is unable to sign any forms from employers, including but not limited to internship application forms, hold harmless agreements, etc. In lieu of signature, a letter can be drafted by the Internship Coordinator to provide the requested information. One of two letters can be provided: an eligibility letter and/or a credit confirmation letter. The eligibility letter can be presented to the employer prior to applying for credit through COMM 4191. Once applied, approved, and registered for COMM 4191, a credit confirmation letter can be provided to show that you are registered for the credit for the internship. To request a letter, please send an email to Lisa Jerele at jerele.2@osu.edu including which letter you need and the name of your employer, the contact person to whom the letter should be addressed, and the mailing address of the company. At least 48 hours is required to produce a letter.