PTW Internships

This page includes information both for students in the program (instructing them about the details and procedures for completing an internship), and for employers (informing them about what it is that PTW students can contribute to their work environment).

 

Internships

All Professional and Technical Writing majors are required to take at least one internship during their time at SVSU. PTW minors are also encouraged to complete an internship. Students may complete more than one internship if they wish. Students enroll in RPW 386 for their first internship; this course is offered during the Fall semester. Students who complete a second internship enroll in RPW 486, which is offered both Fall and Winter. Internships are evaluated as pass/fail and credit/no credit courses.

Dr. Jorgensen is the current Internship Coordinator. She will work with you to locate an appropriate internship site that meets the program's expectations and fits your professional interests.

The semester before you plan on taking an internship, you have to submit the following three items (described in greater detail below) to Dr. Jorgensen. Her contact information is available on her [Faculty profile].

  1. the PTW Internship Form [PTWInternshipForm.pdf], 
  2. a Portfolio [see the PTWPortfolioGuidelines.pdf for assistance], and
  3. an Independent Study Form.

See the sections below for more information on each of these steps.

 

PTW Internship Form

The PTW Internship Form asks for information such as your major and minor, class standing, and your contact information. It also offers you the opportunity to provide information about your internship preferences, including the location you want to intern at and the position you want at that location (if you have already identified one), or the kind of work you hope to do. 

 

Portfolio

To be considered for an internship, you have to submit a portfolio that presents your professional development to date, including sample projects that showcase your writing, design, and editing knowledge. Your portfolio can be submitted in print or digital form.

Follow the guidelines (linked in the section above) when developing your portfolio. In addition, you can check out fellow PTW students’ portfolios in the RPW faculty office space (located on the 2nd floor of the Zahnow Library behind the Student Technology Center). [View a map of the offices here.] Jodi Radloff, a 2010 PTW graduate, prepared the following video to introduce you to the process of preparing your portfolio.




Independent Study Form & Registration Process

You cannot register for an internship through Cardinal Direct. Instead, you must register the internship as if it was an independent study course.

  1. Visit the SVSU Registrar (Wickes 151). Pick up an Independent Study (IS) form.
  2. Complete the top portion of the IS form.
  3. Visit Dr. Jorgensen (Zahnow 218). Verify that you have properly completed the IS form. Request her signature on the form and gather a copy of the course syllabus. Clip the syllabus to your IS form.
  4. Visit Dr. Williamson (Zahnow 221). Request his signature (as Chair of the Department of Rhetoric and Professional Writing).
  5. Visit Dr. Hedberg (Wickes 360). Request her signature (as Dean of the College of Arts & Behavioral Sciences). Leave the IS form with the Dean's office staff. This approval process typically takes 24 hours. Retrieve the form when it is ready.
  6. Return the IS form to the Registrar.

 

Internship Responsibilities

RPW internships involve 10 hours of work each week for 10 weeks. During the internship, you must complete a progress report every week. You are also assigned three readings that require a summary and response. At the end of the internship, you complete a report and create a one-page internship profile that overviews your place of work, your responsibilities, and offers advice to future interns.

Questions should be directed to the current internship coordinator, Dr. Jorgensen.