Internships provide invaluable work experience and will give you an important advantage in your job search. Your internship experience can also earn you academic credit.
To qualify for course credit, internships must:
- introduce the student to a new workplace environment
- include significant writing tasks and/or tasks appropriate to your course of study as WRD or MA in WRD student
- align with the time frame of the quarter
- involve at least 10 hours per week for 10 weeks (100 hours total)
Internship Process: Undergraduate Students
Undergraduate WRD students with questions about undergraduate internships should contact Prof. Antonio Ceraso.
Internship Process: Graduate Students
Students in the
MA in WRD should follow the procedure outlined below.
In general,
planning for an internship should begin at least three months prior to the start of the quarter in which you plan to do the internship.
1. Research internship opportunities.
To research internships, use DePaul's job and internship portal,
Handshake; visit the
Career Center; or find opportunities through your own research and contacts.
2. Make an appointment with the program director to discuss internship ideas.
After you have done some research and identified several promising internship options—and at least two months prior to the start of the quarter in which you plan to do the internship—contact the Director of the MA in WRD,
Prof. Jason Kalin, and schedule a meeting to discuss these options.
3. Secure an internship and submit a brief description of the employer and your duties.
After you have secured an internship—and at least one month prior to the start of the quarter in which you plan to do the internship—submit a brief description (<300 words) by e-mail to
Prof. Jason Kalin, which describes the organization you will intern at, identifies your supervisor and their job title, lists your anticipated duties, and explains why this internship is relevant to your professional goals. The WRD Graduate Committee will review your description and, if approved, you will then have a member of the WRD graduate faculty assigned to you, who will be your faculty supervisor for the duration of the internship.
4. Complete the internship agreement forms.
Your assigned faculty supervisor will assist you with the paperwork necessary to formalize the internship. Download the internship agreement form.
5. Register for course credit.
When the necessary paperwork has been signed and approved, you will register for academic credit. You should register no later than two weeks prior to the quarter in which you wish to receive academic credit for the internship. You will register for WRD 590 (Internship in Professional and Digital Writing) or WRD 591 (Internship in Teaching Writing and Language) using the online
Independent Study registration system.
6. Work at least 10 hours per week for 10 weeks at your internship site.
During the quarter, you will perform the activities and complete the projects you identified in your internship agreement with your internship provider. To qualify for course credit, your internship should add up to at least 100 hours of work over the course of the quarter.
Because the internship is meant to be a professional experience, WRD expects you to follow all the rules and procedures of the internship provider. You will not receive course credit if the internship provider reports excessive absences, substandard work, or documented misconduct, even if you fulfill the other requirements.
7. Document and reflect on your experience.
During your internship experience, you will meet several times with your faculty supervisor to discuss your internship and submit assignments that demonstrate your progress.
Required assignments include several status update emails, an interview report, and a completion report. You must submit all the materials by the required deadlines to receive course credit.